The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-13
ANGEL MAKING.

A writer: in the Pail Mall Gazette,
speaking of an ''angel-maker'-another
name for |'baby-farmcr says: "You
must imagine that, although Rose Garou
took six children to rear, she yet devoted
all her time to them; and you may pos
sibly conjurc up a warm but well.aired
along the walls, with six clean babies
sucking contentedly at feeding bottles,
while Rose bustles about with sponge and
tepid water, or powder puff and soft
towel, and fills up the intervals of wash
ing and dressing by imparting to each Of
her charges insturn some Of nature S own
nourishment. The case really stood
thus: Jean Garou, being a winner. had
a cottage with three rooms, one for him
self, wife and two children, the other,
which was kitchen and general room,
where his mother slept, and the third a
sort Of scullery where tools and lumber
had been kept. In trestle bed in this
room lay the six babies, three at one end
and three at the other; and the room be-
ing built OH ground with no cellar be.
meath, rocked with damp at the least
rain, was an oven in summer and in win
ter an ice.house, having neither stove nor
chimney. The babies had no feeding
bottles, for these luxuries cost three or
four francs apiece; but the manner of
nourishing them is in this wise: Milk
(already adulterated by the vendor, a
neighboring pcasant) was mixed with
water and boiled three times day. At
odd moments, Roses mother, the crone,
came with mug and straw and gave
each Of the babies pull, and after this
six rags would be STEPPED in the milk and
each Of the innocents received one to
suck at his leisure. 1t was also the crone
who was supposed to do the washing in
snatched intervals from hewing wood and
drawing water for Rose Garon had her
husbands dinner to cook, clothes to
mend, and her own two youngsters to
look after, so that she could do no more
thaa cast an eye into the nursery now
and then when some poor brat squcalcd
louder than usual. And they had reason
enough to squeal, wrctched little waits.
When one thinks of the many hours of
daily care which every baby requires if
he is to grow up in health, how wonder
that unwashcd and neglected Roses six
charges should soon have been covered
with frightful 'tcething rashcs'-the
euphemistical term for the sores produced
by unclcanliness. But was there not
man or woman in Roses village to lift up
a voice against this unhallowed state of
things? Well, no. The French peas
antry look upon the inhabitants Of cities
as fair game, and there is freemasonry
among them which prevents their de-
nouncing one another. AS to the villa &c
Mayor, it was not his business, even if he
knew Of it. nor was it the cures, for we're
there not inspecting doctors 20 see to
these things Surely, and let us speak
of these inspecting DOCTORS. Every now
and then some Mustered medical men,
paid to inspect six villages in day,
would burst upon the hamlet. Rose, who
was thoroughly apprised Of his coming
beforehand, that she might not bother
being out Of the way, would be standing
at her door with her own chubby baby,
rugged out in the quilted silk and laces Of
the little perfumer, and sucking at the
fine coral property of the
latter. How could the doctor tell
that i'll little room beyond, which
he was never invited to in
spect, the little perfumer and his foster
brethren were sucking at rags and wall.
ing in, voices which became fainter every
day? The doctors never suspected, or
appeared not to suspect. They would
nod approval at young Garou, accept a
glass of white. wine and begone; and
straightway Rose would sit down and
write in her sprawly hand to the parents
of all her charges; declaring that young
this or that was little i'll, and that the
doctor prescribed physic -whereat the
poor sweep, lamp:lighter, weaver, pieman,
gunsmith and perfumer would pinch out
Of their savings. to send money for medi-
cine, which money, honest, simple Rose
Gsrou would put into her pocket. Truly
it is fine business, this Of nursing; and
when we look at an assembly of French.