New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-09
WHY NOT ADOPT Il BABY ?
If You're ChildIeSS and Selfish 1t
Viii DO You Good, Says Hiss CIarE.

go and adopt child. Go and adopt a relative
Like most women whose lives not involved with
any other lives all you think about Is yourself
Self-suficency is sure to end in self-satiety, and
that in nervous prostration- Find somebody who
will be dependent you-and then work for
themv
This was the prescription a physician gave
friend Of mine. a professor in girls college, VINO
the verge Of nervous breakdown. and it's
worth thinking Of" said Miss Mary Vida clark.
assistant secretary Of the State Charities Aid As
ISOLATION at the Unversalist Women's Alliance
yesterday IN the Church OF the Divine Paternity.
Miss Clark, VINO spoke instead OF Mrs. Y. e.
Simkhovitch, was talking the care Of dependent
children-''onIy dependent is a misnomer" she
said because the normal child is always de-
pendent" She had Just said that the real solution
OF the problem consisted in getting those children
who were lying around loose adopted by some or
the nice. welI-to-do chdless couples who are
scattered all over the country and who feel that
home isn't complete without child in it,
But I think there's too much said about the
gratitude we owe the people who adopt children"
went Miss Clark Il think something might be
said about the duty Of adopting them. The in
sttution OF the family has been developed on pur-
pose to place children In the world. it being the
first duty OF one generation upon reaching maturity
fit the next generation to take its place in Hfe
So I believe tnose people who have no children
should contribute in some
ONE WOMAN ADOPTS SEVEN.
And I wouldn't even limit the duty to childless
couples. but would extend it to all adults con-
inued the speaker merrily. while a look of mystit-
cation crept the faces of the two hundred or
three hundred women before her. There are a
great many OF for whom no marriages have
been made in heaven and who never will have any
children Of our own. I'm not sure but II Is our
duty and responsibility for these dependent
little ones.
II want to tell you what a friend Of mine.
New-Engand woman is doing Years ago she
and girl friend both engaged to be mar
ried. But something happened to prevent my
friends marriage. She had a lonely, left-out-in-
the-cold feeling when the other girl got married.
but that was nothing TO the envy she suffered
when the girl friend had her first baby. At once
she adopted a dependent child And she has kept
up the good work ever since Her friend has five
children, and she has Just taken her seventh. oh,
sI hf accepted twins ard a little boy three years
Ga and the latest is little hve-year-old chap from
That's an example urge or all my friends"
Miss Clark added 10 the women. who had followed
her story with an appreciation TOR the sweet,
ii any of You want babv ief y6u come 10 me-
And while the women were still laughing with
sympathy that complete by this time. Miss
Clark told some terribly appalling things about the
abandoned babies Of New-York.
There are about one hundred and fifty babies
them In -r ash barrels in haIlways in p2rks,any7
am connected took up the work. the death rate
among these babies was " 40 per cent That IS
waste OF good babes r4rtic5,arr,v as the baby
market was so active. f1r tho demand for babies
the part OF childIess couples was so great that
Well, IN the year that closed on March 81. 1904
we had 22l babies under our care. We lost twenty,
down the death rate from IS 10 to 10 per cent
INSTITUTIONS NOT GOOD FOR THEM
'New-Yorl has about twice as many dependent
children in proportion TO the population as London; .
four five times as many as Philadelphia. and
eight times as many as Boston New
York IS away behind tho times On stu packing
OF hose I- ar
phanage5 or asylums IS about four years younger
than the child which IS brought up ia MS own
en- institution to an ola farmer who was gonE t.
the farmer. doubtfuLy- Then he must have been
the men in reforrnatories OF the women In ma .
teTnity hospitals and OF tramps are Institution
Miss Clark said that Charitable people should be
FaGen moro caTeLul than they are how they break
institutions for the most absurd reasons. she said
State Institution because the landlord objected to
Gh en-, II hard times come some parents VIII
the idea that these institutions are free boarding
say. and you find that he is in the CathoIl5
Protectory' perhaps Then. when once child has
get him out again. have returned number OF
prised and deiighted to have them Sac sa
had not occurred to them that they could have
In Institutions belong to families that perfectly
should be returned '0' 'ls''' '"1 u "l''n O''y
The very best thing to do with truly dependent
board X with nice. kind people We never Mace ii
child in family without seeing the home. talking
with the husband ana wife finding out II thew have
the necessary income interviewing the doctor. min
ister and postmaster, and the WOman's Christian
Temperance Union. We know n there's anything
bad 10 be told about them they viii tell Il. And
sometimes things come around IN the Queerest way.
We once put a little blind baby board with a
family in small town Now, OF all impossible
children. that you would suppose nobody in their
senses would want 10 bother with. a blind baby IS
the worst But chlldless couple lived near who
became interested IN this little thing" continued
Miss Clark, in tone Of triumph and they adopted
going Europe
they're going TO take the blind baby along with
them to consult the best oculists over there they
can find. and see IL her sight can't be restored
And If It can't be. why. even then. think Of the
Joy that blind baby has had put into her life and
think Of the JOY she has put into her adopted
fathers and mothers lvcsi'
J. Eugene Whitney. secretary Of the Pe0uIe's
University Extension Society spoke interestingly OF
the work Of that organization, and the Rev Au-
gusta Chaplin took part IN the discussion that fol-
lowed Miss Estelle Harris the soloist Mrs.