The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-25
Neglected Children.

Wandering along my way, writes IRE
nmus" in the New York Observer, and
passing bench of Bridgets, beaux and
babies, one of the latter fell head first
from its cradle and struck upon the solid
concrete walk. 1t made no scream, and
l hoped it was not hurt. But when l
had passed few steps on, the cry came,
piercing my ear and heart. The stunned
child had "come to-" and was now
shrieking in pain and fright. Doubt
less it was soon hushed, and Bridget
pursued her interrupted tete a-tete with
her "cousin." The fond mother at home
will never know of the accident that
happened to her darling child while the
unfaithful nurse was flirting with man;
but in the course of o year or two the
child will become more and more rest
less, fitful, uncomfortable; then it will
be lethargic; commissions will seize and
distort it; parents will weep and pray,
and plead with doctors to do something
for it; they will shake their heads and
fear there is water on the brain, and if
SO, there is great reason to fear. "Did
the child ever fall on its headT No,
ne, er; and then comes one more con-
vulsive struggle; it's little hands are
clutched; its limbs are drawn into fierce
contortions, and the doctors say it does
not suffer pain; it is quite unconscious;
these awful throes are involuntary; then
it opens it's eyes in the light of moth
er's love, and it's soul goes out to Him
who gave it.
That is the result of just such an &C
cident as happened when l passed the
unmatched cradle in the park. Hun
dreds of such cradles and nurses are in
the park. Fond mothers think they are
doing everything for their babes when
they hire one woman for each child to
give her whole time to it. But they are
trying to get for their children what
money cannot procure.
You live in the country, and imagine
that the hints in this letter are intended
for the mothers of New York, whose
babies and nurses enjoy the Central
Park. But am writing to them and
you. The progress Of social refinement,
the increase Of wealth and culture, the
division of labor, the demands of society,
women's work in the church, take up
so much time that mothers turn off the
care of their babes upon hired
nurses Mrs. Smith sent for me
to come and talk with her about
founding an asylum for deserted and
orphan children. Her own son, twelve
years old, was stretched on rug, with
dirty shoes munching an apple, and act
ing more like pig in the straw than the
Oldest son of lady. She told him to
get up, put he wouldn't and he didn't
We talked as well as we could, and |
thought her own children needed care
quite as much as the Arabs of the street
or the desert. And so it is everywhere
Home is the source of salvation for So
ciety. We want good homes. Mothers
are the makers of the manners of their
sons and daughters. But the mother
who commits her tender babes to the IN
watched care of ahalf-civilized pagan or
papal nurse, and then imagines that she
has done her duty, is mother false to
her nature, to herself, to her children,
false to God and society. If she has
heart enough to ache, she will yet re-
greet her neglect of maternal duties when
it is too late to retrieve the lamentable
loss.