The Mena star. (Mena, Ark.) 1898-1904, 1898-09-28
A CAREFUL OF WOE.
r.,ldren Encounter "a Fat WOm-
who Had Good Intentions, Hut
She Was n HoodOO.

e e. were good. She hustled
hoard at Seventy-second street and
asuded herself into a seat whose
,hor occupants we're tired-looking
athsr and four small children. She
nd" sda everyone uncomfortable by her
s~cb for her pocket book. while the
aductor waited for. his fare She
sv,miued each fold of her big skirt un-
- n the last she found her pocket
ND subsequently her pocketbook.
~Tbis is a hot day, young man." she
..,d TO the conductor as she gave him
sSs fare. and then addressing her re-
ais generally to the other passen-
-ars she added, "but l dunno as it
? "a hot as yesterday. l was awfully
het M Yesterday and declare most
solt as if couldn't stand it."
rvervone in the car was too drowsy
trom the heat to take up this chal-
,oore to discuss the weather, and the
fat woman mopped her face and
scanned impartially on everyone who
would look at her. The mother of
,ba children in the seat with her had
closed her eyes. when the fat wom-
an gave her a nudge and asked:
"Are these all your children, menu"
ayes" said the mother.
aIittle dears, every one of them.
40 love children. How DIDO. children ?"
TN TO that time the children had
seot ouiet. AS the fat woman glared
At them the youngest, a girl of about
20 \, INN n
frightened fashion.
"Nice little girl, nice little girl" said
the fat woman.
The child drew back TO her mother
and the fat woman turned her atten.
dion to the others. She patted them
an the head and she asked them their
names. AS the car came down near
the elevated road at Sixty-sixth street
the fat woman grabbed one of the
children. a boy. by the arm, and twist
ing him around violently. she asked:
want to see the chu-chu cars? Nice
chu-chu cars"
The boy didn't want to see them,
and he evidently did not understand
the fat woman's attempts TO interest
him. He burst out crying and the
other children joined him. Several
men on the back seat swore, and the
fat woman turned around and glared
them into silence. Then she mopped
her face and remarked:
Il dunno but after all it is as hot
AZ Yesterday. Heat does make chill
d:en terribly peevish."
The mother was doing her best to
quiet her children when the fat wom-
an again turned her attention TO them.
"Poor little things" she said.
"Don't want to see chu-chu cars. IL
you will be good I'll give you penny
for candy. If you battle them, mum,
in milk and water that rash will dis
appear. I've had children of my own,
and / know. When they get het up
there's nothing like milk and water.
That's nice. Stop your crying. loot
sey-tootsey. tsey-tootsey-" and her
voice was again lost III the combined
cries of four children.
"For heavens sake, leave them
alone, madam!" said a man on the
seat back.
"Sr?' said the fat woman, turning
around to face him.
The man tried to look as If he had
said nothing. In the meantime two
children, who had been sitting quietly
on the seat In front OF the fat woman,
got up on their knees and peered over
the back of the seat to see what all the
crying was about. The fat woman
beamed as she saw them and dangled
her purse, which was of the chain
variety, before their blinking eyes.
One child settled back in her seat cry
ing. The other held her ground until
the fat woman began to tickle her I'M
der the chin, and then she became
frightened and cried. Added to the
discomfort of the heat, the passengers
now bad six crying children. When
ever any one Of the six stopped her
sobs the fat woman would beam on her
until she cried again. Such a carload
OF woe since the fat woman boarded 1t
had not rolled down the boulevard for
many day. At Sixty-third street the
lat woman. with farewell pat TO each
child and stern remember what
SAID, mem, milk and water" TO the
mother, alghted. The car started
ahead, and before it had gone two
blocks the children had ceased crying.
That fat woman was nuisance,
sad the man who had advised her to LET
me children alone, land if | ever see
her get on my car again I'll get off,
ana the other passengers agreed with
MIN. The fat woman's intentions, how
ever. were kindly-N. Y. Sun.