The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-10-21
ORPHANS IN AUSTRIA
THE STIGMA OF PAUPERlsM NEVER
CROWNS ITS HELPLESS TOTS.

1NA0NNAN9 ~ NNE@N AI11 y - ~
II IL the only Country In the World Where
Foundlings Are Dsbarred From tho
workhouse-ThelrC Care Intrusted to the
Refined and Wealthy.
There is only one country in the world
where orphan children and foundlings
are debarred from admission to the work
house. II is in Austria, which maintains
that to place the stigma Of pauperism
upon the poor little things is to handi-
cap them later on in the race for life and
bread, and thus TO lessen their chance of
ever becoming self supporting and self
respecting citizens. That their reason
ing is just is shown by the results.
Whereas in Paris, London and Berlin
the majority Of children born In work
houses return years afterward to die
there In Vienna It is most unusual
occurrence for a founding or an orphan
dependent upon public charity TO be
come in old age charge upon the com
munity.
In Austrian cities children Of this class
are boarded out in the families Of work
men living in the suburbs at the expense
Of the municipality. But their care is
intrusted, not to the workhouse authori-
ties, but to gentlemen and ladies of
leisure, fortune and respectability, who
practically become the guardians Of the
little ones.
Their charge is a purely honorary one,
and they are chosen as a rule by the
burgomaster of the city or town from
among the nobility, the retired magis-
trates, the half pay of GERS, the rich
childless widows and wealthy old maids.
They bear the title Of orphan fathers
and orphan mothers, and so honorable
is the position regarded by the popula-
ton that the mayor never experiences
any difficulty in securing the services Of
a sufficient number Of such official par
ents.
During the early youth Of their wards
the duties of these orphan parents are
confined to visiting them at unexpected
| times and to keeping the people with
whom they board up to the mark by
| showing them that the children have
| powerful protectors. Upon the official
/ parent devolves the responsibility of de-
Gliding the special calling in life for
which the youngsters show the most apt
| itude, the only stipulation made by the
municipal authorities being that the boys
should be Taught some skilled labor or
profession calculated to give them later
on chance of being able to support a
wife and family and to lay by provision
for old age. When these lads go out into
the world, it is to their official parents
that they turn for a character, and if
evil days come to them they appeal to
their official protectors for help.
1t is an incalculable benefit for boy
who is just starting ont in life to have a
man of position to stand by him and to
speak to the world in his favor, nor is
there anything in connection between
the two to ruffle the independence of the
younger, for when once launched in life
the elder stands to him simply in the re-
lation of an old and tried friend, whose
advice hemay follow or not as he pleases.
With regard to the orphan or found
ling girls, they are mostly trained for
domestic service, which, however, they
are not permitted to enter before the
age of IA, and then it becomes the or
phan mothers duty to investigate the
character Of the persons who propose to
employ her, TO see that she is well treat
ed and eventually, when she marries. to
find out about the mans reputation and
as to whether he has the means of keep
ing wife.
Usually it is from her own house that
the marriage takes place, and at every
turn the girl is made to feel the advan-
tage of having lady Of rank to whom
she can always appeal, who is bound to
protect her, to defend her when wrong
fully accused and to guard her as far as
possible from evil.
Thanks to these orphan parents, heredi-
tary pauperism in Austria has been
practically stamped out, and there is
much in the system that may commend
itself to people on this side of the Allan
tic. The condition Of the pauper orphans
and of the foundlings now dependent
upon the public charity Of this great
metropolis would certainly be vastly i'm.
proved and the future prospects of the lit
tie unfortunates rendered more promis-
ing were our leading citizens and their
wives to follow the example of the people
in similar standing in Austria, and to add
new and useful interest to their lives
by assuming the honorary and honorable
office of orphan parents.-New York
Tribune.