The story
The young couple always lived in the country and were very well satisfied with their little home until their baby came. They were thoroughly convinced that he was the most remarkable child in the world, and they were determined that the city was the proper place to bring up such a wonderful child. But when they arrived at the metropolis they found the general public not only indifferent to their darling, but, in some instances positively hostile. The passengers in the streetcar objected when the baby cried. The couple were refused admission to places of amusement because of their child, and the various pretty apartments they admired were not for them, because babies were prohibited. The wife, desperate, left the baby with her husband, and went alone to inspect a very desirable apartment. It was just what she wanted, but the sign in the door said, ‘Babies Prohibited,’ and the stern-faced janitor declared that the edict would be enforced. The poor woman was tired after a day of wanderings about a great city. Can anyone blame her if she prevaricated to the sour old janitor? Well, anyway, that’s what she did. She told him that she and her husband were alone in the world, and thus artfully secured possession of the rooms. The baby was to arrive later, the wife having arranged to have it secretly delivered with her groceries. And it seemed as if the family had at last found a happy home. The janitor was on the alert, however, frustrated the plot to introduce a child into the apartment and with righteous indignation disposed of the infant as he was accustomed to with other rubbish. He then evicted the family, not in the spirit of anger, but as one who is inflicting judicial punishment. He permitted the guilty couple to remove their offspring from the ash barrel and uttered no protest when they slunk off down to the street apparently thoroughly ashamed of themselves. The couple returned to their old home in the country, joyfully and thankfully.
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 22 March 1913
