New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-29

WAITING FOR THEIR DINNER.
merely day OF idlcness and pleasure. on pleasant
DAYS at this season OF the year the women ana
children spend nearly the whole day in the streets
The swnrms OF children play their noisy games
quarrel and night they do on other days the only
difference being that most Of them are dressed
IN Many OF them little savagcs Their only
training s the training Of the streets The value
OF kindness and good nature has never beer taught
10 them Their fathers and mothers Know niue
moro about these things than DO the chlhf"h I'N-
Ing as they DO in the tenement houses-large 'ami-
lies occurving from 70 three roorns-th"re IL
u,,la onnortunitv for then 20 acQur. or practise
good manners ut;Ie room FOR softening and rehn-
Ing Influences. Life FOR most of them is mer"
struggle for existence. Even in sheir play III" chill
dren cheat AMI beat each other. Tho Younger Ones
scatter when n bigger boy appears. They VIII not
be gently handled II they get In his way Tn" half
grown youths initiate as FAR possible IN" r'is
,ering "ioughs' few wears older than themselves
They rrh, and DO petty bullying. drink some. enc"
and smoke tobacco. and boast 81 the various FORMS
q, d.v,ltry In which they have been engaged They
are not all Ike this 81 course. but TINT u about the
way n large proportion % IN" 'utur" ci'''hH III 'ns
part 81 The city growing up
Tho domestic duties OF the women ~ the tenement
houses not many or burd"nspfne Th"fe l'n
much 10 be done 10 keep the prevailing stahha'i
81 cleanliness and order IN tho narrow rooms They
sncnl Sunday visiting their friends and ncighbors.
or receiving visits sitting their own sioops or
the stoops OF their ncighhors. The Younger women
and the girls dcckci ont In chenp. snowy hnery
and even the fat and .hapeless mafrons wear fresh
| calico gowns and comb their hair neatly Many OF
| tho older women drink The older people are al
most exclusively foreign. and observe their native
| customs The Irish and Germans drink whisk"y
and beer the Italians wines. but not usually TO eH-
Xcorlv all the mon drink They spend the day
| on he at
| lies lounging in the barrooins or playing cards In
| their homes The "grOwlcr" Is industrousy
worked all dav. II ia not strange that under these
| conditions the number OF crimes committed on sun
day and the number Of arrests made on that DAY
is much greater than on any other Ia ~" week.
| Drunken men street brawls quarrel over cards.
| followed by the report Of pistol or the Nash OF
| knife. wounded dying victim. the arrest Of tho
assailant-thcsc are familiar sights
| AN OPEN-AIR SERVICE
| A. the missions near the Square some eNort IL
made to counterac the general tendency TO vice and
ignorance The most effective and promising work
Z, done among the children. All sorts OF services
are held indoors and out
At 3 o'clock In the afternoon SMALL organ ~
brought out In the courtyard OF one OF the mission
! houses young divinity student with an intellect
ual head and Phi Beta Kappa key sits down to
nl,v Another Young man tunes his violin. Around
them gather little band OF workers OF both sexes.
md they sing the rescue songs An iron fence
senarates them from the crowd which soon gathers
| IN the siAewalk The fence is quickly taken pos
session OF bv children who fight eagerly for place
The crowd Is not sympathetic. but It is quiet and
| curious After several songs have been sung an
old man steps forward with barred head ana hd-
dresses the ,hrong lie is one OF them. and knows
| how 10 talk to them. lie Is tinker by trade He
live. on the top floor OF tenement house where
he has fitted up a httIe MISSION WHICH "e ''''' '"o
| clipper Room"
! While ne Is speaking several young men Join the
crowd and soon work their way 10 the front they
belong TO n gang which prides Itself on its sue
| cess in breaking mp meetings OF this sort. The
leader IS tall. with firmly knit figure. lie has a
good shaped head and looks TO be. as he really is
| a natural leader OF lie has done a great
| many reckless and quasi-criminal deeds. and Is
looked up by his associates as hero.
When the old tinker stops speaking the young
| man becomes aggressive.
SAY what Is a Christian. any how" he shouts.
The crowd presses closer. Something exciting
may occur young girl in the mission band steps
| forward TO sing n solo.
Listen to her." says the old tinker. "she will
tell you"
| Az the girl starts with the words
This much my simple heart doth know
| Tho o,lookers become quiet. The sweet soprano
| notes are more effective than argument The young
leader realizes the dramatic effect OF the song ana
| knows that the sympathy Of the crowd which was
| with him a few moments before. is now against
| him He decides 10 beat prudent retreat
oCome on" ne says his followers. They're
M good They can't answer me" And the gang
| goes 10 n barroom near by. where the young leader
| celebrates his defeat as a victory ana boasts OF
having propounded an unanswerable question to the
| SUNDAY school crowd
When the song is ended the young man with the
| ph, Reta Kappa key rises from the organ. Il am
| sorry that young man has gone away. he says
"I wanted 10 tell him what 81 is TO be Christian
| A Christian is one who believes In Christ and be-
ueyes that he should do right as Christ taught men
| 70 do Are you satisfied as you are? Don't you
| want 10 be better and happier? There is only one
| wav Give I'D everything that is wrong and do only
that which In right. II you do not know how 10 DO
right this book. the Bible. Will tell you
| Another song Is sung and an invitation Is given
,o ali 10 meet the mission workers In the vesry OF
| the church The crowd disperses quickly. No one
! goes 10 the vestry Few OF the audience have felt
Inv religious emotions The children climb down
| from the fence and go 10 quarrelling ard h8htins
again The go across the street TO get or'hk.
THE women soon forget the meeting or remember II
only make fun OF IT,
nut everybody about the Square Is not thought