Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-16

knowing nothing of household cares and
labor, they would not succeed "a servants.
| The very poor Italian women have neither
the ambition nor energy TO learn to speak
English. The sense Of affection as mothers
Is strong and protective only in the fact Of
possession The future Of child its good
and progress, Is a thing they never think of
Note gathering among these people, |
noticed a group Of mothers and children sit
ting on dirty, unswept steps on Rose street,
and one remarkable prevailing feature at
tracted attention, viz, the graceful, perfect
| forms OF the poor little unfortunates as they
rolled about in their raggedeSt rags. in
the gutter and on the pavement Their
little arms were mo le}s of beauty. and their
hips and limbs. in both sexes, perfect in the
curves and lines of natural development
The shoulders were petite. but studies for the
! sculptor takin; the grimy little hand of a
child about years old it amaZ Il me W tn
! its perfection of shave and its flexible taper
ing fingers The child fixeI her grelt. black
mOurnful eyes upon my face if wondering
mt the touch of something clean and whi O.
and the soft, black little fingers cIung ten
derby as if in expectation or wish for some
| thing more
Bgauty Of fac aS well as form pre,lominateS
in the poor Italian Childrpn-'h ir cv.s are
full Of poet'cal depths their finely cut lips ar
tistic to a marked d.gree; strange as it
may casually appear, the sensualities of
low-bred, uncultivated people do not
appear with this physical beauty. After
| a protracttd visit TO the localities where
this low life is seen 1t was evident that there
are not half schools enough, or enterprise
enough, in the phianthropic classes TO meet
the case of progressive reform among the
Italian poor OF this city. Eighteen societies
of the native population does no, even touch
the welfare of the very poorest element The
chimes of Trinity and the good cheer of
Five Points bells and the ringing from q
dozen belfry towers around Center, Chat
ham, Pearl, Rose and White streets, do not
penetrate with any other influence but that
Of vibration, the dens and clio ets, cellars and
attics that store away nearly 5000 ragged,
uncleanly bright-minded, beautiful-eyed hui
man beings
No wonder the midnight air at times re-
verberates with stitiei cry for help; tn 1t
the stiletto flashes in the dim moonlight;
that starving. infuriated humanity rush "a
to the piers and wharves, and madIy
plunges into the cool still waters;
that nauseated with the pest odos
garbage for food. crazed with the
constant wall of starving babes. a mother
smothers them under a filth-heap Of rags,
and swings herself into death by rope or
strap This Is one picture Of a New York
Italy. The Harlem population are much to
be envied by their Rose street relatives
Room, air and water they have in abuni-
ance; and the children present by far more
hopeful, healthy appearance A large mum
Der are employed in the gardens and yards
and dairy farms in Westchester and in the
vicinity of Fordham, High Bridge and there
abouts. They are law abiding well dispos Il
in every way-as doubtless the downtown
unfortunates would be if they too had work,
homes health and food.
Fanatcism and over-zsal in religion do -
not burden the Italian Unlk, the Iri ii
devotee the sons of Italy are lacking in
energy to prosecute religious studies and
worship So far as it can lie learned
among the church-going classes they IN
tertain more of poetic, romantic id a
of religion than regard for it as a means
of future salvation. For instance, they
prefer the church that makes the best dis
play, affords the best music, etc to hear
doctrines or be tow dutiful attentions from
a sense of religious principle is not the Ital-
ian idea at all They are sticklers for
ease in their worship-going when most
convenient, and at their pleasure, not from
obligation. Naturally a drama-loving
people, they would if they could fill every
theatre in the city regularly. The Italian
opera catches the best classes, of course, and
with great generosity. Music-loving, dra-
matically instructive, poetic in imagination,
from the aristocrat to the rag gather, they
are an interesting class of American citiz IL
ship.
They are not politicians, and do not begin
to count on Washington clerkships as soon
as they sight Castle Garden. They look
upon Garibaldi the greatest hero on
earth, and Gen. Grant the n 'xt p. 7. Bar
mum comes in for a tremendous amount of
Italian homage, and Patti is divinity in
their estimation At the consulate quarters
on State street the representative of the
press is received with marked polite
ness by the corps Of clerks, and the jolly
white bearded consul Is an exception in good
manners to the newspaper man or woman;
they do not load one down with the virtues
and greatness of the nation they represent,
but with great modesty state facts and
figures concisely. with Difference to other
opinions, and without emphazins their own.
They admire the government of the United
States and the enterprise of the people, but
while loving America much they still love
Italy more LIsLE LESTER