Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-10

- : = = NAs~AS As-A = - As@s SSfSI ~
stead Of enc conferred. it is one t2i4,.
upon Us.
Ia situation is this: During the last
three or four years, there has been a,
many babies deserted and left On peO
pie 5 porehes, or in other corners Of pun
lie places. Some differences may be
drawn. namely that they were from the
outside Of town, that usually the de-
tailed care shown in leaving the baby
well tucked in, and provided for. proved
the dcserteg TO be q woman, at least in
most eases; then the fact that they con-
tinue TO come our way. These thoughts
serve as basis for the writing Of this
article. Ii is a trait of human nature
TO want TO DO a questionable thing or
commit crime, as far away rrV,l, .Ae
actual life and environment Of the per
pctratof as possible. Thus a womGn
having G kcCner sense Of the worth OF
character viii bring a baby away from
her native home, not necessarily to some
out of the was place, but 10 where she
believes the best chances for the baby 5
adoption and care can be had. She w..
the audaeity and the hardness Of heart
TO desert the child, but also has a real
mother 5 instinct and in the very
thought and act Of abandonment will
make as good "a provision for it Gs pos
sible.
The real reason for our generous re-
eeipt Of babies is to be found in that
very above trait of mother nature. 4
little white ago we received the first
installment Of our deserted babies, and
what was the result2 Wen there was
one grand rush Of women all bubbling
over with this God-given mother trait,
hut it was not only this but a generous
mixing il of the psychological moment,
heard spirit, which we all have, and also
a generous amount of sheer sentimental
ity, SO much that the court had to be
appealed to before due process Of time,
and printed notice given that no more
applicants would be received. before a
breathing respite could be had for set.
tlement of the ease in hand.
Most of the above ] do not condemn
as coming from mothers, but there is
after all TO me, an element of incon.
sisteney that could be overcome. if they
would think for moment The above
revelations reveal to me two things,
namely, that there are q lot Of child
less homes in Salem that ought to be
supplied with the very and only thing
that can produce q perfect balance in
life; then that most of these
homes | think would adopt a child, If
that child could come from some I'm.
usual circumstance in life, out of some
peculiar situation, with q halo of novel.
ty about its head or an element of 70.
nance. Why are we anyway A human
desire to become logical and legitimate
when the agent Of the desire will ac-
quiesce in supplying that desire with
the actual need, and not necessarily the
want alone. can Z forget the old cry
Of the lost sailors in the great Amazon
river; they cried for water, and natives,
Or other sailors passing answered, let
down your pals and draw The illus.
tration infers that they thought them.
selves to be in salt water alone wnvn
fresh was all around them.
Now the strange thing to me is that
Se have babies, babies, ell around us
IN baby homes, and the cry from Bel. !
Iium and France is in our ears, babies |
rom all these sources in need Of moth |
rs grooming lullabys and her love that
'hc alone can supply. Babies that the |
heavenly Host would rejoice in secing
aiken and adopted, yet only an occa. |
ional father or mother, with the ear TO .
lcar the pleas of the care takers anu
# the little ones themselves ever 90
here TO these good baby homes and saw.
Il will take one and do the best I can
With it. Too often the plea is made
hat those babies are from. "Well. 1
NOW not where ~ So are these that are
must upon the generous heart of goou
Id Salem. The accident of a cnuu.s
uth Is no index TO the possibilities or
is life gnd character. If | wanted a
ably and the circumstances OF my fam.
y life we're not So as to provide it, /,
eicvc Il go TO the St. Agnes baby
omc, or the Louise home, or Commons
lission home in Portland and take
lok at those little marvellous possibiH-
les Of the future o. / would consider
ne left bereft Of moral OF natura. -p.
ort in my own city, would not care
snap about whether its parents were
.oman Catholic or Protestant, holy or
ominsl.
But there is reason why the babies
eep coming our way. / hardly blame
lcsc mother dcserters Salem women
nd their great hearts of sympathy. of. /
'r best advantages.