The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-19
FACTS CONCERNING ROSA DoLLEy.
Ascertaincd from the Management of the
Temporary Home.


Temporary Home.
Rosa Dolley applied for admission to
the Temporary Home last September, and
told her story in simple and straight
forward manner, readily giving her age
and name and that of the father of her
expected child, who she said would have
married her, but for his sudden death
last spring by pneumonia
When asked why she did not go to her
own home. she broke down and cried
saying, fOi could not go there" The
reasons she gave were that the family
was large and very poor. During her stay
at the Home, Rosa showed herself kind
hearted and obliging girl, cheerfully
doing her part of the work. Toward her
child, born October 18th, she invariably
showed affection and tenderness. No
loving care.
The atmosphere at the Home is cheer
full and happy, but Rosa was often sad,
and it was touching to see how this
young girl shut out, in her hour OF
humiliation, from her own home, turned
for love to those who befriended her. She
olung close to the matron, following her
about the house, and at evening prayers
always sat with her head in the lap CT
that kind friend. She ate almost moth
ing and whenever the matrnn went into
her room at night she invariably found
her awake, too frequently crying, and re
peating. over and over again 80! if he hat
only lived, everything would have beer
different
Mrs. Dolley came to visit her daugh
ter and appeared glad to see her, and in
terested in the baby, who she sale
Cooked like his father" and there was
nothing in her manner to suggest thai
her feelings towards her daughter and
grandchild were not friendly. Although
subsequent events showed that she haG
refused the shelter Of home to Rosa dur
ing her sickness Gin justice to her in
humanity we should remember how this
sin in woman is fatal to the reputation
Of her family, yet she now was anxious
Mrs. Dolley should come for her Satur.
day, Nov. Gath.
On November Goth one o the Temper
airy Home ohilden was taken i'll with
scarlet fever, and the house was put into
quarantine 1t was therefore necessary
that Rosa should either go at once, be-
fore she and her baby had been exposed
to contagion, or else remain during the
course Of the fever. 1t seemed best fol-
her to leave, SO one of the managers
on board the train for South Windham
She showed on her way to the train, the
same affection and solicitude for her
child that she had manifested ever since
its birth.
This ended Rosa's connection with the
Home, but the managers afterward
learned that she came back to Portland
the next day with her child in her arms.
It is the habit of the girls, who have been
inmates of the mporary Home, always
to return there. if they areiin any trouble
or difficulty. Rosa would naturally have
come straight back if things went wrong
at Windham, and the tragedy might
thereby have been averted, had not the
whole house been quarantined on account
of the fever.
1t is terrible to think of the poor girl,
without money, wandering about through
tn ose dreadful days trying to find place
where she could leave her child and look
for work, finally, DISTRACTED by shame and
humiliation. with all her love turned to
bitterness, brought to the point where
she could abandon it to perish.
There ought to be q sickward connect
ed with the Temporary Home, so that tn
whole instit. ton need not be quarantined
for single case Of oontagion. The man
ayers say they have been hoping for sew
eral years. to build an addition contain
ing nursery to relieve the overcrowd-
ing Of the children and an isolated room
above for a hospital. Perhaps it would
cost the community less to lay out few
hundred dollars on such an addition than
to meet the expenses Of criminal prosecu-
tions, liable to OCCUR when deserted girl
finds herself, without money or friends,
shut out from the only institution in the
State which gives protection to mother
and child