Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-04
ORPHANS IN AUSTRIA
THE STIGMA OF PAUPERlSM NEVER
 CROWNS ITS HELPLESS TOTS.

1t Is the Only Country In the World Where
 FoundIings Are Debarred From the
 workhouse-Their Care Intrusted to the
 Refined and Wealthy.
 There is only one country in the world where orphan children and foundlings Ire debarred from admission to the work house. It 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 i'll work houses return years afterward to die there. In Vienna it is a most unusual occurrence for foundling 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- 
 leisure, fortune and responsibility, who practically become the guardians of the little ones.
 Their charge is purely honorary one, and they are chosen as a rule by tho burgomaster of the city or town from among the nobility, the retired magis- trates, the half pay officers, 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 mp to the mark by showing them that the children have powerful protectors. Upon the official ! parent devolves the responsibility of de ciding 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 a chance of being able to support q wife and family and to lay by provision | for old age. When these lads go out into the world, it Is 10 their official parents that they turn for character, and if evil days come to them they appeal to their official protectors for help. It is an incalculable benefit for boy | ,- =f, fD l, 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 he may 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 II, and then 1t becomes the or plan 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 marrics, to find out about tho mans reputation and as to whether he has the means of keep i 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 a lady of rank to whom she can always appeal, who is bound tc ! protect her, to defend her when wrong 1 fully accused and to guard her as far as ] possible from evil.
 Thanks to these orphan parents. heredi tary pauperism in Austria has beer practically stamped out, and there i: much in the system that may commend itself to people on this side of the Allan tic. The condition of the pauper orphan: and of the foundlings now dependent upon the public charity of this grea 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 theil wives to follow the example of the people in similar standing in Austria, and to ado a new and useful interest to their live
 by assuming the honorary and honorabl, office of orphan parents.-New Yorl
 Tribune.