The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-01-14

IS l. The paper is illus
trated by Jay
Hambridge. MI. Riis gives the fol-
lowing description of actual scenes on
Grand street:
At the corner, where two opposing
tides of travel form an eddy, the line
Of pushcarts debouches down the
darker side-street. In it's gloom their
torches burn with a fitful glare that
wakes black shadows among the
trusses of the railroad structure over
head. A woman, with worn shawl
drawn tightly about head and Shout
ders, bargains with peddler for
monkey on a stick and two cents
worth of fiitter-gold. Five ill-clad
youngsters fatten their noses against
the frozen pane of the toy-shop, in
ecstasy at something there, which
proves to be a milk-wagon, with
driver, horses. and cans that can be
unloaded. 1t is something their minds.
can grasp. One comes forth with
penny goldfish of pasteboard clutched
tightly in his hand, and casting eau
across the way to the door of tene
ment, where a little girl stands wait.
ing. It's yer Christmas, Kate" he
says and thrusts it into her eager fist.
The black doorway swallows them up.
Across the narrow yard, in the base
ment of the rear house, the lights CT
Christmas tree show against the
grlmy window-pane. The two children
are busily engaged fixing the goldfish
upon one of it's branches. Three little
candles that burn there shed light
upon scene of utmost desolation.
The room is black with smoke and
! dirt. In the middle of the floor oozes
an oil-stove that serves at once to
take the raw edge off the cold and cook
the meals by. Half the windowpales
are broken, and the holes stuffed with
rags. The sleeve of an old coat hangs
out of one, and beats drearily upon
the sash when the wind sweeps over
the fence and rattles the rotten shut
tiers. The family wash, clammy and
gray, hangs on clothesline stretched
across the room. Under it, at a table
set with cracked and empty plates, a
discouraged woman sits cycling the
chlldren's show gloomily. It is evi-
dent that she has been drinking. The
peaked faces of the little ones wear a.
famished look. There are three-the
third and infant, put to bed in what
was once baby-carriage. The two
from the street are pulling it around
to get the tree in range. The baby
sees it, and crows with delight. The
boy shakes a branch, and the gold
fish leaps and sparkles in the candle
light.
See, sister, he pipes; "see Santa
Claus! And they clap their hands in
glee. The woman at the table wakes
out OF her stupor, gazes around her,
and bursts into fit of maudlin weep-
ing.
The door fails to. Five flights up
another opens upon bare attic room
Which patient little woman is setting
to rights. There are only three chairs.
box, and a bedstead in the room
but they take deal of careful arrang-
ing. The bed hides the broken plas-
ter in the wall through which the wind
came in; each chair-leg stands over
rat7hole, at once to HIDE it and keen
the rats out. One is left, the box is
for that. The plaster of the ceiling IL
held up with pasteboard patches.
know the story of that attic. It is
one OF cruel desertion. The woman,s
husband is even now living in plenty.
with the creature for whom he forsook
her, not dozen blocks away. while
she keeps the home together for the
children" She sought justice, but the
lawyer demanded retainer; SO she
gave it up and went back to her little
ones. For this room that barely keeps.
the winter wind out she pays four dol
lars month, and is behind with the.
rent. There is scarce bread in the
house, but the spirit of Christmas has
found her attic. Against a, broken
wall is tackled a hemlock branch. the
leavings of the corner grocer's fitting
block; pink string from the packing
counter hangs on it in Restoons. a
talloW dip on the box furnishes the
illumination. The children. Sit IN in
bed, and watch it with shining ewes
We're having Christmas!a they
say.