The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-02
NIGHT OF THE CHILDREN
BY James Oppenheim

AAOnA1H eA4AAe nAHnA AhAhRA 81 a0A ~
the city avenues. Up and down the
pavement the crowds swept, laughing
talking, jostling-cheeks rudy with
the weather. eyes sparkling with the
lights. AS they moved, there I'M
rolled 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
pedlars shouted, the chestnut stands
sent up their smoke. It seemed as if
the millions of the city had poured
out to mingle in street-festival of
JOY and brotherhood People laughed
at one another a wine Of good humor
drenched the air. It was as if on
this night hate 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 mingle 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 the shops, that Christmas
morning might dawn with the candles
Of the pine, and hanging bulgy stock
ings and the mysterious new toys.
And 1t was the thought of the chill
dren, possibly, that made these men
and women so lightfooted, so bub-
blingly joyous, so innocently happy.
II made children of them and they
mingled with each other, like laugh
ing rollicking boys and girls.
There was one vast department
store, nearly block square and six
stories high, which sucked in vast
masses of the crowd Pendant from
its ceilings hung white moons of light
and under these a density Of human
ity swirled about the sparkling laden
counters. The air was oyer-warm
with breathing, and tingled with the
excitement OF shutting shoes, rattle
OF packages, and a hive hum OF talk
and EXPLANATIONS. The place was
electric with the push OF many wills,
the clash of desires, the impeded hur.
ry, the drawing near Of closing time.
1890 had come and gone, and yet the
crowd was unsatisfied: II hungered
and strained and clamored and strug.
gled 10 get its fill
one counter especially was beseiged
Al this was sold little five cent pack
ages of SNOW" for Christmas trees.
Behind this counter stood Mamie
Riggs, seventeen years old. thin.
emaclated. bloodless, her face male
and drawn and wrinked. her eyes
blood-shot, her Inns trembling. AS
she made ont checks, and received
and made change. and handled the on
ve'opes her hands visiblv shook. Fa-
. ces crowded near her leaned close,
arms lifted. fingers jorked near her
eyes.
Ihis snow2'
Yes. maam'
How much2'
rive cents.
OhlF one for fve@
Only one.
Row much IN q packoge?'
uont know. ma'am "
DON'T Know ~
~ least hve voices interrupted
see mere ! want q half dozen OF
lhese' where's my changer "f
can Walt an night isn't there
any one ~ wait on me?' "SaY TIL
speah 10 me uoorWalker If don't get
pIVper ATTENTION
M"ille answered as best she could.
ousl q minute. You said Five
SS Ohange hasn't come. can't
nelp 1t una am .-- es. JUS hYe a pack
use -9ho" yes'-lI wait on you
lh . minute
one spoke evenly IN q monotone.
nu, she was aoing her work mechan-
icalIy' IN laot Mamie wasn't AL
mere. iier myers her HIS Kept
worAlng nut me real Mamie seemed
IN trance sunburst AFTER sunbursi
Oh races shot the ar before her. q
ioud sea-nolse OF voices swept hei
oIdln' ana she lelt deathly SICK. Ev
cry pone IN her body ached. II seem
ga as II her rect had broken ana were
Dieeulhs' one was horribly nausea
Yea ana dlzzy' she ielt as II she were
GONG 10 rant by sheer iorce OF grl
she chung to the counter she Kept up
right' she moved TAXED. worked OF
ana on II Went minute by minute an'
stlll the races crowded the Voice'
rang out, the packages had TO be dc
hvered, the change made the cheek
written OUT: