The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-05
WAIT FOUND At
PASTORS DOOR
=. IS NEAR DEATH
Or. Grant and Housekeeper
Heart-Broken Over Tiny
Girls illness.

NEW YORK. Oct. 5.-Faith VIII
lard, the five-months-old child who
was abandoned on the doorstep Of
the Rev. Percy Stickney Grant. rec.
tor. Of the Church of the Ascension.
at z West Tenth street, one night
last May, and who has since endeared
herself to the heart of the bachelor
Clergyman, Is in Presbyterian Hos
pital and in serious danger of death.
III Several Weeks.
The little girl has been i'll several
weeks of an intestinal complaint, COM
plicated two days ago by septic poison
ing and pneumonia.
At DIR. Grants home the clergyman
and his housekeeper, Mrs. John Ora
ham, who found the child and has
become as deeply attached to her as
DR.. Grant himself. appeared heart
broken over the little girls condition.
The minister was plainly affected
when he told how the child failed
to recognize him when he visited the
hospital yesterday.
"She looked at NE with glazed eyes
and showed no sign Of recognition"
said DIR. Grant. when ] saw her
pitiful little frame and how she was
likely to die, could comprehend the
pain Of a parent separated from his
child. l don't understand how the
parents who abandoned her could
have brought themselves to do It"
Rector Still Hopes for Her.
DR.. Grant indicated that he feared
the child's death was inevitable, but
said that he had not given up all hope.
There were tears in the eyes OF Mrs.
Graham when she said that she. too,
had not been recognized by the child
when she visited the hospital yester-
day, although she had attended her
with motherly care for months.
The illness began when the child
was in the country last month. She
was kept in the rectory until the first
Of September. but then 1t was thought
that the country air would be beneficial
for her. At that time she was plump
and healthy, having gained steadily
since the night she was abandoned.
In the country little Faith continued
in good health and gained weight, with
a trained nurse to look after her, but
germs found their way into her milk,
or some such mischance of childhood
occurred. and she was stricken with
intestinal disease. She was brought
back a week ago.
No one has been able to find out
who were the parents of Faith Will
lard or who left her on DIR. Grants
doorstep. Mrs. Graham heard some.
body moving on the front porch OF
the rectory on the night Of May 3.
When she went to the door two bas-
kets had been left behind. and from
one Of them came the cry of q child.
DR.. Garnt, called from his study.
found a note which said that the
parents had heard so much about the
Church of the Ascension, and had
learned to admire its rector to such
an extent that they were assured
their child's welfare was safe in his
hands. The second basket contained
clothing for the baby.
DR.. Grant notified the police and
the Charities Department, from which
he obtained permission to retain the
baby temporarily. She was about a
week old and weighed five pounds.
The baby was baptized by DR.. Grant |
in the church on May and chris
tened Faith Willard DR.. Grant !
was her godfather and Mrs. Graham |
her godmother. The name by which |
she was christened was an old one in |
the Grant family.
When the engagement of DIR. Grant |
to marry Mrs. Rita de Acosta Lydig |
was announced last summer, there |
was much speculation as to how the |
union would affect the upbringing Of |
Faith. DR.. Grant had not decided |
whether to keep the chilS perma-
nently and Mrs. Lydig said II de-
pended on his wishes whether he
would adopt the infant and keep 1t as
a member of his family.