The Washington times., 1920-07-27
MOTHERCAN'T
SELLHERBABY
Offered to Give Up Child for
$3.50, But Hides When
Buyers Come.
Nv wINIFRED VAN DUZER.


NEW YORK, July 27.-Baby Mar
garet McNulty, quoted at $500, re-
mained unsold last night.
The wee, blue-eyed maid. with her
sun-colored hair and skin like thin
porcelain. who was put on the market
Sunday through newspaper adVer-
tisement, played about all day serene
ly unconscious OF the fact that rev
hours ago, she became a commercial
commodity, and a low priced com
modify, as figures on babies go.
No more than four blocks west
from the third-fioor back room on
Second avenue where Baby McNulty
lives, another baby was appraised not
long ago when his mother swore in
court that his care was worth more
than $4,000 a year. But that was
little John Jacobs Astor, and he was
not for sale at any price.
ANOTHER OFFERED son.
More recently another mother
widowed and destitute, offered her
son to whoever would give him anec-
tion and a good home, for 1000.
But Mrs. McNulty, a white-faced
whisp OF a woman. who watched
Baby Margaret with hungry eyes.
said this yesterday:
Those mothers were naming the
That was why they made those prices
one thousand; twenty thousand.
II am naming the price of my value
her mothers value-to my baby.
Dollars and cents are only symbol,
covering the cost of hghting
chance That is why the amount is
just what is is"
"It was only after the worry of
weeks became desperation that Mrs.
Katherine McNulty finally felt that
circumstances had driven her to part
with her baby girl. A widow OF
three years. she worked beyond her
strength to care for the lite daugh-
ter and her brother, two years
| older.
A year ago she was stricken with
influenza. 1t was afterward that the
doctor first mentioned hghting
chance, which would cost money for
Transportation to the country, milk
eggs and rest
THE BAR TO HAPPINESS.
Her mind always brought up
against the balance between this and
the price list following:
Feel of one pair of little clinging
hands .................. SoO
Weight of tiny body. drowsy in
the twilight ................,. oo
2.555 good night" kisses, dis
tributcd over. next seven years. so
Sound of a baby voice prattling
Il love you '................... 30
Thrill of the world Mother" 80
$3.50
Her story went on:
There wasn't any balance. But
as I felt less able to be about, l came
70 Sv't no
but what is best for her.
"Some day she will be old enough
to understand what l am doing and
why. l shall not be with her then.
Either way. whether I let her go
voluntarily now or not / should not
be with her. But looking backward
through the understanding years
brings she will know that / tried in
the only way open to me to raise
money to save her mothers life. She
will feel that it was for her that I
tried.
THE BABY'S RIGHT.
Every baby has a right to
mother.
"And if taking money in exchange
for my baby is the only way I can
save her mother for her, am I not
doing what is right"
"Some day, if l live through the
next few months, | may meet her
again as my daughter. if the plan
works out. Otherwise, the doctor
says I shall be here only little while.
This way l can find the right ones to
take her; the other way she would
be in an institution
Although she made public her offer
two days ago. Mrs. McNulty has hid
den herself away with her two chill
dren, refusing to see any of the dozens
who have called for inspection. After
having brought herself to agree to the
sale, she declares that she was not
yet strong enough to take the next
step. Her only relatives, also in poor
circumstances, live in Belfast, Ire