The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

place to sleep. And It's because your
kind gets too much, that my kind gets
so little it has to piece it out with this
sort of thing. No, you don't know 1t
quite ALL
There's a girl named Nancy Olden
that could tell you a lot, smart as you
are. She could show you the inside of
the Cruelty, where she was put so
young she never knew that children
had mothers and fathers, till a red
haired girl named Mag Monahan told
her; and then she was mighty glad
she hadn't any. She thought that all
little girls were bloodless and dirty and
all little boys were filthy and had
black and purple marks where their
fathers had tried to gouge out their
eyes. She thought all women were
like the matron who came with visi-
tor up to the bare room, where we
played without toys-the new, dirty,
newly bruised ones of us. and the old.
clean, healing ones of us-and said,
Here, chicks, is a lady who's come to
see you. Tell her how happy you are
here Then Mag's freckled face, her
finger in her mouth, looked up like
this. She was afraid it might be her
mother come for her. And the crippled
boy jerked himself this way-I used to
mimic him, and he'd laugh with the
rest of them-over the bare floor. He
always hoped for a penny. Sometimes
he even got it.
And the boy with the gOuged eye
he would hold his pants up like this.
He had just come in and there was
nothing to fit him. And he'd put his
other hand over his bad eye and blink
up at her like this. And the littlest
boy-oh, ha. ha! ha!-you ought have
seen that littlest boy. He was in
skirts, an old dress they'd given me to
wear the first day came; there were
no pants small enough for him. He'd
back up into the corner and hide his
face-like this-and peep over his
shoulder; he had a squint that way,
that made his face look funny See,
it makes you laugh yourself But his
body-my God-it was blue with welts!
And me-I'd put the baby down that'd
been left on the doorsteps of the Cru
city and I'd waltz up to the lady, with
her handkerchief to her nose and her
lorgnette to her eyes-see, like this.
knew just what graft would work her
/ knew what she wanted there. I'd
learned So I'd make her a cuhtsy like
this. and in the piousest sing-song
I'd"
There was heavy step out In the
hall-it was the policeman! I'd forgot
while 1 was talking. l was Blackjack
in the empty garret, at the top of the
Cruelty. 1 could smell the smell Of the
poor, the dirty, weak, sick poor.
could taste the porridge in the thick
little bowls. like those in the bear
story Molly tells the kids. 1 could
hear the stihed sobs that wise, poor
children give-quiet ones, so they'll not
be beaten again. l could feel the night
when strange, deserted, tortured babies
lie for the first time, each in his small
white cot, the new ones waking the
old with their cries in a nightmare Of
what had happened before they got to
the Cruelty. l could see the world
barred over, as 1 saw it first through
the Cruelty's barred windows, and as
1 must see it again, now that
You see, you don't know it quite all
yet, Mr.. Manager" l spat it out at
him, and then walked to the cop, my
hands ready for the bracelets.
but there's one thing 1 do know!"
He's big fellow but quick on his
feet, and in minute he was up and
between me and the cop. And there
isn't a theatrical man in all America
that knows it quicker than Fred Ober-
muller, that can detect it sooner and
develop 1t better. And you've got it,
girl, you've got it! Officer, take
this for your trouble. I couldn't hold
the fellow, after all. Never mind which
way he went; I'll call UP the office and
explain"
He shut the door after the cop, and
came back to me. 1 had fallen into a
chair. My knees were weak and 1
was trembling all over.
Have you seen the playlet Charity
at the Vaudeville?" he roared at me.
I shook my head.
well, it's a scene in a founding
asylum. Here's a pass. Go UP now
and see it. If you hurry you'll get
there just in time for that act. Then
if you come to me at the office in the
morning at ten, I'll give you chance
as one of the Charity girls. Do you
want it?"
God, MagI Do want it!