The Louisiana populist., 1897-05-14
CHILDREN OF FAMINE,
Innocent Victims OF Aeg!ec: or Cruelty
in India.

Innocent Victims OF Neglect or Cruelty
in India.
Writing from the Jhansi district, the
special correspondent OF the Times OF
India says:
'The case of the children excites my
compassion the more I see of them.
They are everywhere the pictures OF
hopelessness and the innocent victims
Of neglect, Of selfishness, or OF cruelty.
They do nothing but look wistful by
the hour, and die without complaining.
I saw small boy standing alone among
a crowd of grown-up paupers. He was
asked where his mother was, and he
pointed her out. Where was his
father?' oh, he has taken another
wife That is common case. A man
who in ordinary times would take a
second wife and keep his first now
turns off the first and her children. A
woman deserted by her husband takes
up with another man; but he makes 1t
a condition that she must not bring
her children; he cannot afford to feed
so many. So the children are turned
loose.
"Then there are numbers of children
who were orphaned before the famine,
and have been taken care of by rela-
tives. These are now told that the
times are too hard, and that they may
no longer share the food OF the chill
dren of the house. Thousands OF houses
were broken up before the relief works
began. write of the country at large,
not of this place. The father went one
day and the mother another in search
of work, in many cases never to meet
again, and the children were left in the
deserted hut. Some mothers are kind
to their children, and think of them be-
fore they think Of themselves. When
they have nothing left to share with
them or give up for them, they use theil
remaining strength in looking for some
one who will take them off their hands
and promise to be kind to them. Other
mothers are simply depraved. They
daily starve their children that their
famished appearance may induce COM
passionate people to give them money.
One unnatural creature Of this sort,
who was daily receiving measure Of
flour for herself and one for her child,
was so fast growing fat, while her child
grew lean, that one day cooked food
was placed before the child to be eaten
on the spot; but the mother snatched
1t up and devoured it, almost literally
out of her own child's mouth, and then
held out her cloth for her own share Of
meal.
II cannot find language to describe
the kindness winch, in this time of trial,
induces English, Scottish, German,
American, and Swedish missionaries
to pick up these little waits and care
for them with a generosity beyond
their means. They make long journeys,
sometimes third-class, and take them
themselves to their houses or their
schools, and stint their own necessities
to give them milk, medicine, and cloth
ing, treating each one as a special case
which would otherwise have to take it's.
chances in poorhouse Every child
thus cared for is cared for at famine
prices, when the ordinary cost of the
mission schools, without the addition
of these orphans, is nearly double what
was budgeted for.
II met some Swedes in Sagar, Of
mission which is one of the poorest in
India. They had taken charge of fifty
children, and were doing their best for
them. Their appeal will go to Stock
holm, and, further, Whatever help
comes will come from there