Old Missoula

Pathetic Scene – Missoula Mercantile Windows

Sad Recollections.

A Show Window Brings Up the Past to Husband and Wife.

One of the most pathetic scenes witnessed in Missoula for a long time occurred in front of the Missoula Mercantile company store last night shortly before 9 o’clock. There were few people on the street at the time, but those who saw what took place were moved with compassion for the couple whoever they were. They came from around Higgins avenue and turned east on Front street, evidently on a walk through the business portion of the city, and were taking in the sights of the different displays of holiday goods which are being shown in the windows of the several stores. From their dress and demeanor they belong to the well to do class and were unmindful of anyone watching them. In fact no one paid any attention to them until they came in front of the east window of the dry goods department of the Missoula Mercantile company store. As soon as the woman glanced in the window she burst into tears and going up to the window she cried until it seemed her heart would break. Her husband could not keep his tears back, either from the same sorrow or from seeing his wife in tears. The cause of their sorrow has already been described in the Missoulian as one of the most beautiful scenic effects at window decorating ever seen in the city, which is nothing more nor less than a Christmas scene representing a little girl sparingly clad leaning against a fence surrounding a mansion wherein a Christmas tree can be seen. Of course it is only a picture, or scenic effect, but the idea is good and artistically carried out.

A person who was an eye witness, anxious to find out if there was not something which caused the sight to sadden them, determined to investigate and politely spoke to the couple who were standing before the window. When asked about it they frankly told their enquirer that a few years ago when they were not in as good circumstances as they are now, they had a darling little girl with curly yellow hair, the same as the image in the window. It was back east and the time was Christmas. She went down town along with some older children to view the show windows, and inside of an hour she was brought home a corpse, having been run down while crossing a street. Unfortunately at that time they did not have the wherewith to make their child happy with a Christmas tree or Christmas presents, so they let her go down to the shops to satisfy her little eyes on the beauty and luxury around her and it resulted in her death. It was amid their tears they admitted this much, when all at once they seemed to start at the fact that they were confiding to a stranger. Noticing their embarrassment the person with whom they were conversing promised to withhold their identity, for they admitted they were residents of Missoula, and while they were not ashamed of their past life or the death of the little girl they did not want it publicly known about the scene in front of the show window last night.

However, this much was given for publication by one of the party who saw them.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on December 15, 1896.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349026940/

The scene in the Missoula Mercantile window above was described in the Missoulian the previous day:

One of the best scenic window decorations ever exhibited in the windows of the dry goods department of the Missoula Mercantile company is now on exhibition in their windows. It is the handiwork of C. C. Sanders who is an artist of exceptional taste as evidenced by this, his latest production. The scene is midwinter at Christmas time, showing a mansion with snow covered roof. The surroundings, including the yard, fence, trees and street are covered with snow and frost. On the trees are a few snow birds looking down upon a poor little girl who stands in the street leaning on the fence and looking mournfully in on a beautiful Christmas tree in the mansion which can be seen through the windows. The child in the street looks almost lifelike and the production of the scene throughout has called forth praise from every one who has seen it.

The excerpt above appeared in The Daily Missoulian on December 14, 1896.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349026923/?terms=%22little%2Bgirl%22%2B1896