The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-06-06
ADOPTING CHILDREN.
SOME CURIOUS SCENES AT THE EN-
GLEWOOD NURSERY.

OF 1t-Factlities Afforded Those Whose
Homes Are DesoIate for Selecting Heirs
or Heiresses.
"For a baby you called? Why, Ger
tainly. Just step up stairs. Now, what
kind of baby would you prefer?'
"Why, my wife wants a girl baby with
blue eyes. She amt particular about the
hair being dark or light, but she don't
want no bald heads"
"Well, we haven't very large number
at present, but just look around and see
if anything suits you"
The honest farmer from Iowa did as he
was hidden. He did not stand. as the re-
corded bit of conversation may lead some
to suppose, amid the debris of new
mandatory where babies were turned
out by machinery in assorted sizes and
tied up in punches like asparagus, ready
for the purchaser. There was no buzz of
machinery to deafen the ears Of the two
quiet agriculturists as they nervously
faced the battery of several pairs of baby
eyes.
Armed with due references, they had
visited the Englewood infant nursery to
select one Of the lone babies as their
"ownest own" and were going about it
as awkwardly as only men can.
The Englewood infant nursery is SIM
ply cottage at 23S Sixty-sixth street.
z SELECTING A BABY.
The nursery-cheerful, clean and SUM-
shiny-is upstairs. 1t was there we all
gathered while the Iowan searched for
girl baby with blue eyes.
Unfortunately girl babies are hard to
secure. Everybody knows how much
more docile, lovable and desirable gen.
orally girls are than boys, and they are
snapped up accordingly. The nursery
only contained one girl on this especial
day, and she wasn't near so much of a
baby as the man wanted.
"Now, that's boy with a beautiful
eye," said the matron admiringly, as q
little tot with black orbs and decidedly
prominent nose was hoisted to the mans
knee.
The man looked discouraged. the
youngster poked his finger in his ''beau-
tiful eye" and beloved. The matron
changed the subject-and the child.
Next came duo of candidates. The
farmer held one on each knee and look
ed as though he had been suddenly
blessed with twins. They were botf
blue eyed youngsters about S months
old. The smaller had no hair and was
rejected as ineligible. Tie other was of
a lusty German type, for babies have
types quite as much as grown people,
popular opinion to the contrary notwith-
standing. Chances were evidently bring
ing round in favor of this one, but the
farmer, with all the carefulness of his
class, was bound to inspect the remain
der of the stock
"Don't you be so foolish as to take
girl. Girls amt no use on farm. What
you want is good healthy boy, who
will soon lend helping hand to the
chores"
81 dunno" said the farmer reflective
ly "you kin make boy outen girl, so
to speak, for she kin help in the chores
II need be, but you can't make a girl
outen boy. They won't Go homework,
nohow.'
The matron endeavored to persuade
him otherwise, remarking in an aside
that for her part she didn't want to see
that sweet little girl put on farm
where she might not get half an educa-
ton, and she so smart, too. 1t was diff
ferent with boys-they could work their
way through better.
THE NURSERY AND IT'S INMATES.
Asleep on corner cot was the "Police-
man." SO called from having come from
the police station at the tender age of "a
hours.
1--WE didn't know who his parents
were, of course" said the matron to
reporter after the Iowa farmer had taken
his departure. HE was quite the home
LEST sample of baby it has ever been
my i'll fortune to behold. The tiny red
face, creased till it looked like the map
of Europe, coarse red hair already spring
ing above the retreating brow, along
upper lip forming half of a ridiculously
wide mouth, and the little fists clinched
pugnaciously as though they already
grasped the baton of 'one Of the finest
If ever the Policeman is adopted it will
surely be by a blind man. The Iowa
farmer wouldn't look at him, in spite Of
my seductive endeavors. Instead he de-
cided upon the azure eyed 'Dutchy,' and
the whole tenor of one life was forever
changed. Goodnessi Think of the greet
ing that man will get when he returns
home without the girl he was Instructed
to bring and with the boy he was warned
against"
The Englewood day nursery is an out
growth of the American Educational Aid
association, child saving organization
which aims to bring homeless, orphaned
and neglected children into juxtaposi-
ton with chi,dless and charitable homes.
The welfare of the children holds pre-
eminent place in the plans and its entire
management. They come forlorn and
often forsaken, and are cared for with
the utmost tenderness until adopted into
permanent and desirable homes. No
one can, however, adopt child until
the board is satisfied the home will be a
good one and the surroundings morally
healthful. The children are not bought;
no fee is paid upon adoption; the object
is simply to save the lives and secure
true manhood and womahood to the
helpless waits, as well as to protect the
state from their future care as paupers
or criminals.-Chicago Times.