The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-22

a few little weakened old men and women
afraid Of roo and fire escapes, perhaps,
who crowded close to the windows to get
the fresh air. In ono room a little old
man smoked a blaokened pipe tho live
long day. In another a woman as small
and wrinkled knitted cocks.
She's a foreigner the bachelor girl
explained. Americans have long ago quit
knitting socks. They haven't time"
One fire escape was devoted to a dog.
His mistress had washed him and had dried
him with a clean white towel. Then she had
brought out a fluffy rug, placed a mattress
upon it and told him to lie down. He lay
very quietly, his soft eyes on the children
playing all around.
cats glared at each other. They had come
from different windows. An encounter
appeared to be imminent, but 1t came to
nothing. Presently each walked with Sc
dateness, with quiet dignity. TO his own
fight, H..
Not far away played two children. Their
balcony was about six stories from the
pavement, but they had every confidence
in the strength of It. They had erected a
little tent and lay, together beneath it:
for them, and under their beads were pillows
the slips Of which were white. What cloth
ing the children boosted, one a little slip.
the other paiamas, was also white.
A tea party was going on upon another
partook Of the tea. Evidently. from the
spnnkings they got at regular intervals,
they were not we'll behaved rag dolls. ..
The FIRE escapes n roofs were devoted
almost exclusively to the children, cats and
dogs. but on a balcony at about the fourth
AnNr thQra slav n man Ha had anraf r a
mattress for himself and a pillow. He lay
stretched out full length, one arm under his
head, the other over his ewes.
For a little while a child stretched him
who kicked up his heels and played with
his toes.
Another child belonged to this family,
a boy Of 10. He wore blue o%veralls. Again
and again he climbed out of the window,
played a while about the feet Of his father,
Once he beckoned wildly to the smaller
child, who followed him IN. There ensued
a crash that sounded like the finish Of
c~rookery. The father raised his head and
reprimanded them. then let it fall again
Maybe he works ali night. suggested
the bachelor girl to a friend, "and has to
sleep in the day time. He's an all night
street car conductor or an engineer or
something.
dOWever tnau may nave Deen. tne CfllQTen
we're taking hilarious advantage Of his
listlessness. Sounds of their revelry could
be heard distinctly across the court.
"If he works all night they ought to be
ashamed Of themselves not to let him
Sleep said the bachelor girl. Still, he
doesn't seem to mind them much, does hef
He lies as still sometimes as II he were
dead
Then all at once at the sound Of furious
quarrelling cries from within; the father
arose and entered the room through the
window. His voice came to the watchers
across the court. Though 1t was a scolding
voice there was a pitiful sound to 1t some
how. they thought. Almost a sound OF
tears.
The cries OF the children quieted down
and he came out again upon the balcony.
He threw himself down. He stretched
out his limbs in the same attitude Of placing
one arm under his head and the other over
his eyes.
Suddenly his shoulders shook and the
bachelor girl, leaning quickly forward.
looked hard at him.
aSobbing, she whispered. Il know now
Don't you remembers? He is the husband
Of the woman who fell from the roof, and
they are her children,s