Year: 1877

a reporter Of the New York World writ
ring Of the crowd that may be seen daily at
the Office Of the Superintendent Of Out
| door Poor, gives the following incident
| On Tuesday morning there was an un-
usually large crowd about the place. 1t
hudled en- thc Third avenue side because
the wind came down Eleventh street full
ofneedIcs


One woman braved the side street be-
cause she wanted to be alone She kept
pacing up and down, as If in keeping her
own blood in circulation she could keep the
bundle warm that she carried in her arms
Doubtless this was her first attempt at the
official trough. She was yoRng, and proba-
bly, Thought That she could keep her humil-
alton to herself she selected the coldest
place to wait So she turned up the collar
OF the thin jacket, set her teeth and braved
it. When anybody came down Eleventh
street she turned short about. Now and
then she gave the bundle shake up in her
arms, as il it were heavy. Bat it was
comfort not to be noticed.


But she Was noticed The reporter in
this case happened to be Of her own sex,
and after watching her for a few moments
crossed the street 10 speak TO her.


why don you 20 round in ii c avenue?
Iou'ii ireeza your baby to death here"


She said nothing but deftly pulled the
covering aside and looked IN There was
d rustic Of paper. She had got an inner
layer Of newspapers For the sake Of warmth
Quick as She was. she was not SD quicil
shat the reporter filled to see the pink face
aud note the tasty lace and linen


Stop moment It's a beauty. Let
me look at it, Come into this shelter cut
OF the wind


Probably the reporter, anxious to obtain
. bit Of history, would have succeeded in
warming the mother into afiabiiity bad it
not been for an unforeseen interruption.


Talk she would not, except hy mods and
shrugs. But nature, which disre-ar,is Ian
.:uaee wish sublime eloquence, said she
was in dire necessity, and she made sort
Of mute summary Of her wants by lifting
up the pink face and allowing the re-
porter to catch hold ot one OF the little pur-
pie hands.


just then quartet of roistering blades
came down Eleventh street They looked
like young politicians SONS They ran
over in the sharp air with mingled vitality
and casseiness. They ilunE snow at each
other. They pushed each other down upon
the snow heaps. They filed the street
With their loud hughter ana i0cund de-
fence. They came like a burst Of skaters
and all at cuce the two shrinking persons
standing there were cnvelopcd.


''lia!io = says one, there baby"


'.If it amt cherub | hope I may die,
sai3 another 'Whcres Santa Claus ?"


There was loud peal Of laughter, and
one Of them, ruhicuud wretch, spread
out his ulster coat into wings aud dropped
upon the infant, vampire like. ''Coochee,
coochee," said he, chucking it under the
chin with gIoved finger. Look up here
sonny. Beg your pardon. ma'am. Sonny,
isn't it p Without needing the mother,
who had no answer, but seemed to be max
ing up her mind 70 cry for help, he went
on. Come here, Gas Here's red-hot
baby Smarter than lightning and brighter
than the morning star. You needn't laugh.
| can tell genius before lis six months old
Look here, sonny, which will you have p
IFe held mp a silver halfdolar, fumbIed
moment and brought out With his other
hand gold piece.


Hold on, cried one of his companions
''Two TO one he chooses the silver"


Done, said the Vampire five to ten;
up with your money p


In twinkiing they had their bills out
They roared and shouted, 'Who'n hold
the stakes q, here, the mother holds
the bet let her hold the stakes" and the
bills were tossed into the warm cavity
round the baby.


Now then, sonny, which is it? Take
your pick p and a little blue hand went up
for the gold. As it did 50 one OF the party
shouted, There's our car - and like
troop Of wild Comanches the four of them
went tearing down the street TO catch at
the hand rail Of a horse car, sling them
selves aboard and disappear forever. So
does cuSsedncss slop over in charity with
oct ever considering that a lark looks like
duty


One look at the woman. Her eyes were
full Of water. Then the reporter helped
her gather up the money and went away,
thinking what a 4 splendcd story that would
have made if it had only happened IN the
days Of special providences.