The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-04-27

It was Saturday morning in
New York's East Side, and Ignatz
Cohen, peddler, lined up his little
family for inspection. He frown-
ed as his eye fell on Baby Joe, 4
years old.
Joe must stay at home; he can
not go to the Synagogue" he de-
cided. Look at his clothes, Re-
becca. How ragged they are. 1t
is not fit that one should worship
God in rags. 1t would be disre7
spect." ,a
Little Joe looked down at his
tiny faded blue overalls, patched in
wonderful mosaics; at his blouse,
ripped and stained; at his brown
toes peeping out of scraps of leath-
er; at his little ragged stockings.
His lower lips stuck out piteously.
81 wanta CO." he mumbled.
But no meant no to the Cohen
family. Joe was left behind. Il
1t was not till the door had
closed behind the rest of them that
little Joe dried his tears and de-
cided on a wonderful adventure.
He would follow them. T.,
But it's pretty hard for little
four-year-old to pick his way
through an East Side street on a
Saturday morning. There were SO
many people. They were going in
so many directions. Sometimes he
thought he could see his father
and his brothers ahead. Sometimes
he wasn't sure. He turned cor
ners. He walked and walked, and
finally he got tired. Then he
came to a big four-story tenement.
Home, he thought.
1t isn't strange that baby boy
should get mixed up in tenement
houses. Even grown-ups who know
everything might make that mis-
take. There isn't much difference
in New York tenements. Joe Co
hen walked through the door, and
started up stairs.
One flight, two, three. no IA
miliar faces. Still another, and
things still looked strange. Then
there was another stair leading to
a door. The tired little boy push
ed the door open, and stepped out
on a roof. A gust of wind slam
med the door shut behind him.
O-oh-it was funny, being up
on the roof. The little fellow
laughed.
The tin carpet cracked and rat
tied under his feet in such a fun
ny way. He had often wondered
what a chimney felt like. Over
head between him and the sky
birds flew back and forth. He
could see other roofs and tops OF
buildings. There was little par,
apet around the edge which he
could almost see over.
He wasn't scared at all, was Joe
Up overhead was the sky where
God and the angels were watch.
ing him. His mother, the good
Rebecca, had often told him abou
lit often. 1t wasn't for an hour OF
so that he did get frightened
Then he was very much fright
ened.
The door to the steps wouldn'
open. He could just barely reacl
the knob. He couldn't turn 1t. HI
pounded on the door and kicked !
till his little fingers and toes hur
and bled. He tried to put his lit
tie fingers in the crack of the doc
and pull, but it only hurt more
and didn't help any. II
Joe began to cry, first Just ut
tie broken sobs, then in loud terri
fled walls that reached beyon'
the roof to the houses around.
But no help came. Those ding
New York tenements Ihous
Thousands of babies. Some of then
are crying all the time. What wa
lone more in so many? No one lie
Itened. No one hunted. The littl
hoy on the roof, who was to
ragged to go to church, was a
alone in this city of four milliopi
Joe Cohen looked up at the SIX
flor comfort, but 1t brought non
lnow. The birds had gone. Th
Iskies were getting dark. Cloud
were gathering, big. black, ugl
ones. In the west came a dill
rumble OF thunder.
: And Joe, like many little boy
: and some larger ones. was afrai
} iof thunder. He huddled besid
the big, rough chimney for con
fort.
Meanwhile at the Cohen hour
three blocks away there was q
! element and anxiety. Father O
: Then had brought his family hon
I Ito find HIS baby CORA. He BE-
!. searched through the tename'