Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-01
A CRIB IN THE WALL
Through Which Frailty's Nameless
Waits Pass 10 Protection.
UNIQUE ASYLUM In AREQUIPA.
A Noble Charity Which Doubtless Prevents
Many a Dark Crime.
HOW THE 0UTCASTS ARE CARED FOR

OF This old city, nearly opposite the ruins Oh
what was once the Woman's Hospital, which
was shaken down by the great earthquake
OF 20 years ago, is very ancient-looking
structure, struggling over an entire square,
whose closed doors and small, heavily
barred windows give no hint of what may
be going on within. My attention was first
attracted by its appearance of antiquity. the
utter silence that broods over the locality,
and the numbers of black-gowned priests
and blue-gowned Sisters of Charity who are
constantly gliding in and out its worm
eaten portal.
One day, having extended my walk to the
farther side of the enormous building where
it faces an unfrequeLted thoroughfare, I
observed something which aroused my
curiosity to the highest pitch-merely
kind of wooden cage or turn-stile set in the
walls, shaped like circular box with two
compartments, which CHANGED to be slowly
revolving as 1 passed. What could it be
another mystery of the Monkery," or q
relic of Inquisition days? While looked.
the box slowly turned again and presented
its blank side to the street, so like the sur
rounding walls, that one might pass a
thousand times and never notice it.
Couldn't Resist Investigation.
But little groove remained. into which
the fingers might be fitted; and of course
the spirit of Mother Eve impelled me to try
it. Pulled one away, it refused to move;
pulled the other, the cage swung around
with rheumatic creak and turned its empty
compartment to the view. Journalistic
enterprise demanded a solution of the riddle,
and forthwith became q walking interro-
CATION point until the bottom facts were
attained.
The ancient edifce-which is now nearly
300 years old and for more than two Gen.
turies served as a convent for the nuns of
Santa Catarina-is one of the several found
ling institutions which have long hourished
in Peru; and the swinging box, like those
we read of in France and Italy, is set every
night with its hollow side outward, for the
reception of any infants that may be placed
in it by unknown hapds-a perpetually open
door for the shelter of those unwelcome
waits who are immeasursbly worse than
orphaned. The mother. or her emissary,
stealing along that deserted street in the
darkness, has only to put the newborn citi-
zen into the box, give it the slightest I'M
petus, and around it turns, affording imme-
diate protection to the tiny occupant, while
no eye inside the building cah see who
placed it there. A Sister of Charity is
stationed on the inner side of the wall,
whose sole business it is to watch tor new
arrivals at all hours of the night, to receive
and care for them.
Inside the Institution.
In due time we obtained permission to
visit this unique asylum, which, like all
benevolent institutions of South America, is
conducted under the direct auspices of the
Church of Rome. Led by the matron. we
went first to inspect the mysterious hole in
the wall. Close to its inner opening stands
the little iron bedstead-with cross at the
foot of it and a picture of the Mother of
Sorrows at its head-where rests the good
sister whose nightly business it is to watch
the revolving cradle and to take out new
corners. She informed me that the number
of additions to the household by this means
averaged about three week, and that SO far
during the current year (eight months of 1t
were then gomez, only 72 had been received.
She said that tine majority of these chill
dren whose birthdays nobody celebrates, evil
IDENTIFY belong to the poorest classes and ar
rive naked or wrapped in rags; others are
dressed in the daintiest raiment that love
and wealth and the instinct of maternal
tenderness can suggest; that with the latter
is usually found generous sum OF money
auently a tear-blotted letter beseeching
especial care for the forsaKen baby and
promising to pay we'll for its future support.
What suggestions of tragedy are hereof
human frailty and divine compassionl
Money From Unknown Donors.
This box is an inexhaustible source of
revenue for the asylum, and nearly every
night it is secretly revolyed by outside hands
r., h. has bob bau H.
edged children within), and purses put in
labeled tor the support of the in FAINT received
on such and such date. No questions are
ever asked, and no efforts made to trace the
parentage Of the waits. On certain days of
the week the institution is open to visitors,
and the children may be adopted by whoever
desires them; thus giving the unknown
parents an opportunity of secretly seeing
their cast-aways, and OF eventually repossess-
ing themselves of them without fear Of dis
coyery-unless, as sometimes happens, nature
is too powerful to be overcome by guile and
unfortunate babies develop a marked re-
semblance to the authors of their being.
The outer walls of the quaint old building
are four feet thick and ramble around three
inner courtyards, each of which has its CEN
trail fountain and tangle of flowers and
passion vines, and clump OF olive or fig
trees shading the shrine of Christ, Virgin
or a saint. These courts are surrounded by
long lines of queerly carved pillars, now
streaked with mold and crumbling under
"the insidious tooth of time"
APicture of the Matron.
Traversing their moss-grown pavements,
we found the path obstructed by several
donkeys that had been driven to the inner
doors with supplies of fuel, milk and vege-
tables: and the blue-gowned matron-her
round, benevolent face shining like a full
cifix and bunch of keys jingling at her side,
and the flaps of her wide, white bonnet
standing out like sails-failIng to bulge the
animals by the usual "st-th-th! underlicT'
put her strong, fat shoulder to each ones
rump and quietly pushed it out of the way.
Such immaculate cleanliness prevails
everywhere that one might eat off from
every inch of flooring. whether of wood,
tile, or adobe; and such absolute silence
reigned that we found it difficult to believe
there were actually great number of chill
dren quartered under the roof. No muddy
little footprints, nor marks OF careless
fingers, nor shouts of childish glee pro-
claimed their existence. A glimpse of the
perfect discipline needed in such crowded
institution is anywhere enough to give one
a heartache, with the knowledge that the
rescued waits, though comfortably fed and
clothed, must become hardly more than
automatons-risiug and retiring, eating,
sleeping. playing, and praying by inexor-
able rule, led by the nod and beck of their
teachers.
The Mothers Instinct Missing.
The good ssterhood, by the way, being all
maiden ladies, are scarcely the natural