Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-14
The Little Wanderers
Care Given One Family

Several years ago, the attention of
the WaterviIIe branch of the Little
Wanderers was bought to a family
consisting of father, mother and
five children. They We're living in a
very poor location, a bad neighbor-
hood, in an unsanitary old house
with dark, cherries rooms, where
the paper hung in strips from the
mouldy walls. AS a natural Sc
quence of such an, environment, the
children were rapidly acquiring all
sorts of bad habits.
The father was q tail, well-built
and pleasant hammered man. His
spoke Of him as being a
good workman who would get on
well if he could be persuaded to leave
drink alone. AS this was before the
18th amendment, he seemed to have
little difficulty in obtaining liquor
and there were times when he drank
to excess. going Off for days and
leaving his wife and family desti-
tute.
The mother of this little family
was slight woman with pale,
thin face; she seemed utterly lack
ing in ambition, was very untidy in
her personal appearance, and was
poor housekeeper. The little house,
(you could hardly call it a homeD
was in a deplorable condition. The
woman looked somewhat tubercular
and after a medical examination, it
was found that such was the case.
The children, whose ages ranged
from IL months to s years, were half
clothed, dirty and undernourished
The younger ones were covered with
unsightly sores due to lack of care
and unhealthy surroundings. This
was the general condition of the
family when first brought to the Lit
tie Wanderers attention.
The mother was at once placed in
a sanitarium for rest and care and
an effort was made to place the
children in temporary boarding
homes until other arrangements
could be made. The oldest boy,
James, was found to be in almost as
bad a condition as his mother, so
that the attending physician recon-
mended that the boy be placed in the
country where he might obtain
fresh air and good food. So James
and his next younger brother, Robert,
were sent to O boarding place out
side of the twon. The two little
girls, Lily and Mary, We're boarded
together in the pleasant home of a
woman living in an adjoining town.
These little girls were in particu-
larly uncared for condition as shown
by their heads and hair (pedoculD.
With these children disposed of for
the time being, there was only the
baby left and she being quite free
from any tubercular tendency, it
was not difficult to find a suitable
boarding place for her.
The mother eventually died, 4 which
seemed to awaken Mr.. Graham, the
father TO a realization of his respon-
sibilities towards his children. He
worked more and drank less; he
readily agreed to do what he could
toward paying for the children's
bOdIi. 40 tlIIlt NGHl vi ana MI.
Graham continued to improve
through the encouragement and help
given to him he really tried to
make good" and worked evenings
as we'll as during the day. This went
on for quite a while until one day
he was found dead Thus the
children were left without anyone to
care for them and the local board of
the Little. Wanderers voted to have
the two older children mentally ex-
amined at ihe study home in Boston
with view to placing them in free
homes.
AS a result of this examination,
James was found to be sub-normal
"a condition that had been sus-
pected for some time. He was
eventually placed in q school for the
feeble-minded without charge, where
he might obtain the best training
possible. The next boy proved to be
much superior to his brother and
Wes brought back to Maine and
placed in n boarding home; he is still
there and the people with whom he
is placed areN conscientionsly trying
to guide him Alright. The two little
girls, Lily and Mary. were subse-
quently taken to Boston for exam
ination and were found to be quite
normal children and We're \placed in
free homes.
The baby proved to be the health
lest of them all and very good home
was fosnd for her where she will
probably be legally adopted She is
now a fat. rosy-cheeked, attractive
child and has endeared herself to
her foster parents in every way
She is normal, happy little girl
Thus out of the wreckage of a
broken home, the Little Wanderers
has tried to save the helpless little
children and TO give them fair
Chance.