Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-19

trHslS OF city ne always uV"' NV 80
mind with painful vividness. These are
probably more keenly felt at the holi-
day season, when the streets and shops
are alive with eager, busy. present
buying humanity. a week preceding
Christmas | wandered through one of
New fork''s largest department stores
corner Thlrty-fourth and Broadway
TO THEM AT HOME.
In this palace of trade anything can
be purchased, from q tooth pick TO an
automobile. Passing through the al
most impenetrablc throng Of well
dressed eager shoppers, ! thought
what well fed. comfortable lot OF
people New Workers. are. Standing near
the counters ] caught occasional chat
ter, that Indicated that may were buy
ing expensive gifts to reward expensive
givers Here and there noted an
eager shabbily dressed little mother
anxlously counting her scanty store to
make Il stretch FAR enough 10 buy JOY
for the string of tots clinging to her
dress.
WHY NOT THESE.
Leaving this brilliantly lighted place,
with its counters of gay ribbons, SHIN
merlng silks, glittering iewelry, painted
toys and rare bric-a-brac, | went out
into the raw clustering air of Decem-
Der day and found myself ON Thirty
fourth street, facing u most interesting
objective point. Covering about eight
feet square of the sidewalk on the
south side of the store is an Immense
Iron grating, from which the heat from
the furnaces which warm the building
escapes. Here can be seen most any
time of the day or night dozens of lit
. 10 lg.-
gather here for warmth and gossip
with the too often sad accompaniment
of the cigarette.
FOR LONGING EYES.
| The large plate glass windows fac
ing this spot are filled at Christmas
| time with toys of every description.
Music boxes in form of dancing dolls,
| Teddy bears, wolves, monkeys. camels,
| elephants, almost of natural sizes vary
| ing In price from quarter to $780, Tea
sets, miniature cottages, jugglers,
| trains automobiles. In fact everything
| in the toy world that nature, art and
science could suggest IN miniature, and
| presiding over this make believe world
was a mimic Santa Claus, who moved
| from window to window and delighted
the passers~by with his merry antics.
a PATHETIC PLEA.
/ Presently 4 saw " lltlle ldQ ABOUT SIN
years old leave his station at the fur
mace hole and pushing his way through
the crowd press his cold little nose
/ against the colder window pane. The
| absorbed little face drew my attention.
Just as Santa was winding up me-
chanical doll. the boy beat with his
little fist against the pane TO compel
his notice, at the same time drawing
from a torn-little pocket dirty, crum-
pied piece of paper which he held
closely against the glass. / drew closer
and read, printed In large irregular
type. Dear Santa Claus, please bring
Clara doll, / want a sled, and bring
mother some shoes some candy and
plenty to eat--amen."
My eyes grew dim and as l hurried
away my thoughts reverted to the well
dressed buyers inside who were buying
rich presents for the rich and my
thought was. having eyes they SEE
them out where they might catch the
echo of the true spirit of giving.
WHERE ARE THE GERRYsg
Speaking of street children am re-
minded of the Inconsistencies of life
which OF course is the process of evolu-
tion. cannot be avoided. There is the
protects New York's well-cared-foI
children OF the stage and prevents them
when under tho age limit from doing
a 20-mlnute song aud dance" turn, Sc
thoroughly does this society do Its work
that there are few children working
on the stage in New York city. One OF
the lncongruities being that in plays
Ike Shore Acres" they allow children
to appear by special permit but they
must not speak lines. they allow chic
10 go on IN vaudeville. but 1t must moi
dance. and yet hundreds of lSashy
active children dance daily on the side
walks 10 the tune of the handorgan
While / am not crlticizing the no doubt
noble work this society has done In try
Ing TO abolish child labor &one OF it'
most pleasant forms, I am not So sure
that with proper provisions made fol
health and educational purposes. thu
talented child of poor parents might b'
helped rather than hindered mentally
morally and physically by appearing OF
the stage II this work can be dom
so effectually for stage children, VIII,
not some benevolent society bestil
itself IN behalf of the thousands o.
tiny newsboys and professional wait
beggars that throng the city streets
IL Is no uncommon sight to see chile
Of q or ! years OF age, lily clad. anC
his poor little, pinched face plainly tell
ing the tale OF want and exposure, fee
bly, Whining Paper sr?" at al
hours of the day or night. No on
nelps or nlnqers thls condition We
IL the same little urchin were empoye,
at o'clock in the evening 10 eros
the stage with the sumo bundle of pa
pegs and the same Whiryng little cry
New York would Immediately get viz
tuous and prohibit him, and the hi
dailies would paint pitful cartoons o
the same pinched little face that nov
sells their papers az night hnnoticed.
HUDDLED IN STREETS.
one half block from Broadway Nv
doors from one OF the busiest corners 4
the city, can be seen many childrc
thinly clad. have seen many childrei
3 years of age sitting on the cold stone
OF the sidewalk and now and the
darting back ANA forth amidst tn
, heavy trucks and many hacks tina
flled the street.
Children throng the entrance 10 tn
stage door, begging pennies from tn
/, actors as they leave the theater and
IL estimated that $4,000 children 80 I
school without breakfast hay
thought, why don't Mr.. Gerry or som
other Mr.. ---- reorganlze their societ
and help the helpless
| have always believed that the sur
est and most potent Influences are 70 b
found IN our amusement rather tina
our labors and studies, therefore hay
believed tho stage was destined 20 be
como the greatest Of al moral civllil