THE MOTHER OF THE FOUNDLINGS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 97, 17 January 1908, Page 3

THE MOTHER OF THE FOUNDLINGS

Illustrated with pictures of ( eleven beauti-ftd-.'babies,. an American magazine tells the story of a j'New i.i'ork woman .who-has adopted as. her profession '.the-mothering of motherless infants; winning for herself 'the name of; "The Mother of the Fouri'dliiigs." There aro iiv-e. hundred babies in different sections country (says the .writer) who lecoired -their first: niothor-iore from "Virginia Walker- She-cradled ,thc. infants, in'her own trms : until a permanent 'mothei' could be fopnd. . She'.preaches ,'th'e doctrine that an infant; is. born., with the' yearning. for v ,'the mother's jove,. and if it: is'taken, from'him hp -.'pines ■ atijay. • this theory into .'practice she givißS.of ; her:pwn. tenderness, and - instils into .' the' " foster-mothers ; tho same quality.' ; v v'. .1. ' ; 'V- , . v.. ,1 remcmbor oM; stormy .wiritdr night step-ping.-in at her,; apar.tm'ent. .1 found her .but thaiyfid ,';.6iit\. and into • merriment v I was stariled:'by a •,weifd.n'pise whiclKsounded lisp a humari cry. ' is niy buby," cried' my hostes's. J risk'.exposing him-in,'the ;storm tp Snd. a real, motb'er to-night." T/lis as I followed' he; into tho nest roptk' "The little cfcap is pretty fiir gone; ho was founcl in- an nfih-barrbl on T)iird Aveijuo "last night W-Vly;frozen'. '.IJo'must have been put there whfri only,'a, few hours old. Mercy! bi4':it wa?-..coldI"; and. she' stivered'.'.at the' feco.l'•ectioi)'.:. ir-.'".; -;V". infant.and. lifted; him 'rom .the'.bwl,- and .'l''.saw. :atom, so: little resemblanco to a child' that I was/appalled.' r [ -•' ''•'./•' v - '■'• '•)>■.•'.'•- -Vr,"' ;I .stamniered. .' (l !. '' ■Oh, soptliinjj the child's moans.-'".There is ;nothjpg .horriblo, saye in t-ha,'real- nip,t-her desertion of'this pitiful, cniltl." .How can .a woman do. such; aa'iniquitous .thing?.- .Oh, the :tragedy, 'thb'mis.ery entpiled" upipn these' littlo lives! • But-r-won't TDU please , ring for Doctor - B-— and ask nini'to/.cpmo at once?" ' tjieu- prepared a hot l?ath; and .sundry rernpdic.s.' The skill:of the trained nurse •howed in every movement, and when' the doctor;arrived 1 .the child had been' soothed into "apparent restfnlriess; He declared .that the child could not survive the night unless a. .wet-nurse could be found,; and! even then it jvould be one chanco iji a hundred if he pulled through. There was ;no hesitancy on '"Iho Mother s" part. She had on her wraps almost before the doctor had . issued his edict, and was off. , Npyor shall I forget those four',, terrible' hours with' that bauy; whoso every breath threatened to be his last.! But-in some way his body and soul hung, together until "The Mother"' returned, bringing with her an Italian woman. ■ . Outside, a fearful winter-storm raged, and traffic suspended, but "Tho Mother" had mado hpr way down to tho lower East Side ai)d persuaded thp reluctant wet-nurse to' accompany her. Their skirts were --liter'io them, the veils about' tl.ieir heads were a mass of icicles. > The Italian had to he restored from her numbed cpndition, apd when she was dry, and warmed with a bowl ■ of' hot milk, and the baby given to hqjY-only then did-"The Mother" give heed'to her own condition.' • That .little waif lived and smiles at you from this page. Ho was adopted by well-to-do people, so - that Miss Walker's terrible nights journey was ''quite worth while." She will tell . you of this case, but; shd will. c<ircfujlyomit to mention the frostbitten feet and ears that almost invalided her. The stqry of another case will show in brief tow the foundling is given into the care of this worker, and how through her- ho is enabled to have home and parents. Rather Jato. one winter night a. man was hurrying to his . home in.*a' remote corner of the Bronx.'. Suddenly, and very close at hand, he heard a' baby's cry. Ho stoppod'to listen; again an,-infant's pitiful wail smote his ear. Alter a difficult search ho camo upon a pathetic..sceno.. By the light of a flickering match he beheld a tiny baby, of perhaps two' '(lays. '.Crouched' upon his breast, trying iwifhal] his might to comfort-and warm thoichilcj, was a shaggy, mongrel dog. Both wore cola, -"hungry, and' homeless, but with tho : instinct *of comrades in- misfortune the stronger was giving aid to": tho wenker. ." The dog followed as the man- carried the child to the nearost stationrhouso. From tboro an officer took the foundling to Bellerue, where the following' morning ho was given into Miss Wallcpr's care. She foupd a, temporary, home wliero ho'could be given iho:proper' nourishment. Later' a childldss eouplo .took the waif into thoir, home as thpir. legal-son and heir; 'alone do fpundlipgs como 'under the scopo of "The Mother's care, and in this connection tho story of "The Littlest Hospitijl. IJaby" .is a .significant record of a fight for liFe.' i I'hc • baby was q tiny creature woighing only three pounds and a half, and her ease was so pitiful that the entire charity corps .of officials, was attracted, to it. One hospital had already'given the child up and returned him -to his mother to die. Sho took it3to 'an second, only to receive 'the vordict that there might- be a littlo hope if a wetnurse, could bo secured. "Tho Mother" was cabled in, and sho'found a young mother who was glad to talco tho infant. That ovening, in response to' a frantic ring at tho bell, "The Mother" found on 'her doorstep the nurse;' a .'pale, - breathless, Italian woman, holding in: her- arms a small, rigid figure.' "Bambino die," Bambino die," sho wailed. The baby,' with" scarce-'a'vestige' of breath, lay like wax. The woman placed it upon a eoncli 'and 'fled. '• • ' ' Once again a night was given •to nursing »iid a m,VI race for another wet-nurse. Loving porsistenco-'won the day. 'Seven'months later - the ■ baby weighed seventeen pounds, •nd '.grew-'into'perfect health.' And so tho story :'could go on indefinitely. Babies upon babies have come into the arms - always .ready, 'to enfold' them and hold them tight;until another woman take's up'the 'reHjoiiaihilitv.'. .

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL. ' A rjuiet wedding took place oiuThursday morning at-11 o'clock in St. Peter's Church, when Miss Lavinia Ivy O'Loughlin, youngest daughter of Mrs. S. O'Loughlin; ■'Parcival btreet, was married to Mr. Carl 4l>.' Cox, editor of the "Mercantile Gazette;/" .Wellington. The bride wore a white, beautifully embroidered robo, with leghorn hat, trimmra with wistaria., The ceremony was'performed by the Rev. C. .W. Maclaverty','atid a reception was afterwards held, attended only by relatives and a few family friends. .Mr. and Mrs. Konnerley.. ■.Rumford UUaclame yipxa, Butt), who are.:to'stayVdur* ing the visit to Wellington at the/ Grand Hotel, will arrive here on Saturday , evening. Mrs. I rouse has issued invitations -for- an At Home: next Monday afternoon ,t<> meet thorn. On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs'i' Biinny; of tho Hutt; had a delightful -children's party in celobration of her youngest .daughter's birthday. ,' " :.!»•"<• • Nothing seems to be known yet, about- any organised .welcome to Madame .-Clara ' Butt, but it is to bo hoped that duo recognition- will be made by Wellington of tho positipn: that this groat singer holds in the artistic world.