The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10

CHILD WHO HAS FOUND HOME.
which have been their so-called homes
and put on a farm where everything is in
MIGRATING and wholesome. One baby was
taken from a place of that kind and put
in the family of a farmer, and the first
week it was there is gained two pounds.
It's cheeks lost their pallor. and instead of
a puny, sickly baby it is big and
healthy.
There are not many of these children
placed in homes in the city, for there is
very little call for them. but in the smaller
towns the demand is large. In many in
stances the parents of child give it a
name which they hold very sacred and
often the only request that they will make
when surrendering it is that the name
they have given it be retained. The name
however. has great influence with the fam
lily who is taking child 1t may be their
ideal in every way, but the name will not
suit, and often the child will not look half
SO attractive to them after they have heard
what 1t is called Instances to illustrate
this occurs very often. Among the poorer
and commoner class of people girl with
light hair is generally named "Goldie"
and among the more prosperous class Of
people this name is a ban to the child, and
when they hear the name the little
loses in their estimation. The number of
girls that have this name that comes under
the supervision of this organization is very
large. and In many instances the parents
request that the name be changed. The
officers know that II will be hard to place
a girl with such name attached to her.
and they certainly sympathize with the
child.
1T seems strange" said one of the Of
fcers that as small thing as a name
should have such influence upon people, but
1 have witnessed the effect often that
/ sometimes do not like to tell a child's
name for fear 1t will not meet the approval
of the people who are applying for it. 1
have also seen children with pretty names
who, to my notion, were not near so at
tractive as another who had an outland-
ish taken in preference 10 the lat
ter, and 1 think 1t will be done every time"
The officers of this society say that some
of the cases they come in contact with are
truly heartrending. especially those where
the families so poor that they are COM
PEELED TO give UP their children in order to
get along. They cite the case of an old
woman who was only the foster mother of
a boy she had raised from the time he
was infant until he was twelve years
old. When the boy was this age the wom-
ans husband died and left her destitute and
she had to send for the society to come
and take the boy. The officers say the old
woman's last farewell to her foster child
was a scene never to be forgotten and that
when they left with the child she was
heart-broken.
TWO FAMILIES CARED FOR.
Another case which had touch of pathos
about it. but which proved the heartlessness
Of the mother of the children, occurred in
the northern part of the State some time ago.
The officers of the society were called there
by the advisory board who had found four
children living in old howell with their
paralyzed father, who could neither move
hand nor foot; and their mother had walked
away one day. and that as the last ever
heard of her. When the society found the
family they in want of food. They
took the children, and now all of them have
good homes and the man was cared for by
a charity organization. Another case which
turned out better than the former one
occurred also in the northern part of the
State during the summer A district sup
erintendent was sent after two children
whose father had deserted them, and their
mother was sick and of course in a desti-
tute condition. The superintendent took the
children and started to the city with them,
and after she had go the train found
that they had the whooplng cough. She
took them to the receiving home, and they
had not recovered from their first disease
when they took chickenpox In the mean
time the father had come back, had OBJ
tanned work and was doing we'll He sent
for the children, and he and the rest of
the family moved out of the State, so the
society was out the Doctors bill and board.
ACCOMPLISHED that but few would survive