Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-22
THE HEAT TOOK BABY's LIFE.
A MURDER MOST FOUL, FOR WHICH
OUR UNJUST SOCIAL CONDITION
is RESPONSIBLE.

When Norah Mccormack came
into the world by the way Of Mid.
die alley. In Cherry street, last Sep
TENDER, her mother smiled upon her
baby and then fell into the slumber
that knows no awakening. Nor
all was an unusually robust baby,
full Of vitality and dimples. She
took kindly to her bottle Of condens-
ed milk, and all through the winter
kept getting fatter and stronger, un
til she could stand without help by
clinging to a chair. Norah was Ia
ken care Of by her ten-year-old sis
ter, Maggie, upon whose immature
shoulders rested the responsibility
of caring for the domestic interests
of her convivial father, . boy Of ak
and the baby.
Maggie was q fair sample of the
little mothers 90 frequently seen in
the poorer quarters Of New York.
She was prematurely " ise aud faith
full as dog. The only regret she
had when forced to give her atteE-
ton wholly to her work was that she
could not continue going to school.
But the vague yearning In her mind
to "know something" became more
and more vague rs the months
rolled away, until it was dream of
impossible fulfilment. A weary.
pitiful existence it was for the child,
redeemed only by her love for the
baby, but none the less heroic.
Sorah pever suffered for want Of
attention in tie day time. Some
times, however, at night, when
fatigue had locked Maggie's sense
inexorabIy, the baby awoke ami
cried and then sobbed herself to
sleep again. Maggie was so weary
that thunder clap would not have
disturbed her. Up to the month OF
July the baby had enjoyed ex
cellent health. Then came the
heat as from a gigantic blast furnace.
All day long the sun poured its hot
fire down into Cherry street until
the basement was as hot ~ the
sands Of Sahara. The heat invaded
the tall tenemept AMI turned the
two rooms of the McCormack's into
veritable bakers owens. The chill
dren could see the East river
rippled by . breese as they looked
out of the front windows, but not a
breath Of GOODNESS invaded the
stufiy apartments.
Under the influence Of this con-
suming fire Norah began to grow
frrtiul and leevish. The summer
sun Is very cruel to little children
In Cherry Street. The baby threw
down the stopper Of the vinegar
! bottle and refused to DO comforted.
She cried continually to be carried
in Maggie's arms. She began TO
lose flesh. In one week all the dim-
plies had gone. The flsry sun was
drinking the child's blood. The air
| which passed into those feeble,
PAINTING lungs was not freighted
with the scent Of apple blossoms
and the odorous perfumes Of the
dewy wood, where verdure cools the
air. II was laden with noxious
gases and the noisome exhslationi
from sewers. Dew never spaFkles
in that blistered locality.
In the evening, when the lamp
on the big Brooklyn bridge were III
and the sun had Get behind thr
Statue Of Liberty, the moon an
the stars came out with . more gen
tie, kind ray for the children thar
the sun had shown, and sometimes
these heavenly lanterns brough
With them q little breeze, whirf
came signing down the brick AMI
mortar canyon with . benedictioi
of GOODNESS from the swirl river.
Not every evening did thes'
blessed breexes come, but on thoe'
rare occasions when the breez'
was strong enough 10 rAise the dus
Maggie took the baby down to thu
street and sat on the doorstep
She Watched With delight thu
cool breeze lift the hair from TIN
temples of the child. She knew
that coolness meant Life and heaitf
| to the baby. These were brief case
of refreshment which served .
temporarily check the progress o
the dieeAse sloviy eating the baby
vitality. A little Of the formel
brightne0 csms back into the baby
eyes Is she recliusd In her sister,
lsp and watched the children dart
Ing In and out among the tdi'
i trucks. At hrst Nom could cit ri
With her head resting against he
sister,B shoulder. But - the day
new hotter and hotter the bait,
bsgan to dsoop more and more AM
W,there6 he 1ogeR
that = waiting fog ~ ralD,
until hef han1 hung over HeW
iszn HES ~ pc