The mystery of Central Park : $b A novel — John Shaqi
The mystery of Central Park : $b A novelBly, Nellie
General
The mystery of Central Park : $b A novel
Bly, Nellie
American fiction -- 19th century; Central Park (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction; Mystery fiction
Dido Morgan, who was stationed as a picket further down the street,
came rushing up to the struggling, pulling, crying girls, hoping to
pacify them.
Almost instantly foreman Flint arrived, accompanied by an officer.
Pointing out Dido, with a diabolical grin he told the officer to arrest
her. The now frightened girls fell back while the officer dragged Dido
away, despite her protests.
That night she spent in the station-house, and in the morning she was
taken to the Essex Market Court, where the Judge, listening to the
policeman’s highly imaginative story, asked her what she had to say,
and though she endeavored to tell the truth, hustled her off with “ten
days or ten dollars.”
Being penniless she was sent to the Island, where she spent the most
miserable ten days of her life.
But her final release brought her no happiness or joy. She knew that
it was useless to return to her bare rooms, because of the rent being
overdue, and she had no friend but Margaret Williams, who had as much
as she could manage to provide for herself.
Disheartened, penniless and hungry, she spent the day wandering around
from one place to another, begging for any kind of work. At every place
they complained of having more workers than they needed.
Night came on and she thought of the Christian homes, ostensibly
asylums for such unfortunate beings as herself. She applied to several
along Second Avenue and Bleecker Street, but she found no refuge in
any. They were either filled, or because she had no professed religion
and had long since quit attending church, they barricaded their
Christian (?) quarters against her.
The last and only place, in which they made no inquiries about
religion, they charged twenty cents for a bed, and so the weary, hungry
girl was forced again to go out into the darkness.
She noticed an open door, leading to a dispensary, on Fourth Avenue,
and hiding herself in a dark corner of the hallway there, she spent the
night.
In the morning she got a glass of milk and a cup of broth in the diet
kitchen, and then she resumed her search for work.
It was useless. Tired out and discouraged she wandered on and on, until
she came to the Park. The unhappy girl sought the enticing shade, where
she watched the gay, merry people who passed before her. The more she
saw, the more despondent she became. They looked so blest, so happy.
Life gave them everything and gave her nothing.
It began to grow dark, and every one hurried from the Park. She had
no place to go, no one to care for her, nothing to live for, and she
walked further into the Park, helpless, hopeless.
How grand it would be to rest for evermore!
The thought came and charmed her. How sweet, how blessed a long, easy,
senseless slumber would be with no pain, no unhappiness, no hunger!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account