Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-02-24

ABOUT OIIIls
Mrs. Ross was having a struggle
gle and poverty. She had five chill
dren. Mr.. Ross earned $3.50 a week.
He would take two or three glasses of
beer each day and spend 10 cents car
fare to and from his work. This re-
duced the net amount of money for
household expenses so low that Mrs
Ross found it impossible to pay SIS a
month rent for house in a respect
able neighborhood. She was grieving
over the possible necessity Of NOV
ng her family into slum district
where rents we're cheaper and sur
roundings, filthy.
Christmas was near at hand and her
little boy Charlie, who. was his mo-
theirs great joy, a beautiful child all
the neighbors said, wanted to see
what Santa Claus would bring the
children.
So Mrs. Ross washed and dressed
Charlie in the best clothes she had
for him and took him to the toy de-
partment of the Great Store.
Charlie eyed with wonder and a
longing heart the profusion of toys
if Santa Claus would bring him some.
Mrs. Rich was strolling through the
toy department intending to select
toys to be sent to poor children. She
heard Charles voice pleading for
Santa Claus to bring him some toys.
Mrs. Rich asked Charles mother
about her boy and begged to be al
lowed to send him toys. Mrs. Ross
consented and gave her name and ad-
dress to Mrs Rish.
On Christmas day the toys arrived
at the Ross home.
Mrs. Rich on the same day looked
+, out of the window to the landscape
and snow tipped trees. She had no
| children of her own. Her arms felt
empty and she longed to have the
companionship of child. She thought
of the boy she had seen in the store.
A Charity Visitor called to get the
promised donation for the poor. Mrs.
Rich told the Visitor of her desire for
child and spoke of the boy she had
seen in the store the day before.
The next day the charity expert
sent a Friendly Visitor to RMS Ross
to find out about her home conditions.
The visitor questioned Mrs. Ross and
learned that Mr.. Ross drank beer and
that the family was poor
Mr. Ross was summoned into the
Court of Domestic Relations and was
tried. The Friendly Visitor testified
that the family was poor and that the
| defendant spent money for beer. Mr.
Ross was sent to the house of correc
ton for a year for contributing to the
delinquency of his children. a
i Soon after the New Year, Mrs. Ros!
was summoned into the Juvenile Cour
on a petition of the Friendly Visito
and charged with being unable to pro
vide food and clothing for her Chi
r dren, The Judge ordered that he
boy Charlie be taken away from he
t and turned over to the charity societ
D for adoption.
s Mrs. Ross was told that this w"
done in order to relieve her Of par
F: If her children as she could not ear
! the living for her five children. Sh
n was told that she could now try
/ get along with four.
Fl Soon Mrs Rich was notified that
e healthy baby was deserted by his IA
l. ents ard could be legally adopted b
e | someone able to care for him. Mr.
Rich asked to have the boy sent t
her home for insnectior ard asked /,
Il she would he bothered by his mothe
IL she adopted him The Charity r.
It pert informed her that under the in
'. emile Court law 1t is a criminal offens
u for anyone to give the real mother Pr
u information. Of the whereabouts of hf
child after it has heen taken awe
from her by the Juvenile Court an
given out for adoption.
Mrs. Rich looked the hoy over an
discovered that he was the boy fl
whom she bought the toys.