Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-05-30
DESERTED BABY
NOW AT HOSPITAL.
Who Wants To Help Little
Jimmy And Encourage Child
Welfare?
WILL YOU ADOPT HIM?
Tiny Mite Deserted BY Mother
Father Tries But Can't Care
For Him. Asks Nurse
To Lay Baby Away.


With Child Welfare just at this time
uppermost in her mind as il is in the
mind of Mrs. Emerson c. Harrington,
chairman of the Child Welfare Com
mittee for this county, il is easy To
realize how quickly Miss Sara V. Suth-
erland. the Visiting District Nurse, re-
sponded to a call the other day where
a baby was concerned.
The message came over the telephone
To Miss Sutherland something like
this: "Will you come out TO Boone
Station, on the Short Line. and Lay a
Baby Away" The District Nurse ma
turally supposed the baby was dead,
and she was asked to arrange for its
burial She did not hesitate longer
than to catch the next car for Boone.
and, upon her arrival there, what was
her surprise to see the baby not dead,
but alive. although mere living skel-
eton. She cuddled the little mite and
began TO ask questions. The father,
who had sent for her. told pathetic
story. He had been deserted by his
wife on New Years day and the baby
had also been deserted He had not
seen nor heard of the wife since. and
he had made terrific struggle to care
for the motherless infant. now eight
months old. The bay had not prosper
ed under paternal care. and. although
eight months old. only weighed ten
pounds.
Hot weather is here. and the pros
pect for the child is even worse lie
has seen all this now running in the
papers about Child Welfare" and
weighing the babies. and he thought
the District Nurse might help him out,
so he called her TO come and "lay the
baby away" which. being Interpreted
means get somebody TO adopt il.
Miss Sutherland is too experienced
not to know no one will adopt an eight
months old infant that weighs but ten
pounds, so she Immediately interceded
with the Superintendent of the Emer-
gency Hospital, that best of all local
institutions, for which The Capital is
asking subscriptions, to take the waif
in. Miss Welty, Head Nurse, willingly
consented The District Nurse made
arrangements with the father, who
brought the puny little son TO town
and carried il i'm his arms to the hos
pital. where little Jimmy" for so he
has been named was literally re-
ceived with open arms. When meas
ured he was found to be only twenty
six and half inches long and weigh
ed ten pounds. He was bathed, given
clean clothes, fed. and received every
attention, and, although the baby has
been at the hospital less than two
weeks, he weighs twelve and a half
pounds and measures twenty-seven
and three-quarters inches.
Jimmy is the idol of the nurses
and has won all hearts at the hospital
He is "cute" baby, with blue eyes
and red hair. and he likes his new
home. The only trouble is there is
great prospect Of spelling him. He has
made many friends, who have sent him
dresses and caps, but he still needs
more dresses and little undershirts
and other things babies must wear
The hospital will gladly receive gifts
for Jimmy. When he has attained his
normal weight and is well and strong
like other babies not deserted by their
mother when only two months old, lit
tie Jimmy will be put up for adoption,
and it is hoped he may find good fos-
ter parents and a nice home.
Some day Jimmy may make a fine
soldier and somebody may be proud Of
the man now the little puny waif un-
loved except by the hospitals good
nurses.