The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-10

be crowded. Yet, though Mulberry
street is almost as poor as Broadway is
rich, the crowds are denser, and it is
not an idle throng either, for on all
sides are evidences of thrift. All the
stores are occupied. every hallway is
converted into diminutive shop and
there are stands at the curb, and even
in the middle of the street. loaded
with wares which the peddlers have to
offer. The whole district being thus
converted into market place, the pur-
chasers and passersby are forced to
thread their way now on the sidewalk,
but oftenest on the asphalt driveway,
over which latter, by the bye. there is
never passageway for horse and
wagon.
i Yet, except for very occasional
family row, the scene is almost invari-
ably orderly. The whole is picturesque
from the very quaintness of the sur
roundings. 1t all seems so foreign to
an American city. not even the Eng
+ lish language being heard as one walks
by. I say the scene is picturesque,
but, alas, not the women! Raphael
and Correggio have taught us how beau
tiful the daughters of Italy may be,
but they could not have found their
models in such locality, where chill
dren of IA are attired like elderly wom-
en- and look older than they are, with
their colorless cheeks and sunken eyes,
which seek the pavement because of
the stoop in their backs from carrying
burdens. How could beauty thrive
here?
Mr. Mitchell took in the general scene
at glance as he turned into the alley,
leaving the kaleidoscope array of col
or behind him and passing into the
gloom beyond, where all seemed color
less.
BE careful where you walk" came a
warning from Preacher Jim just in
time to prevent Mr.. Mitchell from
treading upon an infant crawling along
toward the street in a state of nudity
which would have attracted attention
anywhere but in this neighborhood
where children who are nearly full
grown are often clothed with but 9
single garment.
At the end of the alley was q court
so called by courtesy, being in trutt
but little wider than the alley itself
At the back rose up gauntly between
the main houses and the rising sun :
tall structure, erected in comparative
ly recent times that the greedy owne
of the ground might squeeze a few
more dollars from the pockets of TIN
outcasts whose only hope of happi
ness in this great new land" is t
herd with those who can at least com
!! prehend their own tongue. What mat
ter if this back tenement shut off bot
light and air from the 20 or 80 FAM
| lies living in the front houses? If yo
should speak to the landlord about il
he would reply:
81 do not compel them to remain
If they do not like it, let them move
This is free country"
A free country! Aye, truly! Yer
| free when price is put upon the yer
air!
e An iron stairway running up the ou
side of the back tenement did doubl
0 service, serving both as entrance wa
0 for the dodgers and as fire escape, a
economic method of obeying the la,
: which demands that these poor devil
D shall at least not be burned aliv,
: And, since the fire escape must b
t placed on the outside, why waste va
uable-that is to say, rentable-spao
J. by erecting stairways within?
g Mr.. Mitchell followed Preacher Jill
!, up to the third floor. where they res
: ed moment on the landing Will
|, awaiting some response from lou
knocking upon the door.
{" '"rhe old woman keeps her latch @
d to keep out intrusive visitors" explain
u ed Preacher Jim as he repeated h
II summons.
But after some time, there bein
h still no sound from within, he turne
l. the knob. To his surprise, the doc
v yielded, and he led the way in.
e 'She's out, guess" he said. "or IL
a door wouldn't be open. She's got 1
a way to lock it on the outside. I'll