The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-14
NONE CAME TO HER AID.
HER DISABLING MISH1P ENABLED
HER TO TEST HUMAN CHARITY.

Those Pn--er. who Noticed Her mt An
Thought Her Druuk-Such ns Had n Mind
to Inquiro We're Afraid of Appearances.
A young woman graduate OF the New York
Womon's Medical College had IA unpleasant
experience recently. She left her homo In
Brooklyn to mako some professional calls
early In the morning. While walking rapidly
along ono OF the streets ofitho Eastern District
she slipped and fell heavily to the sidewalk.
striking her knee against the pavement with
such force rs to severely injure the knee cap.
Tho shock almost stunned her. and she lay
helpless for what seemed to her several min
utes. When she tried to get up she found that
the injured knee had swollen greatly and that
1t was almost impossible to use 1t. while the
mere attempt to drag herself to her
feet caused her great pain. While almost
overwhelmed by the accident her mind was
still active enough to consider the situation.
NJ INST thought" she said to the writer.
y" was as to how 1 should get home. Even be-
fore | had pted to get UP from tho side
walk l wondered why nobody came to my as
slstance. dragged myself to n nearby fenco
and tried to pull myself up by clinginC to the
pickets. When l was almost on my feet I
could soc some faces in tho windows OF adjoin-
Ing residences. regarding mo with apparent
curiosity. a sense OF indignation at their fail
ure to como to my assistance made m feel like
crying out. Have you no feeling? What sort
OF people are you?' Then 1t suddenly oc-
cured to me that these people imagined 1 wes
intoxicated. A sense Of burning shame over
came me. and. entirely f~orgetful Of my
injury. 1 jumped to my feet. The effort
gsvo me On extra twinge OF pain. and
made my knee worse. I became half
dcllrious. but still the thought uppermost in
my mind was that I was being looked down
upon by the people in those houses I could
no longer sec any faces In the win dows. but 1t
seemed to me rs though everywhere were
scornful and contcmptuous faces staring ut
me. The whole block appeared to BIO mocking
me and every stone seemed q mute witness OF
my shame. Tho thought OF staying there a
moment longer became hateful to me. I hob
bled along as best l could. supporting myself
on the, fences. The pain was fearful. and It
seemed. as though my knee would break in
two.b but l was too deeply Inundated to stop.
Whereas | had been anxious for assistance
could suddenly have entered upon a desert.
~ could not escape observation SO easily.
number Of persons passed through the street.
Nearly. all stopped to look at me curlously.
one of Barnum's freaks on exhibition I could
not have been subjected to more curious or
less I,ss SymnIth a obHsavatisn; i was the most
through n siege 10 China. when q bowling mob
Of fanatics, were trying to, storm the hospital
though l would never get or that block. My
G1biSstiye pp0iI51t MAS WAS the next corner. where
after what appeared to be an age OF torture.
l was SO weak and agonized | thought l would
sink in the street, and my brain was throb-
bling as though my reason was knocking hard
when tho car came the conductor was
yank me on to the platform. had to yell at
him to stop him, AS soon rs WAS on no
another wrench. The conductor grinned and
the passengers looked at me suspiciously.
good many small objects on the track. appa-
rently. for the car j2ltrd a great deal. Alter
There was another scene By the Conductor.
and the one on the other ear wanted to hurry
M M to, too, ssS My head lad was vas SWIMMING uspah when , | got
was black before my eyes before I reached the
and rang the bell is more than I can tell. but
! fell INTO the arms OF the servant when she
sppiinis over since. and SUPPOSE It t will fIV be a a
month before / can walk again.
~, ml haye been t think King over my ~ , experience sen1Se
too ready sad to thint owl. Tfhss psonIs Who iooEsd
for M, being tRere. Il did not oecu! to them
sickness. or that perhaps l had dropped dead
with heart disease. Their only thought was
that u woman lay on the street. and. Of course.
who passed me showed plainly In their faces
that they believed l was under the influence
OF liquor. The men smiled in Il disgusting
manner. and the women, looked scandalized:
1t was the same way on the car. Not one soul
had any sympathy for me.
"Sometimes I've thought that perhaps SONS
Of those who saw me may have had doubts
about me: may have thought that possibly 1t
was illness that made me- act so dazed and
strange. but that they had not the courage to
act upon these doubts. They feared it might
prove otherwise. and that they would become
involved in some ridiculous, or. unpleasant
scene. Perhaps some thought friends might
see them helping me along. and might tell
scandalous tales.
Whichever way I look at il, though. I can't
help feeling that they were all moral towards.
Why could they not have asked and found out
by on mere susricion2 Why place the w,ors.
they had inquired and learned that 1t was
really n case OF DEGRADED intoXication. could
they not then have passed on? 1t seems to me
that it was merely selhshness. or brutal indif-
ference. or dislike for possible inconv enience
that made those people act as they did"
a ~ I'M ~ RIM "A u ITTS ma WIT