New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-30
VHOSO GIVETH UNTO THE POOR.

:, PLAIN NEWSPAPER STORY OF NETWORK LIFE.
This Is not a magazine short story" with n care
ful climax. II Is simply n newspaper story OF New
York life. 1t IS Il plain statement Of a few plain
facts. II does not rise to the dignity OF hero or
heroine. 1t simply has subject that must intro
duce Itself and that, too, before too much space
la, been consumed.
The time was midnight. the place a New-IOrk
street the subject girl Of mixed Irish and American
parcntagr. She had spent the greater part of her
twenty years In NcwY York or In its suburbs. Her
father was pcn-ioncr Of the After he received
each monthly stipend he was drunk for week Be
for, he got 1t he ugly with hclllsh uglintss
born Of old wounds and alcoholic cravings. Her
mother a well meaning but Ovcrworked ana over
worried woman. wrapped up In her sons, as most
mothers are and unthInkncy cruel 10 her only dang-
ter in consequence. The family had been for years de-
pendent upon the miscellaneous earnings Of the chill
drcn. Consequently the girl was forced ont to earn
her mite nj early age. The sisters at III" convent
had schoolcd her a degree. She could read ana
write with occasional sin, against The laws Of the
spelling book.
She was pretty. with certain boyiSh beauty. Her
eve, were dark and full Of laughter her short nose
was nearly straight. \ small mouth, shapely chin.
drllcatcy turned ears. nesting In Il mass 81 short
black, curly hair with checks which incipien' Star'"-
ton could not rob Of their roundncSS compl't't the
picture which the " short story writer wonld nave
described had she been a heroine lfNt'au "l ah '.""
girl" ut til" theatres. 1hi, was the occupation to
which She had settled down after unsucceSsiully Try
Ing dozen others.
Extra girl" Is the feminine Of "supcr" In theatr
cal language She fills in the background of the
court picnic and drawing room scenes She Is the
iac kbone and mainstay OF III" " Amazon March.
Extra gi-l, are engaged for the various successive
attractions at thu city theatres 10y the boss super
lie collects - cents bac,mal from cach which has
To- hc paid out Of their weekly salaries OF four
or five dollars. No rule requires ibis. but girls WHO
forget To contribute usually find little demand for
their services that theatre after t"r current en-
.aecmcnt has ended. shows travelling over routes
composed of night stands" have to carry their
extra girls with them. 80 the extra girl sees hluch
n, M. and localities. In York especially she
l. forced To n, late with the lO0Sest OF her SEX
And 80 the subject 81 this story had worked her
way along from girlhood 10 early womanh"od ana
within the narrow limits left 10y these haShest OF
conditions had kept her womany pride ana sell
respect. She had false mod"sty. she USED 'le
Anelo.,axon name for everything. Things which the
great mass Of fortunate women may possibly dream
r with IMAGINATIVE horror she had and frankly
discussed without prudcry. She had been IN IL all
hu not OF H. she had met many men In her WANDER
lns, Of far better education ANA social adNah'aI''
than herself who attracted to her, but none OF
them wanted marry her When their progress
was arrested by her sccy almor Of half "ypNy pride
natures dictated. The men Of her class who would
hnv married her disguised her Added to 1t All her
drunken father Lad made the same assumption rs 10
her character from III" conditions of her work Us
strangers had done and had hcapcd cpitheS upon her.
nu. of which In ia" mouth OF an enemy N"uiu ha|'
driven a d.caicly nuriur,d woman 10 frenzy. some
times, too. there had been blows, whos" ul'n-urils
effect, had diminished her Scahy earning powers aS
an extra Eirl. , - .,
weeks Of unproiial. chasing about from ON" th'ar-
cal agency 10 another. ANA around uh rhur 'i',.
of boss suprr>" had produced nothing me oiu
man had Snatchcd the Plat" from before her al th'
supper table. thrown 1t on III" Moor ana driven h.r
out with curSc> In whrl 81 s'hsauoiS Sl, hdu
come ,lppcr,,, and thinly cad over To The clty OF
! By a lucky accident she had been "taken on at
night for New York run. IN h,r rNt'' ,, 'n ~,
had swallowed her prid" and telcgrap'd irrnd 10
1t her only HOPE. IL" was me one P,ISo, ~,
whom She was willing to pnt herself under obligation,
when driven To eArsmiti,s. hcaliN" i hau o'i'u'l
nothing Ia return but there was u" h'p TO meet I,r
| M The door though sh. had waited I'LL the night
Waterman turned the lights off and shut her out into
| In. clustering November night. Prepayment of tn"
not even II change Of clothing that could ne pawh"d
An outcaSt from home. Ntll 'mar'inG rom nm,
| sprakallc innSticc and contum"ly at III" hands al
those who should have protected her, seemingly de-.
serted 10y the friend whom She had yentur''i
| ciyilization wandered down n side street
ON the cUrl,>tonc sat the shNcring wreck of an oil
woman fcehy grinding away At "a p Or ,r w r'
| coats and wondered. II they noticed h'r ~ AL WHY
| she did not apply To III" Charity OrSanna,tioh 80,
cicty. Women crcpt deeper into their SralNkinS ana
,hmddcr,d gently at the picture Of misery. hut th"
purses like their hearts. too deep hhu'r ti'lr
| frs b. gotten at. The extra girl stopped 'hok'd
down something that rose her throat and droppr''
her two copp'rS into the skinny ora hamn Win inc
| words: e." Pleas, take This It., all have
The old woman burst into tears The Younger
| one He'd from the sound OF the sobS more eloquent
| than any articuatc thanks.