Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-02
Tests Unknown to the Old Days
of Mere Sentiment.
when the WcII-tO-DO Wish TO Take
Children TO Rear Az Their own
the Youngsters Must lie
Right ms Trivcts.

nut now tHcN must uO tieii i'iiiNN 'V'So
and be right as trivets.
The recent adoption of a bright, fair
haired boy by Mr. and Mrs. Finley J.
Shepard. which implied that through
Mrs Shepard. who was Mss nelen M.
Gould. he would inherit millions, has
brought forth a flood of letters. Hun
dreds Of parents want their children
transplanted under such conditions, and
scores of institutions have perfectly Tx
able youngsters whom they would see
with belated golden spoons.
There has been an ever-lncreasing de-
mand in the last few months by wealthy
or well-to-do families for sound. healthy
children to be reared as sons and daugh-
tiers of the house. Between the express
sion Of the wish. however, and the arrival
OF the child in his new setting there is
a long, hard road. The child must pass
through ordeals unknown In the days
when sentiment was the principal and
often the only guide to choice.
Three millionaires not long ago gave
directions to one of the representatives
OF the Chidrens Aid society that they
wanted children to bring up as their own.
Two wished girls and one a boy. To
carry out their instructions required the
consideration of the merits Of hundreds
of children, and the choice was finally
narrowed down to 90 candidates. none
Of whom would do. One of the applicants
who lives in Connecticut after making
frequent visits to institutions, was able
to find little girl who in temperament
and appearance he considered suited to
become member of his household
CARE TAKEN BY sHEPARDs
The accounts of adoption OF young
Austin McCleary, AS he is supposed to
| be on the evidence OF name found
sewed on his clothes when he was dis
| covered on the steps OF St. Patrick $
Cathedral. tell of the frequent visits OF
| Mr. and Mrs Shepard to the home for
| orphans at Dobbs Ferry. from which he
was chosen. Many children are said to
have been considered before the fortu-
| nate one went to Lyndhurst,
Before any play Of the affections is
permitted. there are certain hard and
practical questions for which the modern
science of adoption demands answers.
In the first place, it must be definitely
proved that the child Is normal. When
the taking OF children was dictated en-
tirely by sympathy or pity, it was no
unusual thing to see the misshapen or
half witted child at the hearth Of his
foster parents. In these days that type
stays in the institution. Those who
ADOPT insist upon the best Placing out
agencies send their children to the
clinics to be tested for tuberculosis and
kindred Ills, Before a child can be con-
sidered for adoption by a family Of posi-
ton his blood must be examined for
traces of hereditory faint. If there Is
the slightest ground for suspicion he Is
rejected. Heart. lungs and digestion
must be strong and able. The back
must be straight the legs we'll turned
and regular; the features good.
MINUTE REPORT REQUIRED.
| have before me- a blank Of tho State
| Charities Aid which annually finds
! homes for hundreds of babies This ex-
amina ton paper of the candidate for a
good home somewhere, not one where
there IS luxury, has spaces in which it
may be noted whether the child has had
| the customary diseases. 1t requires de-
tails to swollen joints, inflamed
glands. bow lees. and half a score of
other particulars. The condition of ears,
! eyes, nose. throat neck and chest must
/ be accurately set forth. Youngsters
with pigeon SQUAD breasts and funnel
ones prominent rib and flat chests,
/ need not apply. How is the gait Of the
candidate? Is it well balanced, or
stumbling? Is he p!geon-toed or are
/ his feet averted? Kindly state, also, the
anatomical stiSmata' of John Doe,
We must know if he has an asymmetri-
cal Uranium, or q symmetrical face, Is
the forehead low or high? Are his ears
| we'll placed? Is he cross-eyed? Are the
! teeth regular, or perchance are they ir-
| regularly set Are the fingers long or
short? Any altered special senses
| Has the candidate ability to Withstand
nervous strain? Touching now the mat
ter of physic stigmata. has little Jane
Roe any exaggerated egotlsm. any ex-
cessivc self-consciousness any ill-bal-
anCed metal activity?
| Simon-B enet tests are usually applied
being adapted to the years of the child
What does John Doe know about him
self? He is asked as to his age and sex.
lust to test his general Intelligence.
And Jane. which is your right hand
What is the day Of the week. and how
much is n yard
ELIMINATION TESTS NEXT
So much for the beginning. These ara
| kind of elimination tests. a person Of
| wealth who has found several children
who please him and finally selects one
for final consideration has some we'll
! known specialists on children's diseases
| make an exhaustive examination. Up
to-date laboratory tests are employed.
| If the candidate now passes muster,
| there are many elements to be consid-
cred before he is enabled TO enter the
gates of welltried adoption.
When the preliminary tests are over,
| the question uppermost in the minds of
| those who would adopt a child Is How
will he respond to his new environment o"
| After the child grows up will he or she
| seem to be their very own? Is the child
Of gentle birth? Does he seem as though
to the manner born? If he is of sound
body and sound mind, IL he has good
memory, good sight and perfect hearing.
If he he quick witted and observing. that
question does not bother the new parents
much. If the hands and feet are not
! abnormally large and there are no signs
of excessively plebian origin there Is a
! good margin on which to take chance
Adaptability is possessed by most normal
children. This is shown In the case of
the new master of I.yndhurst. lie seems
to have settled into his new life as
| though he had always known it.
The experts who aid wealthy families
| In finding children are quick to note the
signs of response. They can tell almost
by instinct as to whether or not the child
|