The evening world., 1890-06-09
Their Friends Are Coming Forward
NObly 10 Their Rescue.
Generous Sums Given to Buy
Necessities Of Lie.
Nell Nelson's Visit TO One Of the
Many Little Sufferers.


pillowed in a hammock that Knocked the
cruelty Of distress.
Mother, babe and swinging bed were q
throe-volume edition OF pathos.
An old cloth vest with connecting strips OF
listing composed tho hammock which
hung between the chimney pot and clothes
pole.
= Tho face OF the mother was an Had Of
pain and her hair was whitcned. not with
years. but the weight of poverty and care.
She bent over tile child. anxious and agon-
lied, keeping her vigils in the hot sun. un-
mindful Of tho crowded trains that rumbled
past. Needless of the pleasure seekers of for
their first half holiday and indifferent to the
speculation of the curious eyes that we're
strained from the platform.
"Sho is airing feAthers." one loiterer
thought who focused his eyes with his honest
hands. 34
Drying clothes or something" said
another who let three trains pass.
mo. said the guard when intorrogated,
"shc is nursing sick baby. She sits that
way all day. Only storm or q cold wave
drives her in the house. / have seen her
there since Tuesday
Yes. II was plain enough now. A sick baby
|
ment kitchen and brought out under the
blue, tender face Of hoavon, for the beno-
diction of pure. fresh air. for tho rosusci-
| tating influence Of health.
| Between tho passing OF tho trains her lul-
| laby could DO heard, crooned in q soft
and not unmusical voice, and as she swung
the rude hammock back and forth. her owes
fearful and her hands ready In case OF acci-
a. L., H.. I..,-
my pretty onc." ESCAPED hor. Now and then
she arose to her feet. and bending over the
tiny invalid. listened for the breathing too
faint to 10 detected In any other way.
1t wasa long and intricate way to the
housetop where poor Tom lay. gasping in
the sunlight. his pallid little face upturnod
to the blue sky. his eyes closed, tho little
lips parted and the tiny waxen fingers limp
and unrosponsive. Ho had only lived one
and three-quarter years, and there he lay
dying In tho Summer sun.
VERY sick. said the poor mother; very
sick, God love himl l took him to- the
Chambers Street Dispensary Monday, and
the doctor said he was on his Last legs. 1t
was hard thing /" say to a mother, but he
gave me some powders. and IL he gets we'll
Ill forgive him.
She pressed her face to tho delicate lips
and kissed tho almost transparent eyelids.
but there was no awakening and no re-
sponse. The little life was slowly wasting
away. Nature. so begrudginG at the start.
| having come face to face with the inevitable,
tenaciously resisted his approach.
1T was too late when we got to the dis
pensAry with him. l couldn't 20 sooner.
and guess the doctors right-he's on his
last legs. :"
Now and then the lids unclosed and the
heavy blue eyes were raised imploringly to
the mother. She called him sweet names as
she tried to fathom their depths. stroked
the little hands and sighed pitifully ct her
own helplessness.
Poor Tom was indeed poor. His father
is laborer. now OF in Jersey working on q
railroad. He has an elder brother a crippled
child Of twelve years, who may be seen any
day in the neighborhood of the West Wash
ington Market, one hand drawing a soap
box IN which fruit baskets are gathered for
tirewood. while with the other he supports
himself on his little crutch. Four years ago
the child was run over, and when the bruised
leg healed 1t was necessary to lend It sup
port.
Since the birth of Tom the little brother
has devoted himself untiringly to him, bring
ing him sprigs of parsley, bright yellow
oranges and occasionally bunch of cherries
from the market. The choicest marbles have
heen laid aside for Tom, and this Summer he
was to have had kite of his own to fly on
the housetop.
Saturday there was no recognition from
wee Tom when his brother bent over the
hAmmock-the hammock he had made with
his own hands and which he knew to be
strong and all right. Crossing the tin roof,
his .crutch made a great deal OF noise, but
Tom did not heed his approach, and the little
brother after kissing the childs hand went
back TO the hot kitchen and began to unload
his wood-box.
Toms lease of life 10 almost ended. lie
has had poor milk TO drink, indigestible
food to eat and frequent attacks OF bron-
chitis, brought on by exposure when Willie
neglected to cover his neck aud arms. have
impoverished his system. Even with the
speediest assistance there is little 10 build
on, As the dispensSTy doctor bluntly sx-
pressed il, wee Tom is ION his last legs"
But his comrades in distress may be reek-
oned by the thousands LaAt year tic Free
Fund doctors each visited 200 children. max
lug a total OF I, 900 day. and OF thisnunbsr
more than half required medical attention
aud nearly AL suggestions for better nurs-
ing aud healthier nutrition. II Is the bad
| effects of hot aud ill-yentilatsd rooms. of
exposure to draughts whilo sleeping or
creeping ON the floor aud improper clothing
that contribute so largely TO fatality OF
| disease,
Intelligent advice would save many of the
! little ones, and this is what Tux EvENING
wuRLD is irving TO provide. Ii will take
80. 900 to put the force OF doctors in the
field required To save the babies of New York
fIom the plaques that prey on their tender
lives. In the aggregate Ihe sum may seem
formidable. but with the concurrent action
OF symUathetic friends IL is nothing.
Every child has = toy bank. aud a mite
| from each will make the sum that is re-
| quired. 1t is fit that tho baby fund come
from the babies of New York. Soms very
small children have very large hearts, and
! their outpOuring will hello IHE EygSIsu
WoELD not only 10 reach the wee Toms OF
Jane, Christopher and Eighth streets, but
To save many OF them.
The Summer is advancing. the heat is iu-
tenSiiyiug, and the suffering already im-
| posed by the rise in kitchen supplies and