Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-21
THE NIGHT
BY JAMES oPPENAElM.
Author Of "Dr. Rast" and "WId OATS
~ JAM Es %oPPENHElM.

Christmas was in the air. The
frosty. starry night turned golden in
the city avenues. Up and down the
pavement the crowds swept. laughing,
talking. jostling-heeks rudy with
the weather. eyes sparkling with the
lights. AS they moved. there unrolled
beside them the endless Aim Of bril-
liant 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. 1t seemed as II the mil
lions of the city baud poured out to
lningle in q street festival Of Joy and
brotherhood. People laughed at one
another, a wine Of good humor
tirenched he air. It was as II OF this
night hate and strife and greed had
been sloughed of; as II the race said:
other. We are all here together. Let
us meet and mingle in Joy and good
will and peace"
It was the night Of the children. Far
through h sleeping city the million
children were in their beds and 1t 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,
Nnd hanging bulgy stockings and the
mysterious new toys. And 1t was the
thought Of the children. possibly. that
made these men and women so light
footed. so bubblingly Joyous. so inno-
Gently happy. 1t made children of them
and they mingled with each er like
laughing, rollicking boys an girls.
There was n vast department store,
nearly a block square and six stories
high, which sucked in vast masses of
the crowd. Pendant from its ceilings
these a density of humanity slowly
swirled about the sparkling, laden
counters. The air was over warm with
breathing n tingled with the excite
ment of shutting shoes, rattle Of pack
ages. and a hive hum Of talk and
carnations. The place was electric
with the push of many wills, the clash
OF desires, the impeded hurry, the
drawing near of closing time. Ten
thirty had come and gone, and yet
the crowd was unsatisfied; 1t hungered
and strained and clamored and strug-
gled to get its fill.
One counter especially was besieged.
of Snow for Christmas trees. Be
hind this counter stood Mamie Riggs.
IL years old, thin, emaciated, blood
less, her face pale n drawn and
wrinkled; her eyes bloodshot. her lips
trembling. AS she made out checks
handled the envelopes, her hands Wis
IDLY shook. Faces crowded near her,
leaned close. arms lifted, fingers
jerked near her eyes.
This now
"Yes, ma'am."
"HOw much?"
Five CENTS"
ssOnlv one for Hve3'
"Only one."
"How much in a package?"
II don't know. ma'am."
Don't know"
At least five voices interrupted:
"See here: I want a half dozen of
these" Where's my changer" IT
can't wait all night!' isn't there any
one to wait on me?' Say, I'll speak
to the f~loorwalker II 1 don't get prop
er attention"
Mamie answered as best she could.
"Just n minute! You said Ave? Six?
Change hasn't come. 1 can't help it,
ma'am? Yes. it's five q package. Snow,
yes. I'll wait on you in a minute
She spoke evenly in a monotone.
But h was doing her work mechani-
cally. In fact. Mamie wasn't .'all
there" Her fingers. her lips kept
q trance. Sunburst after sunburst of
faces shot the air before her, a loud
sea noise of voices swept her brain,
and she felt deathly sick. Every bone
in her body ached. 1t seemed as if
her feet had broken and were bleed
ing. She was horribly nauseated and
dizzy. She felt as IL she were going
to faint. BY sheer force OF grit she
dung to the counter, she kept upright.
She moved. talked, worked. On and
on 1t went, minute by minute. and still
the faces crowded, the voices rang
out, the packages had to be delivered,