The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-30
Light In Dark Places
By EILEEN ELIZABETH.

Some time ago-a long time ago,
in fact-when the work TO which L
leisure for exploring the highways and
byWays of life than IL does now, !
met a small, ragged urchin selling
papers. Not an uncommon event, you
VIII say, ,
Well, he tried To cheat me by SELL
ing me a day-old copy.
Likewise not uncommon, you repeat.
But wait a little.
spoke to that small boy severely
and tried to make him see the error
of his way. but he seemed hardened
in InIQuity, and merely grinned
broadly and showed disposition to
dodge and run as gigantic police-
man came in sight around the corner.
Listen to me, sonny, said L You
needn't think | mean TO give you In
charge. just want to know why
you did IT,.
II came out Mt last. He was not
newsboy. but had managed 10 steai a
few old papers in the hope OF getting
penny or two TO take home TO his
sister. who was starving.
TITS like dis, lady" said heal in
q breath once he started.
My sisters husband. Jim, he's got
piuched COS he was out o work and
not a crust OF bread in the house.
and my sister Nell sick abed and not
able to get 10 work at the factory.
and the baby a-cryin, and the lot
of us on the next floor without moth
ing to eat 'cept an old loaf Tor our
breakfusses, much less to give away;
so / skipped school. l did, to try and
earn summat to buy a drop o mix
for Nell's baby
Where do you live?" l inquired,
reading the truth OF his story In the
lttle ragamuffin's honest blue eyes,
He named some unknown street IN
Clerkenwell and. calling a taNioab,
I bade him get In with me and take
mo IN see his sister.
The urchin was very subdued As we
whizzed from the weIl-llshted streets
toward those No mel unfamiliar
regions. / do not know II he sus-
pected me OF dark and evil designs,
or whether il was the glory and nov
city OF riding In taMcab tnat over
powered him, but l could not succeed
in making him talk any more. and "
was with little added knowledge OF
his family history that j altshted In
a dark. ill-smelllng street before a
high. narrow. dilapidated-looki
house. and he pointed out to me the
broken window OF room on the NTH
floor, where. he said, Sister Nell
was abcd with her baby"
Up, up. up we WON'T seemed r,sd, to t.,
me that the dirty rickety sn staircase a,,e
At me as we passed-faces scared
with evil or meager with want and
misery.
beating against IL with his fists and
swearing horribly. I drew a breath
OF relief when .s,,, he let us, us slip pass az.
Information that II was Med Myers,
regular brute he was, as beat his
wife OF a night reglar. only She d
took TO boiling the door against him
and barricsdlng II With al the turni,
in and break her neck one O. these
dnys, which would be worser than
Duttinc up with a beating"
Then he went on to inform me with
nride that Jim was good TO HIS
wife and never beat her, and always
took her home money or food when
he'd got any. even ~ ne Whs
''crook" and had "pinched' ~ and
a. was cruel shame he should he
put away and leave Nell Starving
while brutes like Ned Myers were
left free 10 do Just az they pleased.
| This discourse on the mysteries oi
| bun,an Justice as IL appears 10 slun
child brought us to The unllgnled IItn m
story Ho pushed creakihs ooo'
| onen and I found myself in n small
| sinost unfurulshed room, its dark
| mnsa reIieyed only by the feeble, re
nected rl(nimsr OF some invisible
iamn through the tiny window
| All hunted out and lighted an enc
OF candle. BY the feeble nlcker
Ssv a broken bedstcad against th'
wall with a woman lyins on IL, GOV
cred only with thin, worn' nisco''
| orcd blanket. .,a
Against her pale check nestled
little brown baby head, and her thih