The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-04-14
BABY HAD TO MOVE ON.
There Was No Place In st. Louis Asylums
for the Most Helpless OF
Human mind.
The story of a waif. Including an Inoi-
dent Illustrating a Rich
200 woman's Charity.

Two women were sitting 10 the library oil
the Womsn's Christian Home few days ago
waiting for some other women who were to
conduct business meeting. One of them was
plainly dressed and Insignificant. She sat with
her back to the window and could see
through the open folding doors and the small
Office intervening into the hall, the further
door also being ajar. The other woman was
the wife OF a rich merchant who has made his
fortune in St Louis. She was clad in heavy
black satin and furs and wore costly jewelry.
A Bible lay before her on the table, while jus
back and above her hung steel engraving OF
the thorn-crowned Christ. She turned the
leaves OF the book and was probably congrat-
ulating herself upon being publicly identified
with organized charities as she read what is
promised those who engage in good works.
Meantime the young woman who had been
waiting in the Office had gone into the hall and
was heard talking to German woman whose
quavering accents told of present sorrow.
There was misty, penetrating rain without
and the mother pleaded for nights shelter
for herself and two little children. girl of
six chung to one hand and months old baby,
wrapped in gray cotton shawl burdened her
right arm. She told her story brokenly, sob
bling between sentences, and wiping her eyes
on a corner of her shawl. The previous
evening she had landed in st. Louis from
the boat directed her to the Green Tree,
where she staid over night. She had been
promised work in that inn if she could dispose
of her baby, and she had been told to come
to the Home. The young woman said she
would have to 60 to an orphan asylum, thai
babies were not admitted to the Home
Wouldn't they let her stay there only for thai
night with the children? She had been walk
ing since 6 o'clock lit was then 1890 p. m,
trying to find some one who would give he
employment, and also allow her to keep he
children. She did not want to give up he
baby, and she patted it tenderly while tear
sprinkled the squirming bundle. The Greer
Tree would not receive her If she returned
with the baby II she could rest and get GU
of the rain until next day she would try
again. The woman was exhausted
as she said, and hungry too. But the younger
woman shook her head and said in unsympa.
thetic tones, that she could do nothing fol
her The house was full, and If they took in
such applicants, even temporarily, the insti.
tuition would be overrun with them. She
must 90 to an orphan asylum. The mother
could be heard pleading for her children
asking few hours shelter in the broad hall
Within sound OF her tear-heavy accents, anc
the evidence OF penniless distress that coulc
hone for no other shelter than that of damI
doorway, the rich woman whose name show!
after generous figures on charity subscrip
tons, turned the leaves of the scriptures anC
paid NO heed to the poor creature who's,
temporary comfort could have been assured
by the gift of a few dimes from her purse
The occasion was too unimportant. There
was no secretary to make minute of the oc
currence 1t would never put the donor'
three syllable name either into the newspaper
or into charity catalogues. The idealizeC
Christ above her on the wall worked no mir
ace Of speech to influence her. And tn,
poor woman and her children turned 10 90.
The Insignificant woman who sat in sigh
of the contrasting scenes, and who haC
waited to see what degree of praciica
Christian charity would be exhibited by tn,
rich woman, here arose and went out into IN,
hall. She gave the stranger directions to tn,
house where big hearted widow lived, whC
received the hungry wanderers kindly anC
cared for them until the following morning
when the insignificant woman started on
with them to make the round of the asylums
1t was found that with all her charities st
Louis neglects the most helpless--the babe
under six months of age. The Girls In
dustrial Home will not admit children
younger than two years OF age. Neither vii
the Methodist Home. The German Lutheran
requires them to be year old, and recentl
the Episcopal Orphan Home decided to az
cept no more babies unless six months old O
over. Al ST. AIMS Catholic Asylum tn
Mother Superior said no young babies wer
taken unless they had been deserted by thei
mothers. This seemed a premium, il
one sense, on desertion. But III
woman only shook her head, Will
telrs fell unchecked, over her cheeks. 1t wa