Charlevoix county herald., 1909-06-19


curses deeper
Than the strong man in his wrath.
The laws OF health, by which your
children are governed. provide for
eight or nine hours OF peaceful sleep
together with all the benefits that can
lie derived from fresh air and sun
shine. But 1t is no uncommon thing
for boys and girls no more than nine
or ten years old Tn work through a
twelve hour night and then snatch a
few hours rest during the hustle and
hustle or the day In busy city.
Healthy, robust men object TO work
ing ten hours day but il is custom
airy for these waits TO work twelve
hours. These children are Gods
children just as yours are; yes. they
are just as human as yours; and yet,
there is no one 10 help them on with
a CHEEKY word or raise their thoughts
TO a higher plane 10y kindly admoni-
ton. They are not guided in their
daily duties by mothers or fathers
hand. Oh no. far different Their
labor is continually under the critical
eyes OF overseers who have no regard
whatever for the necessities but
rather look TO their efficiency as mere
machines.
Certainly the conditions in those
workshops are not advisable for the
healthy development Of childhood.
The appearance of these places is
dingy and unailuring; the ceaseless
burr OF the machinery produces a
peculiar bedlam: the air is an endless
cloud of dust which gradually fills the
lungs that inhale it at every breath.
People are not usually allowed to en-
ter, to watch the monsters. these
cruel Minotaurs, feed upon human
lives. No Perseus can diyest the
world of this terrible calamity; no in
Decd it will require the bravest dill
gence aud unceasIng persistence Of
the strongest men and women to
purge our country Of this deep seated
evil.
Not only must these children toll
from early morning until late at
night, not only must their little
bodies be twisted from struggling
with the great seething. throbbing
machines; but with steps utterly
weary, with faces hagRard and toll
worn, with eyes jaded and lisLlesss
they must return to oh! such wretch
ed places which in their ignorance
they designate by our cherished name
home. Here all the conditions of
the slums exist in plenty; squalor be-
yond imagination; dingy old shacks
that would make their occupants for
get that there ever was any beauty in
The outside world. The general i'm
pressions are APPALLING; little babies
wallowing in the dirt procIaiming in
nocently the fact of existence; old
women sitting idly by, probably smok-
ing pipe for their worn bodies crave
some stimuIant, depending for their
bread and butter on others whose bur-
dens already are too heavy. When
these bread-winners file into their
homes at meal times is it any wonder,
even after the days strenuous activi-
ty, that they cannot eat ravenously
Of the food before them? Your child
rem are always hungry and anxious
for the wholesome meals that await
them after their roisterous aud
healthful play. But these children
are so worn out that they can only
nibble at the meal (which sure did
seem as if it had no taste" Then az
ter supper what takes place in your
home? The little ones climb upon
your knees and listen eagerly to the
wonderful stories you tell: "A Aladdin
aud the wonderful Lamp" Little
Red Riding Hood" the myths about
the brownies and fairies. The older
ones seated in an easy chair enjoy one
of Scotts or Dickens novels or may
be entertain themselves at a game or
with some music. Here the force OF
Longfellow's lines comes back to you:
Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to
lower.
Comes pause in the days occupation
Which is known as the children s
hour.
But what a different hour is spent In
these lowly homes! No tales are told
for the parents have no happy remem-
brances from their own childhood;
the children read no stories for they
have no books. and probably could not
read them II they had them. After
their hard days work they roll into
beds actually filthy while your child
rem are tucked under snowy coverlets.
know you shudder at the sad fate of
these caStawaYs and think "Thank