New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-01
LITTLE GARIB1LDI.
HIS DAYS IN THE PARK.

There IS woman with an italian name, with loo
Of rs, in IT, who sells bananas and roses I'm the City
Hall Park Her face is sad-even more so than that
of the average italian women we meet on the streets
carrying their heads bundles pretty nearly as largo
the smaller-sized bonded warehouses. This woman
with the unpronounceable name will never rise very
high I'm the business. not having the push so greatly
esteemed in trade circles and perhaps business IS not
always very good with her, but some passers have
been attracted by her sad face and stop and buy her
fruit and flowers She has always been alone till
Thursday morning of last week, when she appeared
with little boy-her baby, she sad-ltlc Garlbald.
Garibaldl was not large-perhaps be was only be-
tween three and four years old-and he was pale for
of such a naturally dark skin. She used to leave
him with some other children, she said, up where
they lived in Mulberry-st but IT was hot and close
there and he wanted TO badly, that she
brought him. He had talked every night about tho
green grass and trees down here which she had told
him about and she couldn't bear to leave him up
there any longer.
And such wonderful progress as Carlbaldi made
Once, but II very early in the morning. he got
the grass and the trees mixed up in his mind and
called the trees grass and the grass trees but he
never made the mistake again. and on the whole, his
mother said, It wasn't surprising. was it9-never
having either before There IS for any such
neces encumbrances in Muberry-st. During the
day Carbadi learned not get stepped and 10 run
when he a policeman: and also the prices Of the
a
And Frday-such advancement Friday lie
learned to around the grass plots and climb tho
City Hall steps, and when bigger boy tried to take
a rose leaf away from him. which he had picked up
by his mothers basket he shut his grimy little fist
up tight and stood HIS ground and the big boy didn't
get the rose leaf either. because when worse came
TO worse like the retreatng garrison that spikes its
guns Garibadi popped the leaf into his mouth
and swallowed It. He didn't cry a blt-not till after
the big boy had gone at least-Garbadl was made Of
scrner stuff and before nlght-befOre Friday night
marx you, Garibaldl sold gentlcman-a
fine, handsome gentlemanand he'd out his little hand
for the penny Yes and got 1t. too and gave to his
mother. Only two days IN the retail trade. and
most of that time spent In peerIng up into the tops OF
the trees and stn able make such transactions as
this,
But saturday-it began to look If It were going
to be hard work to account for the astonishing progress
of Garibadi But his father had been a remarkably
smart man-oh, yes. very much so, indeed-he died
when Garlbald little. before that they didn't
peddc roses and bananas for livng-dldnt peddle
anything. But Garibaldi on Saturay-what did he do
but handle the rose trade entirely himself Yes took
charge of the department and made sales than
his mother would have. very many and gave back
the right change every time. Just stop moment
and think of that. Some times of course the gentle
men who bought the roses helped him little on tbs
mathematical part-the mere mechanical 6grng-but,
then, that was nothing surprising And TO see tho
way he staid right by his basket, and attended to
business, and kept his roses wet and occasionally
called attention TO the fact that he the business
Of handling roses at retail at one cent apiece
Monday the boy and his mother were again in tho
Park, and In the morning he was moro making
marvellous sales of great tea But he did not
seem quite much interested in the work as before
and seldom called his flowers, I'm the easily
spoken italian. After while he crept over TO his
mother, and she held him in her arms Then she
covered baskets I'm tha
trees, and he lay ia her lap Little Garlbaldl was ILL.,
The fierce heat had been too great for him. Still no
lay ard looked az the trees, and sometimes he asked
questions about them. He said be very glad no
was where he could them Toward night his
mother balanced the baskets her head and tendery
and sickness and death Of Mulbeny-st His eyes closed
when he could no longer see the trees.
Tuesday they were not in the Park Others sold
bananas and roses but little Carlbald and his mother
were not among them.
Wednesday the was in the Park alone. She
did not feel very well herself but there money
which she must raise somehow; and she liked to look
at the trees which Carloads had loved well, though
he Lad known them but SO short time. Yes, tho
money was 10 pay the undertaken. Little Garbadi
1t was 50 very hot. lie had asked about the green
trees and looked around for them when she laid him
find them he had shut his eyes and never opened them
again. she could not believe he was going 10 die
her little Garibald who looked much Ike his father
and she couldn't believe II yet sometimes though
the funeral was over and she would never see him
again After no closed his eyes he talked about the
green trees again. lie asked II he could down and
SEQ them In the mornng-eary, and she told him yes,
he should see the uces very early In the morning
She would sit in the Park all day and hold him. And
after while, he said he saw the trees, but he
have been out OF his mind, because there wcro no
trees there. She thought about this time he died Ant
she crept down 10 the Park very early the morn
ing and when the policeman not looking GOT
twig. with green leaves IT, OF of the trees and
put II I'm Garibaldl's hand IN the little coffin all
the rosos she had left from the day before It may have
been eNiavaaant, but she put them In toothe whole
four OF them.
SO Gart6adi had gone, longing for the trees which
he had only had the falnicst taste Of IN little, hot
dusty, noisy. crowded. pavement covered park How
many moie there are hcpe doomed TO 20 the same way
longing for the green trees If thy have been SO
any