The morning call., 1891-02-22

otiCCt, 81 lLho tHo SuIIOuHulUS Wills llldL
one might pass thousand times ana never
notice it.
But little groove remained, into which
the fingers might be fitted; and, of course,
the spirit of Mother Eve impelled me TO try
1t. Pulled one way, 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 sol1-
ton OF the riddle and forthwith became a
walking interrogation point until the bottom
facts were attained.
The ancient edihce-which Is now nearly
200 years ola and for more than two CEN
turtles served as a convent for the nuns of
Santa Catarina - is one of the several
founding institutions which nave 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 out
ward for the reception of any infants that
may be placed in it by unknown hands-a
perpetually open door for the shelter of
THOSE UNwELCoME WAITS
Who are UNNECESSARILY worse than orphaned
and. whose acknowledgment brings ruin
upon their errlng parents.
The mother or her emissary, stealing along
that deserted street in the darkness, has only
to put the newborn citizen into the box, give
the slightest impetus and around it turns,
affording Immediate protection to the tiny
UCCuDaIl, Willie lie eye INSIDE the DuilulD1
can see who placed it there.
a Sister of Charity is stationed on the in
ner side OF the wall, whose sole business it
Is to watch for new arrivals at all hours of
the night, 10 receive and care for them.
Led by the matr0n, we went first to in
spect the mysterious hole in the wall Close
to It's inner opening stands the little iron
bedstead-with cross at the foot of it and
picture of the Mother of Sorrows at its
head-where rests the good sister whose
nightly business 1t Is to watch the revolving
cradle and to take out newcomers. She in
formed me that the number of additions to
the household by this means averaged about
three week, and that so far during the cur
rent year (elght months OF it were then
gomez only ~ had been received She said
that the majority of these children, whose
birthdays nobody celebrated. evidently be-
long TO the poorest classes, and arrive naked
or wrapped in rags; others are dressed in
the dalntieSt raiment that love and wealth
and the Instinct Of maternal tenderness can
suggest; that with the latter is usually
found generous sum of money for the
child 5 maintenance, and not infreQuently a
tear-bIotted letter beseeching especial care
for the forsaken baby aud promising to pay
well for its future support.
What suggestions OF tragedy are hereof
human frailty and divine compassionate
the cid peri ieXiGg problem that came with
the tefppteT into Eaeni
This box is an inexhaustible source oil
revenue for the asylum, and nearly every
night it is secretly revolyed by outside
hands presumably by those who have unae-
knowledged children Within, and purses
put in labeled for the support of the infant
received on such and such date. n 10 Ques-
lions are ever asked, and no Efforts made to
trace the parentage of the waits. On GER
tain days of the week the Institution is open
to visitors, and tire
CHILDREN MAY BE ADOPTED
By whosoever desires them; thus giving the
unknown parents an opportunity of Sc
cretly seeing their cGstaways. and of eventu-
ally repossessing thenlSelveS of them with
out fear of discovery as sometimes
happens, nature is TOO powerful to be over
come by guile and unfortunate babies de-
yelop marked resemblance to the authors
OF their being.
The outer walls of the quaint old build
ing are four feet thick and ramble around
three inner courtyardS. each OF which has
its central fountain and tangle of flowers
and passion vines, and clump of olive or fig
trees shading the shrine of a Christ,a Virgin
or Saint. These courts are surrounded by
corridors, VIII Sc tiled arches are upheld by
long lines of queerly carved pillars, now
streaked with mold and crumbling under
''the insidious tooth of time"
Traversing their moss-grown pavements
we found the path obStructed by severa
donkeys that had bern driven to the inner
doors with supplies of fuel, milk aud
vegetables; and the blue-gOwned matron
her round benevolent face shining like q
ful-blown peony in the sun. with rosary
crucilix and bunch of keys iingling at hel
sde and the flaps of her wide, white bonnet
standing out like sails, failing 10 bulge the
animals by the usual .st-th-th! underlicp
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
irp of hat ar Of nd
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.
While the boys learn saddlery, shoemak-
ing, pOncho-weaylng, cabinet work, etc, the
girls manufacture artificial flowers, fancy
boxes, lace and embroidery, and are trained
for domestic service. IL not adopted, and if
self-supporting, they may remain here per.
manently. should they choose to do so, or at
the age of Is they may go forth to shift fol
themselves.
THERE ARE NUMBER OF "oRPHANs"
Here, both male and female, reared in the
institution, and who are now nearing
middle age, who prefer to work hard al
their days for tue general good, rather than
leave the shelter of the only home they have
ever known. The young men earn con
siderable sums ut their various occupations
and the girls take in fac sewing, embroid-
cry and laundry work. They have also
model bakery IN the house, and the very
best bread that is sold in the city comes from
these ovens.
AT present there are 426 children in the
asylum. The smallest of these able TO be
out OF the nursery "a class of forty-seven.
between the ages of and years. were pul
through their best PAGES for our OBLIGATION,
with lIttip aph Ito oil
each setting forth their religious faith and
the goodness of their protectors. All were
neatly though poorly clad-the girls in blue
giDgham gowns, the boys with jean jackets
aud trousers, both sexes wearing aprons,
exactly alike, of the same coarse blue
cloth that the Sisters wear for dresses,
with wooden hose knit by the larger girls,
and pegged shues made by the boys. Eacl
little apron had a square pocket patched
on in front, into which was thrust calico
Misunderstanding the usual lamentable
neglect peculiar to childhOod'S use of the
| latter article prevailed. AT the head of eacl
little cot in the long. clean dormtory hung
calico bag, marked with the owners mum
Der, containing comb and a rosary, an,
woe to the luckless youngSter who forget!
the use of eitheri
The most amusing part of our entertain
ment was furnished by the large boys band
We came down the old stone stairs of tn,
dormitnry at the tap of the drum and saw
ranged under the fig trees group of lad
from II 10 IA years old, who rendered som,
| really creditable music upon what at frs
sight looked to be first-class instruments
| Closer inspection, however, disclosed tina
| the horns and comets were nothing bu
pasteboard and twisted paper. the bass drum
| made of a skin stretched over half-barrel
held in place by the original hoop, and til
snare made from lard can witch still
showed an American brand painted on it
side.
| Corporation Counsel Clark of New YOrl
| decided that the coroner has the right to in
| vestigate all deaths resulting from or in an