Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-13
Alefal(0rIa Qbax&tte
FRIDAY EVENING, JULY IS.
& y.enefactor Of Babies.

| 4 very interesting, and at the same time uu-
obtruslve, work has been going on in London.
through the devotion oil u truly noble" lady.
tho Countess E5crsburg Some years ago this
countess lost two babes, aud size then conse.
| Grated her loftuDc and life to the work Of say.
| ing the lives Of children. As she begau to ex
| anime the subject she met with the statement
| that in England two hundred thousand CHI.
drcn die annually under the ssc Of i've, aud of
| these three per ccntum die ol g:eYeutabIe
causes. She wrote to tie registrar general 10
ask il this rate of inlaut mortality is really irut,
and received confirmation OF it. Then she sci
herself to the task Of going around and visiting
the poor aud co1versiDg with mothers. She
found these poor mothers 80 hopelessly lgnO-
rant OF the most primary laws oil health, and,
if they knew them, so entirely unable, FROM
drudgery and poverty, to practice them, that
she the Couutess) gradually felt her way tr
some kind of practical method.
In the first place she Instituted weekly Moth
ers' Meetings. which might be attended by
those who were able, at which she gave thom
instructions in economizing their poor means.
and in the kinds Of food most nourshing. aud
answered from the best authorities tho moth
ers' questions as to treating their own and thcIr
childrens ailments. The Countess is highly
educated and quite able to impart Information.
AS an illustration Of how minutely she studies
the situation of these mothers may men
ton that she found that, 10 their desire to
make .hcir little mcaos so as far as posi-
BILE, they were pretty generally in the habi.
Of buying salt herring for breakfast, be-
cause it can be bought for penny. but
the herring makes the husband or son
thirsty, and after it goes out spends lwopence
for beer. So she persuaded the mother that
the herring is delusivc economy, and the ln
struction has been justified. The Countess next
drew upon her cWp means aud those oil her
friends to provide matted food extract and slnl-
liar things Tor ailng children. and, by spending
about 600 year ln thlS way, saved many
lives.
The ilI.spc!t, tear b!ottcd letters Of gratitude
sboYered upon her hy grateful mothers are pre-
served by her ~ proudly as any warrior pre-
serves The medals that reward his successful
sIaushtcr: No cry Of mother or child has
ever been UNDECIDED. Gradually she has ex.
tended her plans TO include i children D rereat
iu the cOuntr. for babies whose lives depend
on q change Of air, and q day nursery where
women may leave their children 10 good care
while they are at work. Her work is now ar
ranged in districts auid the poorest parts OF
London, and she distributes some nine thous
and pounds Of baby food per auuum: lostruc
tion as TO health is given n four different ecu
tres A great many leaflets containing simple
sanitary Instructions arc also distributed The
crusade of this gentlo Countess against Herod,
though ii has attracted no attcuticn 10 royal
circles here, seems to have been heard OF else
where, and the Empress Of l;ussia last year
sent the Countess q donation for her work and q
warm letter Of sympathy. The Grand Duchess
Of Baden has this year done the same.--M. ID.
C1u,rav's Letter IN the Cincinnati COnlmerciat.