The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-10-04
FINDING LOST BABIES.
HOW TooOLERs ARE PICKED UP
~ THE CITY STREETS.


chiIdren's DEPARTING 1.-THE Fate Of
Four Babies.
Tho little shavers and shaverines that the
policemen carry every night to Matron
Webb, at the lost children's department, are
a thoroughly assorted lot Some are about
the size that westerner designates as being
''as big as a pint of cider half drunk up"
others are often or 10 years OF age, and got
lost because they have just come to the city
Or have lived in some institution ell their
liveS The strays are invariably dirty, ard
usually moro or less unbuttoned and unlaced
AlSo, the more certain their parents arc that
their darlings will he scared almost to death,
the more sure the youngsters are to ccme in
with fist full of pennies, no hat, and soul
full of peace.
Last Sunday night manly, handsome Off
Ger got on a Broadway car at Twenty ninth
street with little girl, who chung to him
lil;e a thistle blow, shaking and qulyerIng
with sobs The car was well filed with
church folks, who began Immediately to pelt
the officer with questions, which he answered
calmly and patiently, hugging the little oI9
up to his side the while.
At Matron Webb's Miss Baby found
warm welcome. Three rows CT blue arm
chairs and rockers Constitute the strange
little human pound" where the stray babies
wait for Somo one to come and prove their
property With tear stained face washed and
her roll replaced by some automatically su-
CARED cake, tho little one consented TO trust
herself, her precious pennies and her daisies
to the arms of a much gilded and lowered
blue rocking chair They weren't nice,
warm, strong arms same as the policeman
had, but they had their good points. As soon
as she was settled bit Matron Webb smiled
On her one of those motherly smiles that have
warmed the cookies of so many little hearts
and asked her name.
The gray eyes looked at her very steadily
for minute, then the lower part of the ills
terrogation point quivered a little and she
answered:
Fanny: ;
The voice was about as fine as a cambria
needle and Us large Us minute old robin
chirp, but tho matron heard it, and asked her
"other name" Tho ghost of baby smile
Strengthened out the interrogation point, and
the sweet thread of voice was a full sizs
larger as it answered.:
''Duckem!'
This was all the information that could bo
gained, for indeed it was probably all tho
mere baby knew. She sat obediently in her
chair during her stay. At last, after
an hours waiting, the door opened sharply
and nice looking young fellow of 10 or 20
came tumbling in, white and excited. Up
! Jew the little fat arms, away went the PEN
nies and tho posies, "Oh, Duckem!" cried q
manly voice, and Duckem was close in her
! big brothers arms. She was 50 glad that her
shyness all went away at once and sho gra-
ciously let everybody who wanted to kiss her
good-by. Little Fanny Daily, of West
! Twenty-ninth street, was thus lost and found.
! But this dear little girl was not the only
Suest that the matron was entertaining last
! Sunday night 1t was not very much Of
| day for lost babies, for there had not bean so
much as q procession or hand organ out to
tempt them away, but, oil the same, severn
teen small pilgrims in pinafores and jackets
drifted in and out, before and alter
Quicken" came and went. Next to
''Duckem," the baby of this group of young
sters was a burly, splendid boy about }
years and a half old, Just the sort of boy to
suit the name he gave, "Phil." Phil gave
tho wiry young cop" as he called him, vino
brought him in lively tustle; but no one
who could see the poor little beggar fat on
his face before the door begging and scream
ing to be taken to his 'moth-ther," could
blanc him for the rumpus he was making
No cakes, nor candies. nor finc words could
butter poor little Phii's parsnips that night,
and he sobbed and cried As if his manly little
heart would break until his mother appeared.
Shc came in a half hour later, thin, tidy
looking woman, with o flushed face and @
shawl hastily wrapped around her, almost
beside herself with fear
ooh, Phil, my darlin', why did We run
away from your mother! Oh, sure, me boy,
it's the dreadful terror you've given me this
day, thinking I'd never be seeing you again,
and the mother of eight children that never
bad one Of them run away from the steps on
which put 'em before! Where was it ye
were. spalpeerf'
Phil left home on East Seventy-fourth
street at 10 o'clock in the morning, and at
o'clock was picked up at the foot Of Park
place! Seven good miles if it was an inch,
and Phil not three years old till September
comes" Small wonder his nanny picked
him up in her willing arms and carried him
off folded close to her mothers heart.
The little wanderer was scarce on his way
home when n good looking man burst into
the room. He sprang toward the triple row
Of chairs without speaking and then with
groan turned away AS he turned his eve
fell on a tattered sailor hat, with long
blue ribbon on it. lying on the table.
That's his hat" he cried. where's
Jackf' Matron Webb pointed to the white
bed in the corner. Master Jack had sat in his
chair as long as he could and then had calmly
gotten up, laid his hat on the table and gone
to bed It'll daddy comes" In a moment
there was the greatest hullabaloo in the cor
her that one could imagine. The sight of his
daddy put all Jacks philosophy out of his
mind and he cried like a good one. His
father blinked few times over the bows
shoulder and held him very tight but not o
word did no say until he got his boy out in
the hall Then he broke into a sob.
"Oh, my little son, thought you'd gone
for good, and then they both went OFF to
mamma"
!, These three youngsters and one other gcs
all tho kisses there were given. Got one of
the eighteen were scolded, but fourteen of
them were greeted in manner that spoke
5 moro or less OF shattered confidence.
The young mothers and fathers are the
ones who take it hard, particularly if they
are strangers and foreigners For instance,
} the fourth baby last Sunday night who got a
: kissing WIS u little dark haired, dark eyed
girl in whito frock, with small blus
enamelled earrings in her cars Her mother
was q nero child, n slender Polish girl with
shawl over her head and her big eyes
swimming with teari> She had q young lad
, with her as intsrA iter, but she was toe
much excited to wait for him, and she feu
= from one chair to the other. wringing heI
I hands and chattering like magpie Mrs
Y Webb happened to remember tho little one
! On the bed with the earrings in her cars, and
u inquiringly touched her own ears as q Ques
!, ton. The little mother few TO the corner
and in a moment was staggering about will
her big girl in the arms that ought still to b
| tending dolls She kissed and cried over he,