Читать книгу That Last Waif; or, Social Quarantine - Fletcher Horace - Страница 7

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The text of this appeal was furnished by the accidental observation of a waif of not more than four years of age, who was gathered into the meshes of the law, and then pushed back into a stifling atmosphere of criminal neglect under ban of the official sentence, "Now get! you little bastard, and to hell with you!"

This waif disappeared into the slums without leaving any clue to his identity, and without any certainty of rescue, except by means of a quickened public conscience that shall organize to mend the existing defects arising from our careless lack of system in child protection, so as to rescue all waifs in need, in order to include the lost waif of our story.

The development of the day-nursery and kindergarten methods of child care and character-building has proven that ninety-eight per cent., at least, of the formerly-considered "hopelessly submerged ten per cent. stratum of society" can be saved and added to the mass of good citizenship by these means, and that the insignificant few, abnormally weak or perverse, are better subjects for industrial schools before criminal tendencies develop into habit, than for street schools of aimlessness and resultant crime.

Hope of success in exciting pity and justice for the victims of neglect and persecution within our gates is nourished by the evidence of that strong national sympathy for persecuted and neglected humanity which caused the sacrifice of war for the relief of our suffering neighbors in the island of Cuba. The same strength of purpose and thoroughness of aim—at one-twentieth of the cost, applied to a profitable investment instead—would free our fair land of the last vestige of the neglect which now breeds ceaseless crime.

The spirit of reform is awake to the demands of present civilized ideals. What we are willing to do for the reconcentrados of Cuba, let us do for our own defenseless ones!

The author dedicates the proceeds of the sale of this book, and whatever personal effort may seem to be useful, to the home cause, with the hope that his readers may enjoy the same happiness of sympathy which has inspired the appeal, and join in a comprehensive movement, with their mite or in the fullness of the strength they are blessed with, to close up the present narrow gaps in social quarantine through which all disease and disorder come, and thereby assist the noble army of pioneers—the kindergartners and the social settlement missionaries—to effectively stamp out the germs of epidemic disorder which are now a shameful reproach to our manhood and a constant menace to our happiness.

But there is still a brighter hope than that of a quickened humanitarian conscience. There also is strong evidence of a quickening of Christian conscience, which prompts the putting aside differences of creed and uniting in efforts to apply the Golden Rule of the Master to all helpless ones in need, in response to the prophecy and command: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." "And the Last shall be First."

We have won a battle in the cause of freedom abroad; and, while the spirit of rescue is still keen, let us turn our burning search-lights inward and purify our home conditions in a manner worthy of the ideals we champion.

Among the recorded utterances of Christ there was no more direct prophecy than, "And a little child shall lead them." That prophecy will surely be fulfilled. Why not now?

"Within the past twenty-six years nine thousand five hundred and fifty-six trained boys and girls, the flower of my flock, have been placed out in situations in the colonies, and have been continuously looked after and supervised ever since by a company of devoted and experienced men and women. Results recently tabulated in reports to and from the government of Canada show that the failures among these emigrants is less than 2 per cent. (actually only 1.84 per cent.) of the whole."—Thomas J. Barnardo, F.R.C.S., Ed. Founder of the "Doctor Barnardo's Homes," London, England.