As  those  who  seek  her  assistance  are  apt  to  be  persons  of
means,  she  has  a  motive  in  doing  so.  It  may  be  one  or  ten
years  after  her  services  were  rendered,  but,  at  what  she  con-
siders the  proper  time,  she  renews  her  acquaintance  with
them.  She  will  startle  them  by  a  call,  or  a  note,  recalling
to  them  the  events  they  would  gladly  forget,  and  soliciting  a
loan  for  a  short  time.  The  appeal  is  generally  made  to  the
man,  and  is  sustained  by  such  strong  proofs  that  he  dares  not
refuse  to  comply  with  the  demand.  Of  course  he  knows
that  the  wickedest  woman  will  never  return  his  money,
but  he  is  forced  to  send  whatever  sum  she  pleases.  The
child,  which  has  been  carefully  reared,  is  a  living  witness
against  him,  and  the  wickedest  woman  threatens  to  produce
it  if  her  demands  are  refused.  Every  year  the  demand  is
renewed.  Men  have  been  driven  to  bankruptcy,  to  ruin,  and
to  death,  by  these  heartless  extortions.  Still,  the  wickedest
woman  continues  her  course.  She  boasts  that  society  in
New  York  cannot  do  without  her,  and  the  facts  seem  to
justify  this  boast.
CHAPTER  LII.
BABY   FARMING.
A  RECENT  number  of  a  city  journal,  contained  the  follow-
ing account  of  the  system  of  bringing  up  and  adopting  out
illegitimate  children  in  New  York.  We  present  it  in  place
of  any  description  of  our  own.
