Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-07-05
PORTALS NEW YORK LETTER

the park is throDged with gay faces
and stunning traps and Fifth avenue,
dear old Fifth avenue, is beautiful
pageant every afternoon. And yet this
afternoon it seemed to me that D,aybe
had struck minor chord and in tho
life back Of oil the gay music, tho
clalnping of the highbred horses hoofs
and the jingle of the silver chains, L
could hear the discords Of misery's low
notes. 1t is one of my special summer
amusements in New York, to watch
the life in the park, to SEQ the beauti-
full women 10 their victorias lolling
back in ease or other girls in high.
liqht.running traps, handling the
ribbons like veterans, and the in
eyitable nausoms with the visitor ard
of the tennessee dorees en- route to the
Casino. This afternoon life seemed as
gay as ever, the park was beautiful
and walked along near the avenue OF
Eucalyptus trees, and looked down the
vista Of their beautiful shade and cav
the people sitting about, the people
who do not ride in their traps, the
masses, the people to whom the park is
more of a paradise Of delight because
of the barrenness of the rest of their
lives; and / saw on a bench nearest
the road at the curve OF the driveway
an old man, or rather young man
grown old.
The sky was clear, cloudless and un-
| fathomable. Now and then breeze
came lingering long enough to futter
the leaves of the bushes and scatter
the rose PETALS over the grass. From
nearby came the sound of the children
at play. 1t was too early in the after
noon for the young people who seek
sequestered hooks, but here and there
was lonely man lounging on the
grass or chattering family group.
Now and then came by light trap
with laughing girls in it; or heavy
victoria carrying an old lady out fol
her daily drive: or high 50 der
brake with correct English hostler,
exercising his masters four. Every
thing bore an air of prosperity and
mirth. The misery and want of the
city were left behind.
The man moved restlessly on bis
bench. Drawn 10 him by the sad look
ON his face, ventured to sit beside
him. I don't know how it happened
it is just one of those strange IN,
cidepts In our lives-but we soon fell
to talking and he told me a sad vel
probably not an unusual story, Yes,
sit here every afternoon" he said. ~
don't GO further into the park might
! miss her. 1t is long walk, and since
became orippled"- and for the first
time l noticed he had crutch-'iI
J is hard to get here, but start early
in the morning, it is a long distance
to walk"
, He had been a shipbuilder and hat
fnR
yards OF England and had Travelled I
bit in one Of the steamers he hat
helped to build. II had steady work, !
he went on to tell me, land It'd.
sum laid by, and one foggy Januar,
night when | was going home from m.
work heard in dark alley near by th
. scream of woman and / found
ruffian beating frail, golden -hairst
girl. l felled him blow whicl
Q brought him to the ground. He wa
drunk. Then / turned to the girl
. She was scarcely Is, and | carried he
. half-fainting to my lodging, and sen
! for a doctor and the kind hearted oil
e landlady who took care of my room
There she fingered for two months on
r bed of fever, the consequence of eS
s haustion and the bitter life she ha
Q teen exposed to. She wrote to be
8 brute Of husband and he never cam
IS after her, so my golden-haired Migno
IS lived on there. We were only waitin
q for her brute Of husband to drink hin
It self to death to be married. She Wa
n a child of the people, with gypsy brow
ewes and wealth Of sun kissed hail
n She was a nobody. But loved hel
+ and worked for her, and gave her. I
J. far as / could, the comforts ar
!. luxuries that dainty women must hny,
:, After a while work was slack m
ID things did not go on very we'll, SO
!. wrote to an uncle in London, goc
). mechanic who had promised to do we
$, by me, aud told him that as we four
2, out that Mignon's husband had die
Z. in drnkeu brawl, l had married ii
;. little woman. Could he let me have
u little money. .H
Q, A hard, unfeeling letter came bacl
!. 81 will let you have the money 4
D, YOURSELF" he said, ''but not for ii
s. man who marries woman OF Il
r. streets. -
I'd flung the letter into the fire 81
8. my heart hardened toward the worl
20 Things went from bad to worse, aI
x; when our little boy came 1t was
ph struggle to buy the food. Mign'
=. grew peevish and impatient; ba
o. look came TO her eyes, and blaIn
myself for having married this womi
who should have had better times.
starved to give her food.
ne One day there was something wro
No with rope ON a mast and offered
rs. 90 IN aud untangle it. Ii must ha
60 been my dizzy head, or because l "
KS hungry and had lain awake all mig
1V. | tho haby. IN h ila Mi0unn clp
Tn but when reached the top, the va
m. and the men all looked like II
rs. dancing devils, and the quays jump
IL. up and down, and the great sh
me danced under my eyes. 1t all ha
pended in a minute; my eyes sw'
and / fell through the air. | "
taken to the hospital, n mangled ma
lg- No one knew my name, SO was kno
go. as No. 4, an old workman who b
ms come in for few days. For six wee
'as knew naught of what went ON abe
TT me and then | asked for Mignon.
the one knew of her, and the sweet fac,
ar9 whi.e-capped nurse who leaned o.
pea my bed asked me my name and sen
'el. message to my wife, Mignon,
tender creature l had taken to
heart and hcme from the streets. I'll
aru brought me word she would cor
i &c She never did. And one morning
~. heard the nurse tell the doctor tina
y rs bold looking woman with a roul
heS face and diamonds in her ears
called and said that u mangled mass
husband was no good to her. A
,o,s they looked at me, hut they "
Tie wrong. They could not mean Mign
scy poor, sad, Mignon, who was looking
The me, my tender wife, who missed
~ and who every night sent up pra