The evening world., 1891-07-21
POOR LITTLE JACKIE.
Nell Nelson Tells OF Dying Infant
Seen in the Park.

Nell Nelson Tolls OF Dying Infant
Seen In the Park.
We were all at the Carrouselin Central Park
yesterday afternoon--Betty Mooney, with
her baby and two little brothers, the scrtb-
bier and hundred other unhappy mortals-
watching the merry-mad children ride round
the ring outside the wooden horses with glass
eyes and locijaw.
The lnclosure was as hot as lime kiln, the
flies bit like harpics, hnd everything and
everybody had a Observation-Disclosures smell or
sour-mill; odor that was far from pleasant.
But 1t was the childrcn's quarter, and as
they did not complain no one else had right
to do so.
The orchestrion played " Hold the Fort"
When Johnnie Comes Marching Home"
"To Twickenham Town." etc, and whether
the tune was psalm or a Jig the children on
horseback rode round and round, sword In
hand, for the winning gold ring, gay and
brave rs a whole cavalCade, while the little
folks on foot danced along the walk and sang
md screamed until their lungs and legs gave
out.
When the gold ring was hooked the lucky
winner was announced, "the cat began to
die" the music dwindled to murmur, the
machinery came to a standstill and every
horse changed riders but the flreless steed on
which the winner sat.
Ever so many miserable little boys and
girls crowded round the ring and anxiously
looked on, with big eyes and long faces that
said plainly and with painful emphasis:
"IIow | would like to ride! oh, how l
would"
The carrousel man and his watchtul attend
ants, ever on the lookout to see that no sad
die slipped or no rider was thrown, must have
Understood the longing; but then It is an old
story, this longing OF childhood, this silent
appeal OF the poor, and so no one took any ac-
tlon until Kings Daughter gIidcd into the
Clrclo and quietly seated herself on n bench
beside half-wittcd boy.
The poor fellow was an ofIepse to sight,
smell, touch and every sense but pity. lie
was dirty, he was ragged, no was ugly and
more than half fool.
There Is a motive even for charity, and the
one that prompted the sensitive critic 70 open
her purse take out Il 25-cCnt coin. and send
| the Wild little fellow OF for ride, was self
comfort rather than self-SacriiCc. But the
little fool was only too glad to make himself
scarce, leaving vacancy on the bench that
was refreshing.
Five other children, forgotten by Fortune,
were selected from the human wall that lined
In the ring, provided with horse and sent
| nyinG round the musical track, their eyes
dancing and their excited little hearts thump-
ing with delight.
Then Betty wheeled into view. on foot OF
course, calling two little brothers after her
and carrying IN her arms tho most frightfu
looking baby ever seen outside Of the Morgue
The fat, lazy mothers who sat along the
bench called the attention OF "GooC
Heavens" and one another to It; the trim
insolent nurse-maids who rolled CnamelleC
carriages and gllded perambulators 10 anC
fro viewed the wee nurse and the skeleton Il
arms with unmistaRable horror, and even thu
careless little boys who advertised "thret
kinds Of lozenges a cent package" wert
moved to pity, and made room for the miser
able quartet.
Betty, the microscopically small nurse
was dying for a ride; so was her baby. but HI
was not quite ready yet. There was still al