MOTHER MARY'S NURSERY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 3

MOTHER MARY'S NURSERY .

: ';''Th'ere $ is^ ;ail ; ;WelthigtpnV;' av/ more : fascinating'sigh't^M jaige/ajry,-loom ■ ■ ■keeps;'! the/.enormpus'/family./of ;-Vitiny-,?i:babicß ooinmit where tall ■■'day" i'tHeir /Sisters'';" of i ;)l<^mp/as'sioii;;' ! s))usy: The" nursei'y>;isv;at^ye.ryS large; , ;;^well-ligh'ted; Tppm; at' ' .lyuildiigV; and' ■^hen'lthe',;-feather "'is '>.iriild : and:,-; suiiny ; -.the . ■babie.s;are"kept/«trti-pf wide,^flacTopf nearly;all'diy;loiig,-b'ut,-yesterday-after-of r.; down stairs; ■; inos t i of, nursery,:,. where:;a';:.fire, : :, was' ~bijnin^'/bri^tly/: . and'jbne,'--:''Sst«'.;', ' wae'.' in cliarg , e./,'Frdm;(d6wnr: , theystairs,i:one'.vcpuld two. aid, .>vhen the,r-visitor;/entered/;;. tlie .■:-;the-.';7iuet; changed/'to^;.cli6'rus',,ifor,vthe/babies are;not used';to''..se.eing- ; ;strangers,;and^"'.;.,sey;eralv,Vpf. them :haVe"Reached those, months-pf j'discretion > Menyi;^is"ibeßf/t6 , ''toke-;it Ihapah'y ;6tratigerjis',' v ;au/; Jenemy/ ; * Really; /when';onej<»mes.-.fo :r good'-.' tKing ■• , V^at;jMxl-hYontli^ld;"labie's ;! Ka».e' no ; ;power',; taiwork '■ a f ;if :tliey.;.;had. -little ."tpm^ayks'-'in'itheir:'little' h'anos, they/.would'un<loubl>ed]y : throw' -them; ajHfce.''icads;.'/pf'!to acquainted admiferej just in l tie same way that. :the;adult [of ?. ai.',Jsavage..'.tribe-T-the.;-infant'• with; 'at"ip'earV. : 'anyon|s'^to'"whom'-(fle:--.hai'.(not. : l>^)'in!lirpducea..:;:,r- ; j/.';:'-. lih, ■&?>■; ttfe , ■'~'::■■■■'■■■:■

'This is the sort of ugly, theoretical 1 idea one can'have about, babies in the abstract, but not when watching those living, breathing, , and 'wailing babies of Mother Mary's, who 'are too delightful for worde. They are picturesque vivid,', too, for the older ones are dressed' in bright' reds and.blues — beautiful oolours, colours that wear well and look warm and comfortable. The room is aa full of cradles as a baskel-shop. ' Thirty-six wicker'cradles are set down" the room in four long rows. In ono is a tiny.baby of>five weeks,/with ■ little crumpled hands and mottled face,'and near by is another only a few days'older,'.that is still thought,of as the baby of the establishment. On tho dull red.'h&irfchrug in front of the fire aro_ three small ones bright spots of blue and crimson. One of thein is sitting up, and gazing round with an'air of calm interest on its fair 'ittlo face,; the other two are'lying on their backs and-weeping-'happily —weeping just because they are baoies and there is nothing else to bo, .nothing else ,to do. On one side is a cradle with two youngsters,in it,.iono, sitting upright and , to•<itself, while, its 'fcompanion'-'has l -tipped' itself^upside down -and|'in that qrieer'"position? , is nv drearily lamenting the 'fact 'that a stranger has Woken into its happy, peaceful home. On the'other side'of-the-hearthrug'is another double cradle, and the, active paitner in this case is „ standing up and holding on to .the end of I/he cradle, 'with its large blue oyes wido open, and is weeping steadily and placidly, out of compliment apparently to its shy companions, , for, when it is' spoken to, it stops crying, shutejts soft, little mouth smiles out of its tearful,eyes, and gazes m an .interested way,at the stranger. Only when the attempt at conversation ceases does it remember that weeping is the order of the day, and resume its monotonous lament. One of tho babies sprawling on the, floor is picked up, and, still crying, -it holds its little red pinaforo across its mouth crying crookedly over it, until it' comes to' the conclusion that a little .fussing was all' it. required, and it, too, becomes cheerful.

' v: : Al l; the/other '■.babies : are even: more, happy than these-whoifindi their delight in' testing {tie power-of,their'.lungs, and,,passing along ; 'the ;line,of r cribs,. into; the; faces of the. most charming-'babies, who are sleeping ''peacefully ~or.; ljfing; awake, staring wide,.-'bright -eyes ;' : up.?at the.iwhite ceiling,' while h'e're arid, there',' may be,' , '■an/infant has kicked''oft the,clotlfes: and' 1 gazesj adoringly, at. its own, f seen;, ijhrougb the haze.or a great'distince.-':.'. ;:: . ' iv.. .'"■■: ' j . -Some.of.the babies, have been bronghti to Mother Mary in ith'e' list stages of emacia'tiqh,; but .none. of; them .'show, -signs of - t that to-da'y;. i Mey: may -. b'e ! tiny ■• arid - 'delicate,' arid 'stiirrqq'uire : the,greatest:.care,':but,.they look healthy: arid hopeful;." : Three' charming little .babies vwefe lyirig : :qlo6e , together.;-':;all wide awake, interested,;, aid ready fio smile .with delight , thfe/moment'anyone spoke to them. One 'Could.-see the; smile .lurking' in their 'u^s,'''arid'-hor'eTin^ i ';alx)utH i heir'"litue'H^,' : .or,'< .rather,' abdui'their::little : pink,vwet, : quavering tongues,.for"'your,really-;jolly:baby pokes his tongue , 'out 7 at'air'tKe'.wofld with'.an'-'exce'ss of rgpod-fellowship' and', joy.- ' : ; : - :'i ;, ..-;■". . - : •; viqes 'td'.lthe.'cpinmunityy.ibut 'nbne..that : is ljkelyi to prove of more value than/this, for here, "she' takes 'care/ of; : the little citizens: in their, Very,'.earliest.'days; ,and, brings all : her knowledg'eiand'expe'rience to the task of turning 'thenl;'out -strong, arid: sturdy, and. giving them -a good; start 'in' life.'" It Jis\a \ branch of her work, that: seems capable of .great: expan: sion.;--; It. is 'only. 'nine', monthe; since she: ceived the first 'of the babies;into the Home; and if they ; . continue to, come at tho eame rate the Home will soon -bo overflowing with cradles.. Down below are the incurable chiU .dren, with: thej children who have been be.lieyed to. be incrirable- and -.with whom she has worked, such wonders, and down -there, too; 'are- ; some 'of ,the : groivn-ups who are incurably afflicted,' the, saddest cases, of,all: One knows'hoWM6ther : Mary cares : for them; how, her patience, and the patience of the. Sisters of ■Cpmpassiqn,,has;never failed, and one has heard .stories;of ihe grim Bights they' see'in' the' incurable .wards.! . ■' < ;.' . .'. '-"I