The morning call., 1892-04-10
NOBODY WANTS THEM.
Babies Seem to Be at a Discount Among
Renters Of Dwellings.
The Curious Experiences of a Distracted Parent
While Endeevoring to Find Habita-
ton Among Mankind.
Written for THE MORNING CALI

THE CALL is doing great work in advo-
eating needed REFORM" said bright little
woman TO CALL reporter recently. "Why
cannot the paper say word for the babies
before we parents grow desperate and find
IL necessary 10 kill them all off ?'
Inc reporter gave a startled gasp.
why the babies ought to be the last class
in need OF good word.''
so one would suppose" was the reply,
out my experience during the past two
weeks lee me 10 think differ emily"
The reporter whipped out pencil and note
BOOK and was all ready to listen. " You
see" said the speaker, John and have
two children. OF course, We consider them
chefub'. and, if do say it myself, they are
lovely children, and good as gold. Why, no
one could pass the darlings on the street
without seeing that much. John is away 4
great deal, and housekeeping in the city is
so expensive that we finally made up our
minds we would board for awhile. John
had to go away, and left me to secure suit
able rooms. expecting to be home the first
OF the month to help me about moving.
thought could find place in any nice part
OF the city, but do you know / have
tramped this miserable town in the rain
and sloppineSs that has prevailed for two
solid weeks without finding a place until
two days ago, when. being obliged to move,
took place don't like Bit"
Bat, surely, the city is full of boarding.
houses, apartment-houSeS. Why. there are
whole blocks with signs in every window.
The papers are full of cards.
On, yes, there are places enough and TO
spare, but there is the same trouble with
each: they wonttak children. | could have
suited myself dozen times. but the mo-
ment mentioned children / was told they
could not take them-bOth over and under
z. Sometimes L wouldn't even get chance
to mention them. L would be asked first If
L had any, and told at once they had
no accommodations for us. Why, l began
to feel as if those blessed babies must be
some sort OF pest, or infected with the
smallpox without my knowing il. 1t is
simply awful. Something ought to be
done about ii. Parents can't strange
their children or throw them in the
bay, and that seems TO be about the only re-
course If you can't keep house and have a
home OF your own for them. Why, when
fonnd how hard it was ID get rooms and
board, even thought of taking fiat; but,
DO you know. l couldn't get fiat anywhere
would have one on account of the children.
Some agents would rent me one and charge
extra on account of the little ones, but most
of them said their clients wouldn't have
children in the rooms at any price.
But some Of these people must have
children of their own. Wouldn't they take
you with yours :"
"Oh, YES" was the astonishing reply :;
but you see, L wouldn't care to go where
there were other children"
"Ah. Then it's about as broad as it is
long. isn't it?"
'Nn, indeed. You don't understand.
Don't you see it never would do; you never
know what other children are-what my
precious boys might learn OF them. Why,
they might even cOntrac: disease from them
Some children are always having the
measles. mumps, chlcken-pox, scarlet fever
and goodness knows what"
Truly the picture was appalling. The re-
porter saw. in a sort of mental panorama,
whole professions of children permanently
afflicted with these childish ailments, and
,desisted from urging the question.
But the conversation bore fruit. 1t
stayed in the mind, kept coming M with
ali its opening vistaS of collateral thought,
until finally:
'Pll 20 room-hunting." vowed the re-
porter.
But the children-I have none"
Fake some"
No sooner said than DONE In less time
than ii takes to tell it distracted parent of
two small children was plodding through
the rain in search of SheteriDg house
where for certain compensation per week
In good yellow coin of the realm family of
four. two of the number being of the young
OF the species, might be taken in and done
for-to almost any extent.
There's always room at the top" re-
hected the seeker, with vague recollection of
c0py-bo0k exercises labOriOusly executed in
the days OF youth-and accordingly the at
tack was begun at the citadel of one of the
fashionable private hotels in which the city
abounds.
The dusky guardian of the outpost was
plaeated and the seeker gradually pro-