The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-07-23

the platform was. as he afterwa<
learned. to furnish little additional
room for hanging out clothes. which
were suspended above the platform ON
a series Of racks.
The floor OF the court or passageway
between the two wings OF the dumb
bell" was slippery with tlth OF every
description. In the semidarkness which
prevailed IN spite of the suns glare
outside could be seen pale, tired wo
men with sallow, dirty faces, peerine
out from doorway and window. The
heat was sitting. as not breath blew
In nj either end VI the passage. and the
odor was overrowering.
MIR. Marsh hesitapd.
II don't know ,hnt care 80 20 In"
! he said almost IN tone Of fear.
TOO late to back out now, Mr..
| Marsh. Come. II viii do You good.
Make you moro contentcd with your
/ home on the boulevard" John Gordon
4 said urimlN
/ he greeted the group Of women I'm
! the doorway and they returned his
! greeting civiuy enough, for he was
wearing his regular inspectors badge,
authorized by the board of health, and
/ besides an that he had already in the
/ course OF his brief study made friends
/ in the block.
Almost the first step they took from
/ the doorway plunged them into dark
moss. Gordon had hold oC MIR, Marsh's
/ arm and WAS silent until they came III
the first tlight OF stairs at the end NJ
the passage.
"Have Co he little careful here
/ sir" hc cautioned This is an old
part joining your part from the rear
. Il was on the lot when Your agent
/ looked over the space. and he built w
to the limit and little more In fact
/ he broke SIN distinct ordinances IN
using UP the space that ought 10 hay,
been loft open between the new build
ing and the old. Put that was nothing
to him, Cor ii added six feet 10 IN,
double decker, and that meant twolN,
additional bedrooms RaNc care hero
Some OF the stair trcads are broken
Mr.. Marsh uttered an ejaculation
and Gordon stopped,
II feel ill., I don't believe | can q
on. Gordon This IS terrible, II #
past belief that human beings can liv'
in such conditions"
"They don't all 1--we, sir Some o
them die. But it's almost as bad II
die in here as to live. lou ought I,
see funeral in one OF these tene
ments."
"God forbid" exclaimed Mr.. Marsl
emphatically. Honestly, Gordon, I
may seem absurd to You, but | an
growing sick from the awful stencl
here, doubt my ability to so on"
Gordon made no answer. After |
moment Mr.. Marsh said teebly:
"An right III try to stand it,"
Without any reply John Gordon still
keeping his hand on his companion'
arm, began TO go up the stairs. Unde
their feet they could feel the slim.
filth that had accumulated for weeks
Half way up something passed then
GOING down. It was a little girl abou
eight years old carrying In her arms ,
|. baby. In the dim light which filtere-
through the hall ut the top Of the fiigh
the two men could hardly make on
this child OF the tenemen,s, burdene
long years before the time with hu
man responsibility, robbed OF play
ground and childhood and thrust into
world Of suffering and discomfort Poo
rnou-uful creature, n woman in gravit
and child in years. bending you
. dirty face over the gasping little siste
IN your slim arms, sitting on the step
late into the night with the bundle tha
may actually die In your arms, and n
one but yourself feel much grief II
does Child o. the tenements. you
!, not know II, but Il Is beautiful worl
that God has made. There are tree
and flowers and clear water and pc,
a funed zepbyrs and grass dotted wit
bloom But Oh for you, little siste,
who Enali reveal its beauty, who sha
discover 70 you it, glory 0 child Of III
tenemeatE IL the great city by III
> lakes:
! A. the top Of the stairs John Gordo
/. paused Z moment and then turned I
the iett and led his companion aloD
A u Z doorway opening On & corridC
4, looking out Oh the airshaft- a railin
rau around this corridor, and leanin
g over Il were L number Of persons. NOS