The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-28
OUR GIRL MOTHER.

WueEo Il WIS dAu ooOOAscAnSN eAAHs
she was dressmaker and looking for work.
She found work in q week or two and
changed her boarding house for another
on the west side. met her on the street
some months later and had a little CONVEX
sstion with her. She told me she was great
ly troubled and asked if would visit her
that evening, giving me her address
When / went there she introduced me TO
her sister, young woman about twenty
years old, and the two then told me their
perplexity. Both girls were dependent en-
tirely upon their own exertions; and earned
about five dollars q week each. Mary, the
one to whom Lizzie had introduced me, was
married few months before, she asid, and
her husband had deserted her. The trouble
Yves that she was going to become q mother,
and that absolute restitution seemed likely
to be the result of it. They wanted my sd-
vice about trying to get rid Of the child by
abortion. They said that soon as Msry's
condition should be discovered in the estsb-
lishment where they worked that she
would be discharged; and then again-f
thel baby was born, it would require care
attention and money which they could not
give It.
After talking the matter over for an hour
and sitter the child was born to give it away
This was the best we could do. We were
all poor. I promised, however, such sssis-
lance as / could give and SO the thing was
settled.
I saw the girls frequently during the fall
months and had MANY talks with them, and
somehow all our talk hinged upon the baby.
We found ourselves saving up such articles
as we could spare from our private ward
robes to make clothing for it.
After while the baby had so grown up
on US that great perplexity arose. Sup
pose it should be girl, how were we TO
send the little angel out of our sight to
take the same risk in life that we had taken,
deprived of mother-love and influenced
Always when the sex of the child was spO-
ken of we would become silent and sppre-
hensive. 1t would be easy enough to let q
boy go; everything favored boy, and
moreover suppose it Is as we'll to speak
the trath-our thought of boy were en-
Filtered BY recollecIions Of tho wrongs done
Us BY the dominant sex and we were pre-
pared to render it injustice for injustice
After q while Mary lost her position as
was predicted. Winter mad come and the
cost OF living had increased. Lizzie could
earn but five dollars week and that would
not pay rent and al the other expenses. l
attempted to enlist the interests of some
ladies who might have helped the girls ma
terially without feeling the loss. But not
one OF them would contribute so much as a
penny without calling upon Mary to pro-
.duce her marriage certificate. As she could
not produce this, they not only refused to
help her but hesped names upon her whose
application to any woman, no matter how
fallen and degraded, has always aroused
my bitterest wrath. Think of tLisl And
then imagine if you can how many GEN.
-turies of eEolu ion it will take to make wo-
men out of creatures who In the face of this
betrayed, deserted, destitute and suffering
girl could ask anything but the privilege Of
giving her assistance and consolOtion.
We managed to do without their help.
Four days ago Lizzie came TO me beam
ing, but with the strangest expression Of
countenance. Though Joy full, it was sppre
hensive and supplicsting almost TO sbject-
ness. The baby was born and it was boy
"a great big boy" Lizzie said, "snd the
'dsrlingest creature she ever set eyes on
OIL" her voice trembled on the last words.
1 fully understand their import and frowned
upon them.
"He will have to go, Lizzie" said. "Af
ter our experience with the charity of the
world it will be madness for Mary TO at
tempt to keep him." / brsced myself t
sternness and Lizzie went away with
dreadful look on her young face. But
promised to go there ahst evening, and
did 90.
Mary was lying in her poor, scantily fur
Inished bed, her glorious hair like sunshine
upon the dingy pillows-the only sunshine
in that dreary room. There was something
in the faces of both girls that was pleading
and yet defiant. Lizzie uncovered the
baby and handed him to me. Ny God
whs. rush of feelings came over me. Civ
him away? 1 had reckoned without ny
host. A quick glance at Mary showed me-
AN expression Of eyes like that of some
poor hunted hound who had been so habitu
ally robbed of her young that fear of he
loss had made her wildly spprehensive o
the human face.
1--WE can never let this baby CO." 1 said
Mary covered her face instantly; Lizzie
rstreng features broke up into the Joyful
emotion of tears; and as for me, 1 took tn
little rosy human bundle and sat down on
trunk where blubbered out loud, Just a
dong as 1 wanted to.
believe that baby weighs as much q
twelve pounds, and such another darllnI
precious, beautiful little angel never saw
Give him sway1 l smile sardonically q
the mere suggestion.
But, ladies and gentlemen, here Is some
thing for your consideration. That baby i
an outlaw, and his mother is an outlaw
Society damns her, and the Jaw of thu
land sanctions the damning. That baby
as fEs bud Of humanity Is ever came in
TO this world. and bis lovely young mother
the full equal of your own pampered anc
protected daughters, are condemned by
every law in existence to crawl through
life by underground pathways, weaving q
every step 9 network Of lies that mus
eventually prostitute them TO lower leve
than that for which their natural capacit,
fits them. More than this-the time vii
come whom the baby boy grown up snt
saturated in the opinions of the socia
world viii turn fercely upon the womal
who hss Just passed through the tortures 0
hell fo- him, and ask her savagely how sh
dared bring him into existence 70 be tn