New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-11
OUTING OF CRIPPLES.
NeT Society Formed Solely to GiUe
Them Little Pleasure.

In Central Park on August afternoons surveys
and cabs drive by, and women whiZ past in
gay automobiles. young men in outing 1annels play
tennis and happy lovers hold hands Healthy little
boys and girls. whose legs and arms straight
and strong. and their innocent cheeks flushed with
red. tumble about the grass or harry their
nurses And people with luncheon boxes
under their and the evening paper.
Yesterday the tennis players and the lovers saw
little procession drive slowly in at the Fifty
ninth-st and Fifth-ave. gate, up along the Mall,
and then strike westward in the direction OF the
field where the sheep Craze. It was procession
OF three big. numbering covered carryalls Of the
regulation Central Park carriage type Between
them they carried hfty-four children, all patients
IN the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled,
Forty-second-st and Lexington-ave. The children
were being taken for drive by the New-York
Outing Society, newly formed organization which
aims give the crippled children OF the city the
pleasure and healthful benefit Of short drives
through the summer and fall.
Such still, unsmiling. heartrending procession
No fun. pranks, larking Just patient
ceptance.
On One-hundred-and-sixteenth a crowd Of
gaInins cheered the teams
HI boys, give US a rider" they yelled in IN
euenchable nghtheartedness.
The little cripples turned a hair.
Cant you cheer back?" asked Mrs SiIas F
Wright the treasurer Of the Outing Society, who
was in charge OF the party. Now! One, two.
three! HurTahi"
lips. The rovdy street Arabs turning handsprings
on the sidewalk seemed different species Of be-
ing. tenants Of another world, TO these suppressed
children All the gayety the exuberance and the
animal spirit stayed behind turning handsprings,
and the suffering. the dumb endurance rolled on
south past Morningside Park
The httlest one, brown eyed baby of two,
gently pulled herself up her head rested against
the back Of the carriage 81 see park" she sput-
tered, more to herself than to the waxen faced
child OF eight who sat Eext her. The t-year-old
gin did not take the remark personally. Like the
others, she simply lifted her eyes on the land
scape and let trees and houses people and grass
trolley cars and equpages drift by like objects
II dream She never seemed to fix a thing with
conscious regard. The life of the streets and
parks came flooding in upon eyes and ears and
brain but the pale eyes, the transparent ears and
me little clawlke hands betrayed Only passivity
submission, acceptance
There was one little boy, with spinal complaint
whose BODY was fairly incased in harness. A
hesVy leather support came up the back the neck
at4 o'si On me forehead, where il met a strap
strap came third. which passed under the childs
held as in a wise nv q cle+ ~ i.stT'ar -
the two legs dwndIe5 TO rfff,I 4i eaier a inc
closed between iron braces terminating in sort
o. iron boot He might have been seven or eight.
His face was the face Of an old old man His
booy was the body Of baby OF two. From the
seat where he had been placed he gradually slid
he either leaned or lay drinking in such things
esu- ne could not sit any more than a candle
Near Grants Tomb the party aliehted and cream
pufs and macaroons were handed around The
cream puTs had thawing effect They seemed to
wake the children IN
Ny NY, cake amt done in the inside" complained
pTovingIy F-' @f
oh, YES, il is. you silly" corrected one Of the
boys - Il eat Il for YOU If you don't like il
The little negress concluded to eat it herself
lhere were one two catastrophes as might
nave been expected Some Of the youngsters chased
me Iluslve cream from mouth to necktie from
Ieckne 70 trousers from trousers TO shoes, only
lose Il on the sidewalk after all Their fellows
coTnmiserated with them the loss
On the way home the sense of enjoyment found
EXPRESSION IN little murmurs Of delight and here
ano there a child crooned TO herself happy little
song They VIII talk this ride for a week"
Unless more money comes in two more rides
VIII be al the little crtpples will al the hands
q the Outing Society this summer A ride like
that OF yesteI day costs $25.