The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-27
BARGAINS BEFORE BtBIES.
A strenuous Halr Hour on Fourteenth
street In the Rush shopping Hours.

HN1 ~ WIG tNortt 'rtVBtFhts ""ss
It was a very small baby. indeed. when
you consider the disturbance il created;
it's size seemed entirely inadequate. Its
chief claim TO distinction was that il was
alone; abandoned temporarily to its own
reflections while it's mother pursued the
Fourteenth street bargain.
For a time the baby comported himself
with the manners of the hest society and
dozed. Then suddenly there seemed to
come to him the realization Of what he
could do. an he would. to create excite
ment, and he gave a tentative vail what
horsemen call q warming IN canter. At
once he became the centre Of attraction.
II he'd taken a hand in selecting his own
position he couldn't rave done it more
iudiciously. for he was stationed just out
side the main entrance to the store, throned
not 80 much in grace as in a go-cart. And
through this entrance came women. some
mothers and som not. but all. after The
nature of their sex. with an intuitive ear
for q baby's cry. so il was not long before
| the baby-who had. like a wise youth,
promptly followed the opening vail with
an aria filed with as many curious har-
monies as a "Parsifal" solo and lasting
quite as long-was gathering an audience
no less attentive than enthusiastic.
The women who stopped to learn the
cause Of the walls remained the most part
to administer consultations to the baby n
hurl denunciations on a mother who'd
leave a child to starve and freeze" as one
declared.
Take him up" commanded an elderly
woman who had pushed her way through
the crowd with martial strength born Of
bargain trays and stood viewing the scene
with impartial scorn: Take him up or l
! will" and she advanced to the go-cart.
Don't you do it, cried the rest Of the
audience. in chorus. one adding "Shure.
no sooner would you have him in your
| arms and out would come the mother ac-
cusin' you Of tryin' to kidnap her baby,
and where would you be them" The others
nodded assent. Rock "a decarriage. advised
an Italian woman. who had been caught in
the crowd.
Give him CANDY" advised a small girl,
trying ner best to suit the act 20 the word.
-Shure. it's hungry he is." chorlsed the
sympathetic crowd. -Oh. isn't his mother
the cruel woman. TO go and leave him like
this"
Here each mother told any one who
would listen what she did with her children
when she went shopping.
HI. move on therel Don't stand block
ing the door" II was a voice from a great
height. coming from the stores six foot
ia ctotum. who escorts the bargainers to
their carriages when they have them and
generally makes himself useful. What's
the trouble here?"
Everybody tried TO explain at once.
Its nothing at all" he declared with
cold grandeur. "Shure they do be doing it
constantly. But you can't block the street"
he dded firmly. BE of. now!"
I'VE WILL" suggested one daring spirit.
who in defiance OF all hygianic methods was
shaking the go-cart with vigor and 1t pro-
duced a luli! IF youW come and take care
of it,"
Did the factotum hear? II seemed not.
for he was already beyond the edge of the
crowd. which by this time was about
evenly divided between lynching the mother
and giving her a coat OF tar and feathers,
with here and there a calmer sririt fmascu-
line) advising the police.
And suddenly the mother appeared.
what nave you all been doing TO my
baby trying TO kidnap him?" she shrieked.
Il left him here and now you're all trying TO
take him away"
For one instant only surprise held that
crowd dumb. kidnapping the baby, When
they, every one Of them. had been doing
their very best. If only in the way OF advice,
IL was the factotum alone who rose to the
occasion. When the feminine portion or
the crowd found voice to tell that mother
lust what she was the factotum had aired
the crowds views. in what one woman
afterward called really well chosen words, "
and escorted her across the street. scarce
able TO see for weeping.
Il don't think she'll leave her baby out
side a store again. he observed as he shooed
away the remainder of the throng.
And with that Fourteenth street became
normal and resumed its hunt for bargains.