The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-27
g. Our T. /
Sunshine Department !
WHAT ONE WOMAN HAS DONE.
IBy Theresa Hunt Wolcott.1
t+++++++++++++++++A++++t+,

world a little bit happier-there was
carried one day blind baby. The
arms that opened to receive her were
those of Cynthia Westover Alden, a
newspaper writer, who was at that
time-siX years ago-even as she is
now, blazing a cheerful path through
this world to let sunshine into the
lives of those whose roads led
through the gloomy thickets of need
or trouble.
What is best to do for this
baby?" was the first question, and
the answer naturally was She must
be put in home for the blind"
Much telephoning revealed the start
ling fact that in all the big city of
New York, with its great charities,
there was no place for this child,
because she was not yet eight years
old There were places for seeing
babies, sick babies. crippled babies.
feeble-minded babies, for cats and
dogs, birds-in fact, animals of all
kinds-but no one had yet thought
of providing a place for blind baby.
No hospital would keep her, no nur-
sery except her-eyery application
Mrs. Alden made in her behalf was
refused. Indeed, further inquiry
some time later developed the fact
that there was no place in the United
States that would take a blind baby
except two nurseries, and they were
private institutions.
Never run away, Cynthia, be-
cause a thing is hard to do" was
the advice Mrs. Alden's father had
given when she left him to make
her way alone in life. Z" Be a good
soldier. Stand your ground and do
your duty, no matter what the world
may say, and | shall always be proud
of my daughter"
So the International Sunshine
Branch for the Blind was formed.
A fiat Of three rooms was secured at
three dollars a week, and, all uncon-
sciously. the first public institution
for blind babies was started.
One day word came to Mrs. Alden
that there was blind child in Il
Mission on the East Side. She asked
the city authorities to give her. the
custody of the child, although she
knew of its dreadful physical condi-
ton. The response to her request
came in a long string of oaths from
one of the officials, denouncing her
in particular and all women in gen.
eral for introducing fads that inter-
fered with the city rulings.
Mrs Alden remained calm and
seemingly unmoved, though his
swearing grew worse and worse with
each sentence he uttered. Finally
he stopped for breath and looked
Tonderingly at her. She leaned to-
ward him and remarked 81 was
brought up in the mines of Colorado.
There is one swear word you have
not used. ! could give 1t to you if
you would like to have it," He gave
q nervous laugh. DO you really
mean it?" he said. "Will you take a
child like that who must have hospi-
tai care to begin WITH"
THAT is what | came for" she re-
piled.
"Well, it's the first time we have
mad anything like this happen, and
If you have got the courage you have
got the sympathy and help Of every
one of us here too. | thought you
were faddist and would back out
when the real work came"
The child-to-day beautifully de-
veloped physically and mentally-is
the larger one, on Mrs. Alden's left,
nj the picture. The other little girl
is a Greek taken, when a baby. from
the city department for the feeble
minded. In her studies she is now
advanced far ahead of other chill
dren of her age.
The next step was the incorpora-
tion of the International Sunshine
Brand for the Blind, " for the care,
maintenance and education of blind
children"
On investigation it was learned
that the blind babies of the very poor
were sent to Randall's Island, the
county poorhouses, and put it with
the feeble-minded, as there was no
other provision nor classification for
them. Mrs. Alden borrowed six of
them for six months. graduate
nurse. accustomed to working among
the blind, devoted her time and ener-
gy to them without financial recon-
pense, and the changes in the chill
dren were marked. They were called
back to the Island and Mrs. Alden
realized that unless something radi-
cal were done all their work would
be for naught. She went down to
the Mayors office, and his clerk told
her three times that it was a busy
day and that she had better come
some other time. What was her
business anyway?
Well" she remarked, % have six
blind babies outside. | am going to
nit them on the head with a sledge-
hammer and drop them over the
Brooklyn Bridge, and | want to see
IL the Mayor will stand by me-"
What" gasped the clerk He
took long strides into the inner Office
and before Mrs. Alden had really
time to wonder what would happen
aext, the Mayor stood before her.
What's thisi What's this!" he
exclaimed. Mrs. Alden repeated her
startling statement.
Oh, Mr.. Mayor!" cried Mrs.
Alden, want to put them out of
their misery with one grand blow.
You, as Chief Magistrate of the city,
allow them to die by inches. The
iight-hunger is so great that instead
of sucking the thumb like a seeing
baby the fingers of blind baby dig
and poke for the light that never
comes, until the eyes are injured and
the baby dies OF blood poison or lives
to the worse fate of imbecility be-
cause it is misunderstood and neg
Iected."
The Mayor assured Mrs Alden