The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-25
The Adopting Of Children.

The Adopting OF Children.
Speaking Of the risk in adopting chill
dren from children's homes. a matron
Of a New York City Institution Of that
nature recently said:
There are always plenty Of good and
righteous people who are willing to take
the risk. and who seldom find occasion
to repent. chiidless couples whose love
OF children amounts 10 a passion. They
are not always young or middle-aged. and
in many cases they are gray-haired cou-
pies who have lost an only child. and
who seek some compensation for the de-
privation in this way. Thousands OF
homeless New York babies are provided
every year with good homes in the west
ern and Pacific states-and provided not
only with homes. but with loving par
ents. who assume towards them all the
responsibilities one assumes towards
ones own flesh and blood.
1T is remarkable how seldom fail to
satisfy these demands. My visitors al
ways come with a definite idea of what
they desire. They know at the start, of
course. whether it is a boy or a girl.
and all the characteristics are infinitely
specified. One wishes a boy with eyes of
a particular color. and another girl who
is brunette. and so on. The younger the
baby, the more truly theirs Il seems. and
the better they are pleased. In many
cases the prospective parents do not APP
pear in person. but delegate the respon-
sibility to someone else, and often leave
the selection 10 me. In every mornings
mail 1 receive a number of orders for
babies. usually from a great distance.
These requests always go into detail as
10 the complexion and physical character
istic of the child desired Frequently they
inclose a photograph OF some favorite
child, asking me TO Oh II as closely
as ! can. i remember one day receiving
a pitifui letter from a woman who had
just lost one Of twin boys. In her de-
spair she wrote me, inclosing a photo
graph OF the living child. i succeeded.
and sent the baby on. l received. shortly
afterwards, a letter from her husband,
stating that the infant sent was, so far
as human eyes could see. an identical
counterpart OF the dead child, and had
consoled his wife as he had never dream
ed she could be consoled.
ain many cases. however, the desire for
a certain type OF child vanishes as soon
as the visitors are shown through the
wards. A woman who mas set her heart
upon a brunette will suddenly become at
kracted by little blonde, and another who
has decided that only a boy will do. is
likely as not TO leave with girl. And,
strange TO say. it has not always been
the most vigorous or the most attractive
children that have been taken. ! have
Known men and women who have passed
the handsomest and healthiest child in
the home and carried away a weakling
whom they have nursed TO health. Poor
little humpbacks and cripples have often
been taken to beautiful homes. I have
even known men and women to carry
away children thoroughly diseased. and. TO
all appearances. incurable. In many cases
the best medical treatment and long and
patient nursing have cured these inno-
cent waits. and they have developed into
good men and women.
THE utmost precaution Is always ex-
ercised in providing for these children.
A person desiring 10 get one Of our ba-
bies is always required TO furnish the
best of references. usually a letter from
a prominent clergyman in the town from
which the applicant comes. testifying both
to his character and TO his ability to pro-
vide for the child's care and educa ton.
II is not our purpose merely to provide
places for the Children--what we are anX-
iouus to do is TO provide them with homes.
Legal adoption papers are required In
every case. and these papers give to the
child every claim child can have upon
its parents. In addition 10 this we exact
an annual report of the baby's progress
until It has reached It's twenty-first year.
Thus We keep the closest track Of all our
charges until they have become their own
masters, and. in case the reports are not
satisfactory. the children can be brought
back to the home at any time. 1t is
seldom. however, that these reports are
not all that can be desired; and | scarce
ly remember a case. In my thirty years
experience. in which child has been re-
called Difficulties Of this sort are obvi-
ated by the practice of sending out the
children of trial No one adopts a child
outright. you understand. They are al
ways taken on three months trial in the
first place. and II they do not prove sat
isfactory. they can be returned.
Another precaution which Is always
taken is to conceal from the child adopted
the secret of it's birth. This Is something
II must never know-at least il is some
thing which by every means in their pow
er. the foster-parents pledge themselves
10 keep from ii. Thousands Of children
grow up become men and women, and
die, never learning that the father and
mother they have always known arc not
their parents. In one way this Is not a
pleasant thing for the world to learn. I
suppose a great many Of us. at some time
in our lives, wonder IL, after all. we are
not adopted children. There is really no
reason why he should not he. II we were.
be informed Of Il.
The parents also never know what be-
comes OF their children. When they
bring the child into the home. they are
obliged 10 surrender every claim 10 IT,.
In a good many cases this Is no great
prlva tioH: but in most of them Il is. !
have never yet seen a human being so
besotted that he could give up his own
child without regret. The moments Of
parting are sometimes heartrendinR. You
understand that II Is not only the children
of the depraved that We receive. but In
many cases the children Of the unfortu-
nate. A poor woman may suddenly be
left with a large family on her hands.
for which she is unable 10 provide sup
port. In many instances the youngest OF
these children. the baby, will find Us way
into our home. The parent - obliged 10
sign papers foregoing all right TO the
child. She is never told who has adopt
ed IL. and all her efforts to discover II are
unavailing This may seem hard and In
human. but IL Is necessary You can
easily see how a poor and frequently de-
praved father and mother would torment
the life Of the foster-parents OF taeir
child II they knew who they were.
"A single anecdote WIFI illustrate the re-
cessitv for these regulations, hard as they
go II