The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 10, 1901, Page 11

neo u® Yo ®EEP wM EROM RUNNING B Ay guesses you're out And if the “b life you naturall 10 sex die. Littie Richard - Any - thing please is the shuttlecock. He p bhand to hand, from side to side that unless you are wonderfully clev smart you fail to comprehend, and un you keep it up it would take a Phila phia lawyer to unravel the snarl for you. Richard is an orphan and en- dependent upon the kindness of the ladies of the n , and the next day he has a m —sometimes two—and a home. So you see he is an interesting youngster, but not one to be envied. What's in & name, anyhow ? That is the problem he is puzzling over just at present. Does it make any differ- ence whether one has & name to begin with or not, or is it just as good to bor- row some one else’s? Usually one name lasts a man a life- but Richard Miller, as he is now called, has zlready had two, twice over, #nd he now has the promise of anether. How is that doing these days ? f the seventy-five chicks 1 Francisco Nursery for iidren thelr very own. By glect and trouble it is his. The short eleven years 1s very much like that of the other seventy-four, and it is 10 keep these iittle unfortunates from under the wheels of fortune that the L] Dick s one m kept rder in such excellent working February hungry baby of '93 the dismal crying of caused an inmate of a eap lodging-house on North Beach to her ne.ghbor's rodm and tase the Iittle_one up and try to comfort When the baby had drowned his rrows in the milk bowl, he was tucked nto his little bed to sleep until his wan- dering mother should come home to him. Later in the evening the household :vnl of a awakened by the persistent cries downright angry child. The litt had discovered that he was alon and promptly resented his neglect. Just why his mother hadn” did not bother the baby’'s e she friend. Of had been detained, and was nearly crazy with anxlety, Fort- /" he would be cared for until her return. The next day and the next went b; th and daye lengthened into weeks, and stiil ing was heard of ‘George or Salina’ arnest, the baby’s parents. Slowly but gradually it dawned upon the people in the house that “baby” had been nothin more or less than heartlessly abandoned. Luckily Richard had fallen into good hands, and Elcanor Miller was only too glad to take the little fellow to her heart and give him the most of her miserable es { fate does not take a hand in and stir the broth the wrong way, sometimes the local authoriti o, policeman reported the pitiful story to the Bociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and they promptly decided that the child must go to them to be disposed of as they considered fit. And_the why of all this was that Mr. Miller, Richard's foster-father, was a confirmed drunkard, and his name had not quite the standing that it might have had. S0 the baby left the rooming-house on North Beach and became the property of the Soclety. After some telephoning it was decided to send him to the nursery, and he was enrolled February 13, 1893, as eléven months of age and under the name of Richard Miller. That was wne nrst change, Everything went on in the even tenor of its way In the nursery as it always does, and Dick was thoroughly at home and very- happy. est of all, he had for- gotten the moiher who had ‘found it too much trouble to care for him. The tables were just reversed. She hadn’t been able to forget him. WHen everything was still and the world was at rest, she heard the small voice calling. The baby hands had clutched too ll(htry to be put aside so lightly. A strange woman rang the nursery bell one morning and announced that she had come to take her boy home. No one knew her, but when Bhe said “Richard Miller” they could hardly belleve their eyes or ears. That night the roll- numbered one less than in the morning, but there was gen- eral ‘rejolcing, for a child had been pro- vided for and well, and that is the re- ward that pléased the matron best. Again time ulipped its tether, and one bright morning she was surprised to see a familiar youngster playing lleel{{xl}‘y in the sand pile with the othe: ch- ard was a visitor at the home again, as he had not been placed there. 1l that could tell them was “Mamma Ev.am to see the birdies, -x when :vned-:n: the, tellers, ‘she said 1 could play a lit- e e. The “birdie”’ had only been a‘snare and a delusion. In other words, a means to an end, for Mrs. Earnest found that a real live baby was much more trouble, annoyance and worry than a phantom e. W“Ihe little feilow was contented in his o NURJERY Tor- HoMELESD new, old home, and while he sometimes cried for “Mamma, mamma,” it was not often. All the love and afféction thet is given to h baby as supreme ruier of the household {s very apt to be wasted. It it has plenty to eat, a warm, snug cradle and something to amuse it, the world holds no other bliss. Dick's foster mother had not forgotten mor lost track of him, and when she learned of his second desertion, she ap- plied to the authorities at the nursery or. m. Change number three. From Earnest back to Miller again. In an ordinary fiction story this should have been the last chapter and all should have ended well, but truth is sometimes stranger than fietion. < ‘About that time Professor Harold Whit~ ing of Berkeley decided to go on a trip to the East via Panama. As the two children would be more than his wife could ense {ly manage, he offered Eleanor Miller such inducements to accompany them that she placed Dick again in the home, knowing well that it would be the best and safest place for him during her ab- sence. The day before she salled she went to see the matron and arranged to partially pay for the boy. On going out she re- marked that sl was going directly to the bank to have Dick's name substituted for her own. While the money wi a fortune it amounted to several hundred dollars, and in case any accident should befall him, he could have all necessary attention. This foster mother was far different from his own fiesh and blood. B8he was always considering his welfare and hap- iness; ever thoughttul. pOn the 18th da&'ol May, 1895, the Colima sailed with the Whiting family and maid, and since that time no one hiis ever seen nor heard of any one on board. The re- port sent in to the home was ‘lost at Dort ea. Dick was out another mother. Some wise man has said that provi- dence takes care of drunkards ana chil- dren, and it seems s0. Through some mis- take the bank book never found its way to the nursery. In fact to this day neither the bank nor the money can be (o A LONELY ORPHAN N\ traced. 8o .he tiny fortune of this or- phan is slowly growing and increasing somewhere in this big ecity. But-where 1s _that somewhere? That is the question. To all queries is given the same headshake. How can anybody traca the money without the name of the bank? If anybody can solve the riddle one small boy's life will be made richer and may be turned into_an entirely different channel, As it is, Richard Miller is an object of charity. Not one cent is paid for lis maintenance in any shape or formmn Yet his life isNno different from any other boy of his age. e rises and bhas a good, substantial breakfast. In order to keep him out of mischief from half after 7 until school time_light duties are given him to perform. From 9 until § he at- tends public school and afterward plays as hard as any youngster of 11 possibly el,mfi until dinner time. And then it's night. Money or no money, mother or no moth- er, what difference does it make? Just this much. The child has always been called a surly mischief maker. Twice for the want of something better to do he has run uu{ from the home and taken two younger boys with him. He was klr:( of the sand pile and never aid a espotic ruler exist. And it was because he didn't care for anybody and nobody cared for him. ,There ‘'was a vague something that he missed, but he couldn’t make out just what it was. The matron and president resolved to try a little strategy on their parts. They wondered if affection wouldn't win the S T day. Mrs. Bertz, the is a decided success. changed wonderfully. president, says it ‘““The child has He has lost his sul- len air and is always willing and glad to be of any use. He is our trusted man of the house and I don't know how we can get along without him.” For that is just what they are going to do soon. Twice a Home has been offered him. The first promised work and not much home, but the second one offered just what they dis- covered was needed—some one to care for him. Dick is not the least bit discouraged and is quite willing to try his luck again with another foster-parent. And he does not mind in the least changing his name with his residence if necessary. If such should be the case it will make the fourth time, and n?o wonder he asks, “What's in a name?"’ There isn't a single chick or child in the home who hasn't a strange history if one would take the trouble to look it up. The other night the bell about o'clock and when the nurse answered the door she heard some one running away and a paper bag lying on the rug. “*Why," sald s knew what it was without looking, and I called the matron and started for the kitchen just as fast as I could. The baby was nearly frozen, for a paper and a few old rags are not warranted to keep any one warm. But she is all right now an flllfln‘ rapidly.” 8o Is it a wonder that the home is fllled with stories? After a warm 'debate the ladies decided to keep the little one, for although ‘the home is not for foundlings, [ and hot water Dol - Y n - ; RICHARD WHEN 7 _ENTERED AS A Bany | in this case they felt it would be cruei not to make an exception. ® was chris- tened Ruth, that name will sutfice until she goes into the world to battle for herself. en if _she another it probably will be Home. The plan of nami the home is not a l?fi when Johnny Home and Nellie Home and all the rest of the large Home family give that as their name, they can honestly claim it as their very own. To keep such an institution going costs ever so much money. paid monthly by the ladies are not nearly enough to keep it running smoothly, but the State gives them so much a year, strangers assist them now and then. then. Did any of you know that Wells-Farge dellver free of charge any parcel that does not weigh more than a man can under? Well, they do, and all you have to do 18 to weed over Johnnie's and Jane's old wornout clothes and ring up the press company. The matron does all the rest and you would be surprised to how & ly clever she s mm out of nothing. There is a k: n ! and she certainly has it down Y st o(pNovmb‘rA it_a gift sale and any one ed in bables, camme S0 near ble for this world's Eo0s. » MooRm. »