Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-04-21

city, even from death-the little ba.
bies nobody wants. We Just trying to give
them. their chance. We hope to preserve the
mothers from greater sn from the life of the
streets, from the doors of prison, but it is the
babies that count. We must save our babies"
The law of this country will not permit the
giving or selling of little children, but 1t cannot
protect them from desertion The founding hos
pitfalls in big cities are the states efforts to
play the part of universal motherhood to care
for the children who are thrown on her mercy
and who will help make her future
The room where the mothers relinquish their
babies Is called the saddest place in New York
There is nothing in the receiving room but the
little cradle, and in sight matron is
always in waiting near by. She never forces a
mother to confession. but. II possible. persuades
her TO tell why she wishes to desert her child.
and perhaps influences her not to give 1t up, but
to begin life over again. mother must under
stand that the choice is with her-the matron
may give the mother 10 or 10 minutes in which
to decide-but the choice is final. II the mother
wishes 1t. and 1t can be arranged, she is often
taken into the hospital with her baby and allowed
to nurse it, by having charge of another of the
tiny children and helping with one older child
There are now 300 mother nurses working in the
New York home. and there have been as many as
five or six hundred at other times The mother
who comes into the hospital to work can often
prove her fitness to have her baby back again
But once she puts 1t down in the rescue cradle
and goes out the ever open door the baby belongs
u
again. The child belongs to the state No PRAYER
nor entreaty, no pleading of circumstance, will
afterward avail. The child has entered a world
that shall never know its origin. Somewhere a
future waits for 1t, but the baby is to have no
knowledge Of its beginning outside its adoption
in the Founding home.
A bath and clean clothes are the first signs of
the babys adoption in the Founding home
doctor next inspects the little person to see that
it shall not carry a contagon to any Of the thou
of mall brpf and
ing for 1t outside the walls of the reception ward
Two or three weeks the baby may be detained in
the reception quarters-the smaller the baby the
less danger of contagious diseases-or as many
days. Then 1t becomes either indoor or an
outdoor baby.
There 600 indoor babies being cared for
inside the New York City Founding home. 1t is
necessary to board the outside 200 more
Seven thousand four hundred and twenty-fou little
foundlings have been looked after in the past two
years. and there relatively as many in Boston,
in Chicago. in Philadephia-in every large city
in America.
In Europe there are greater number
of founding babies. The European states take
charge of the deserted waits. but the mother is
only permitted to bring her child to entrance
way. ring bell and give it into the arms Of the
attendant who opens the door-and go away
without word.
In the homes of love- of wealth and happiness
there no sounder, sweeter babies than the
Oh the MONIES. Inc
babies so far untroubled by their situation in
life and have not the institution look OF older
children. What Is the institution look? II trans.
lates ITSELF the expression OF a cramped individ-
uality. OF longing for more personal express
sion; the look of too much routine. of drilling of
the law without the spirit.
But the babies know of no difference between
themselves and other children. and many times
before they wake to the thought a home has been
found for them Nearly 500 babies q year from
the New York Founding home adopted by
private families in all parts of the country. They
prove in their lives that it does not matter in
this world how born ut is Just the way
we're dedicated"
Nobody but baby lover would adopt one Of
our babies; older children may be taken by fami.
lies and made into drudges. but who would adopt
a tiny child except for lover" one of the sisters
at the hospital said.
There is a wonderfully wide choice in babies
for they taken into the home without regard
nationality, to creed color; there are pink
and white blond babies. brown-haired, blacX-eyed
babies girls with curls and boys with round.
cose-cropped heads.
The children kind of uniform. The
little girls have as big bows of red and blue and
pink ribbon on their hair as the most fashionable
little person who lives round the corner on Fifth
avenue.
The clothes Of several thousand children
an important consideration Think Of what
single baby's trousseau means at home. Fortu-
nately, home babies outgrow their clothes and
pass them on to other babies. There all sizes
TO be fitted at the Founding home, In the last