Project Gutenberg 2014-02-24 Public domain in the USA. 148 Fletcher, Horace 1849 1919 That Last Waif; or, Social Quarantine Produced by Mark C. Orton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "That Last Waif; or, Social Quarantine" by Horace Fletcher is a social reform treatise written in the early 20th century. The work advocates for improved care and protection for neglected children, arguing that society must enact a "social quarantine" to shield these vulnerable individuals from harmful environments and influences. The author highlights the tragic fate of a young, neglected child he encounters, illustrating the pressing need for systemic change in how society treats its least fortunate members. At the start of the book, the narrative unfolds in the context of heightened patriotism during the Spanish-American War, juxtaposing the fervor for distant humanitarian efforts with the dire conditions faced by the neglected children in urban America. Fletcher shares a poignant encounter with a young boy, a "waif," who pleads for mercy from a policeman, revealing the harsh realities of life on the streets. This incident serves as a catalyst for Fletcher’s call to action, highlighting both the societal neglect faced by children and the potential for a comprehensive reform system that could redeem them and shape them into good citizens. Through his observations and arguments, Fletcher critiques the current societal norms and suggests that a collective, organized effort could address the root causes of neglect and crime, rather than merely treating their symptoms. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/44997/44997-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 51.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Child welfare HV Text Category: History - American Category: Sociology Category: Parenthood & Family Relations 259013 2025-07-18T08:42:40.643599 text/html 233753 2024-10-24T02:51:15 text/html 116125 2025-07-18T08:42:44.536535 application/epub+zip 119275 2025-07-18T08:42:41.396556 application/epub+zip 119275 2025-07-18T08:42:41.027574 application/epub+zip 208113 2025-07-18T08:42:47.203559 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 183292 2025-07-18T08:42:44.164557 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 183228 2022-09-20T14:21:17.797500 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 240220 2025-07-18T08:42:40.204582 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 220315 2024-10-24T02:51:15 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17236 2025-07-18T08:42:47.326527 application/rdf+xml 8175 2025-07-18T08:42:41.092556 image/jpeg 1852 2025-07-18T08:42:41.059569 image/jpeg 117454 2025-07-18T08:42:40.665578 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia