The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-04
THE NIGHT OF THE CHILDREN
BY JAMES OPPENHEM Author of sDr. Rast" and '.NiId Oats"

(Exclusive Service The Survey Press
 Bureau).
 Christmas was in the air. The frosty, starry night turned golden in the city avenues Up and down the pavement the crows swept laughing, talking. tostling-cheeks ruddy with the weather, eyes sparkling with the lights As they moved, there unrolled beside them the endless film of brilliant shop windows, crammed with riches. and through the swinging doors eddies of people were sucked in and elected. At the curb the toy peddlers shouted, the chestnut-stands sent up their smoke. It seemed as if the millions Of the city had poured out to minge in a street-festiyal of joy and brotherhood People laughed at one an other, wine of good humor drenched the air. It was as if on this night nate and strife and greed had been sloughed off; as if the race said, Come, let us be happy with one another. We are all here together. Let us meet and mingie in joy and goodwill and peace!
 It was the night of the children. Far through the sleeping city the million children were in their beds and It was for them that these people met. For their children they were sweeping tno shops, that Christmas morning might dawn with the candles of ne pine' anu hanging bulgy stockings aHd the mysteri- ous new toys And 1t was the thought of the children, possibly, thai made these men and women so light-footed, so bubblingly joyous, so innooently happy. If made children of them and they mingled with each other, like laughing rollicxing boys and girls.
 There was one vast department store nearly a block square and six stores high. which sucked In vast masses of the crowd. Pendant from it's ceilings hung white moons of light. and under these density of humanity slowly swirled about the sparkling laden counters. The air was over-warm with breathing, and tin- sled with the excitement of snufrnhg shoes, rattle of packages, and nive hum of talk and exclamations. The place was electric with the push of many Wilis' the clash of desires the impeded hurry. the drawing near of closing time; lo:oO had come and gone, and yet the crowd was unsatisfied; it hungered and strain ed and clamored and struggled to get It's full.
 One counter especially was besieged. At this was sold little 5-cent packages or snow for Christmas trees. Behind this counter stood Mamie Riggs, IT years oid' thin, emaciated, gbloodless, her lace paie
  shot, her lips trembling AS she made out checks and received and made change, and handled the envelopes her hands yisibly shook. Faces crowded near her, leaned close, arms lifted, fin gers jerlxed near her eyes.
 This snow"
 HOW mueh'n E
 Five cents. YSitt
 Only one for 5?
 "Only one"
 How much in packageg
 q don't know, ma hm'
 Don't know"
 At least five voices interrupted:
 See here l want half dozen of these" Where's my changer" T can't wait all nightr' Isn't there any one to wait on me?' Say, I'll speak to the floorwalker If I don't get proper atten- tion!''
 Mamie answered as best she could.
 .Just a minute! You said five? Six? Change hasn't come: I can't help It, ma'am! Yes, it's five a packagel Snow! Yes!-Tll wait on you in minute''
 She spoke evenly in a monotone. But she was doing her work mechanically. In fact, Mamie wasn't "all there."s Her fingers her lips kept working, but the real Mamie seemed in a trance Sunburst after sunburst of faces shot the air be- fore her. a loud sea noise of voices swept her brain, and she felt deathly sick. Every bone in her body ached. It seemed as if her feet had broken and were bleed- ing She was horribly nauseated and dizzy. She felt as if she were going to faint By sheer force of grit she chung to the counter. she kept upright, she moved. talked, worked. On and on 1t went, minute by minute, and still the