and
in response to his pleading eyes and the depression of his party, a lady
of gentle aspect and "kind looks" stopped and spoke to them.

"Indeed, yes," she reassured them; "this is Central Park."

"It has looks off the country," Eva commented.

"Because it is a piece of the country," the lady explained.

"Then we dassent to go, the while we ain't none of us got no sickness,"
cried Eva forlornly. "We're all, all healthy, und the country is for
sick childrens."

"I am glad you are well," said the lady kindly; "but you may certainly
play in the park. It is meant for all little children. The gate is near.
Just walk on near this wall until you come to it."

It was only a few blocks, and they were soon in the land of their
hearts' desire, where were waving trees and flowering shrubs and
smoothly sloping lawns, and, framed in all these wonders, a beautiful
little water-lake all dotted and brightened by fleets of tiny boats. The
pilgrims from the East Side stood for a moment at gaze and then bore
down upon the jewel, straight over grass and border, which is a course
not lightly to be followed within park precincts and in view of park
policemen. The ensuing reprimand dashed their spirits not at all and
they were soon assembled close to the margin of the lake, where they got
entangled in guiding strings and drew to shore many a craft, to the
disgust of many a small owner. Becky Zalmonowsky stood so closely over
the lake that she shed the chatelaine bag into its shallow depths and
did irreparable damage to her gala costume in her attempts to "dibble"
for her property. It was at last recovered, no wetter than the toilette
it was intended to adorn, and the cousins Gonorowsky had much difficulty
in balking Becky's determination to remove her gown and dry it then and
there.

Then Ignatius Aloysius, the exacting, remembered garrulously that he had
as yet seen nothing of the rubber-neck-boat-birds and suggested that
they were even now graciously "hollering like an'thing" in some remote
fastness of the park. So Patrick gave commands and the march was resumed
with bliss now beaming on all the faces so lately clouded. Every turn of
the endless walks brought new wonders to these little ones who were
gazing for the first time upon the great world of growing things of
which Miss Bailey had so often told them. The policeman's warning had
been explicit and they followed decorously in the paths and picked none
of the flowers which as E