The Lamar register., 1899-05-31
IN DIREST POVERTY.
A DAUGHTER OF THE OLD
kNickER6ocKER FAMILY.
Losing figh, with want-one by on,
Her Things Have gcen Pawned. Untn
Her we'ldias Ring Has Gone for
Food.


tha; its three rooms scarcely make one
good-sized apartment, and so damn
mat the mold has, invaded every sta
uohaIy object Ellen Stnyvesant
1ranneld is facing abiee. want in New
York city. One by one the trlnkets
endeared to her from childhood have
found thsi! way to the pawnshop. till
the very wedding ring has been torn
from her finger TO buy bread. In the
prime oi lie. with a good husband and
good health to aid her, this descend
ant Of the brave old Knickerbocker
Feter stuyvesSut has been compelled
70 admit that she has fought her night
With Faie-and lost. IL Is the old
story Of a young couple strong in
nope, both able and eager 10 work to
lay up a competency for the old age
which seemed ~ far off-an easy in
come for years. and then failure. The
pursuit OF employment till the search
became Nightmare. the dwindling Of
their savings TIL all vas gene. and
noE the prospects OF eviction supply
the sequel Ellen stuyvesant Ohm
stead was the pc, OF the household till
the death Of their father threw the
three children on their own resources.
a natural aptitude for the care of the
sick led her to adopt nursing as her
calling. and IL was In that capacity at
tae old Chambers Street hospital that
she met her husband. Ernes, Gran
neld- lie. too. was a nurse. and their
marriage only served to strength
en- their Interest in their chosen work
But Ellen Granfeld is not considered
stuck up" BY her neighbors. Sne
answers their greetings with a smile
anc they regard her as good. decent
woman" They care nothing about her
blue blood. She does not bother them
With her ancestry That ancestry Is
not troubling her either Just now. The
question, Where will Il all end7" is
one she puts TO herself hundred
times a day as she counts over the lit
he bundle % pawn tickets that lie in
her bureau drawer That Is her
thought b. day and her dream by
night She alta and sews through the
long afternoon and greets her hus-
bands step when he returns at night
from his hopeless search for work and
kisses away the troubled frown that
clouds his forehead They are kind TO
each other in their poverty. Both are
patient Ellen Granfieid IS a pleasant
faced woman OF middle age. She has
a true patrician face and kindness
beams from her eyes. and her smile Is
good 10 see MS GranEeld Is the
daughter OF Phoebe Ann Stuyyesant.
whose father was David Stuyyesant.
big land owner Phoebe Ann Stuyyes-
ant married James OimsteAd, a civil
engineer OF great energy, who laid out
many great public works In conneeii-
cut There were three ehildren-El-
len. a brother. who died quite young.
len was carefully educated. but wnen
her father died their fortune dwindied.
and. left with the care OF her mother,
she chose nursing as a profession. She
and her husband took charge OF the
Reception hospital. at the foot OF East
Sixteenth street, for several years.
Side by side they nursed and cared for
the suffering. change In the office of
the commissioner OF charities came
and the Granhelds were relieved OF
their charge. Then came the change
In rheir fortunes, Since that day
when We were forced from the Recep-
tion hospital" said Mrs. Granfield to-
day. we have not known real ease 1t
has seen one long struggle for exst-
ence. have never attempted 40
search for my relatives Ny mother
Is sim alive. She is a woman OF 20,
and except Tor her / might make some
attempt. but her pride IS greater than
mine The Stuyyesants, you know.
once owned big slice OF Manhattan
island. But what Is all that to me
now l only want enough to keep Err
nest and myself from want, and that
we are both willing to work Tor. We
have pawned almost everything. What
there is left--the bed. the bureau. and
Eruest's old sea ckest-will not bring
enough TO keep us long. My clothes
are all gone. and but for the kindness
OF the landlord we should have been
set on the street long since,
The Granield home Is the picture of
neatness-a marked contrast to the
wretched surroundings. On the bare
walls hang here and there a small