Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-25


BETTER.
with scraps of mating that have been
pieced into a covering over part or the
stone floor, and pieced to cover dozen
boxes that serve as additional chairs. On
the days that she has school she goes with
out dinner herself to give lunch, of some
times bread and buttef-more often, dry
bread-to all her charges.
The Italians flock to Mrs Sarolds
home like sheep to a shepherd. l have
been there when they have come for her
to get doctor, when they have come Tor
her to get the Doctors prescriptions nlled'
when Mrs. Rosetti has come for Nen-
geance, when the children have been as
scmbled there and one day when four
ycar-old submissionary came in to secure
help from the supreme source.
"Oh. teacher" said Anselna-thcy all,
rlen, women and children, call Mrs. SAT-
field teacher-"Oh, teacher won't you
please pray for Tony? 1 can't do nothing
We her. She be pretty good till she get
DIRK and then she swears, and she swears
just awful"
A Rather Startling Proof.
The next day 1 was there when Tony
six years old this sinner is-came in peni-
tent and promised never to get drunk any
more.
The same day i saw less hopeful case
recognize Mrs, Saffold the fount from
which all blessings flow in Schott's alley
and Purdy's court.
AS If to intensity the shadows on her
life by contrast, she was named Lily.
Il want five cents" she said. Il want 1t,
and it's nobody's business what l want IL
for. Wnen had money l gave what had
and asked no questions, and IL you're
Christian. you'll give me a nickel and hold
your tongue"
You want to buy beer" said Mrs. SAT-
fold. IF you're hungry I'll give you some
thing to eat, but can't give you money to
get drunk with
II don't want anything to eat," replied
Lily. II want what 1 want and l don't
want nothing else," which was such a terse
exposition of human desire, l ouldn't help
laughing, whereupon Lily turned upon me-
"Ah, you think I'm funny, do you? Well,
I'm good as you are, and I'm better
looking, II you are a Christian. You can't
come up to these" and without warning
Lily whipped up her petticoats, displaying
a pair of bare legs like chiseled marble.
/ admitted her superiority, and gave her
a nickel to atone for the shortcomings of
which she had convicted me.
How did you come to work among these
Italians 2" asked Mrs. Saffold.
She Wen Their Confidence.
"In reading the daily papers," she an
swered, II was impressed with the fire.
quency with which Italians were brought
into the Police Court and fined s. for a
violation Of their licensed privilege to sell
lrulI on tne lOOhSu ito LHc lildt-
ter and found that these men have what is
called a moving-on' license, for which they
pay SO. This insures them the privilege or
selling to but two persons at a time. Sup
pose you and another stopped banana
man on the street to buy fruit of him and
before you got away came up to buy. If
he sold 1t to me without moving on from
where you stood, he would be liable
to arrest for violation of his license. The
poor ignorant fellows, half Of them can't
be made to understand what is the priIil-
eye their license gives them. In trying TO
help them in this matter, l often found a
man with loaf of bread and small piece
Of meat in his pocket, locked up in jail
awaiting trial to take place the next
morning, and his family at home, waiting
for the food he carried to eat. Thus
became a messenger for them, going
to their homes with these necessaries
of life. In that way, l saw the home
life of the women and little children,
and saw work which nobody was doing.
But the women were like stone before Inc,
and the children, so many scared wild ami
mails. The Italians are suspicious or all
strangers, and the women have no Will
but that of whatever man is their master:
So Mrs Saffold began with the m an.
For eight months she went night after
night into Purdy's court and Schotts alley
and taught these Italian men to speak.
some of them to read, English. She sat
with them while they played cards and
drank whisky ilicitly yended. She ate
their bad-smslling, nauseating food ana
frally, at the end of eight months had so
won their confidence that she was per-
mitted to communicate with their wives
and children.
Hard Lot of the Women.
Up to this time the women and little
ones still Stunned her. Then she began
having the women and little girls come to
her home At this time Mrs. Saffold had
a small house on B street and as re-
ward for the little girl who made the
greatest progress In cleanliness and godl1-
| ness each month she took this child to
live with her a week. On certain days
! the women came, and she. taught them
| how to cut and make their clothes and
+ how to wash themselves and be clean
| Afterward she taught them OF Jesus Christ
| and purity and holiness. The basic prlncl-
! pie Of Mrs Saffold's missionary endeaVor
! is that you must civtZe unfortunate crea-
| lures before you can chrlstlanlZe them
| and she counts 1t her greatest earthly
| gIcry that, by her efforts, nine families
| have moved out Of alleys into streets be-
| cause their souls had come to abhor the
social conditions prevailing ABOUT them
! She has two other families wanting to GO
| and waiting only to find a house within
| their means.
| But while some measure OF success has
| been granted me-" says Mrs. Sanold,
| there are times when l almost despair.
| / cannot begin to tell you what misery Is
| the lot of the Italian woman from the
| time she is born. She is deemed mt for but
| one use, and until she reaches mar
| riageable age, which among these people
| is commonly as early as eight years, she
| Is treated with less consideration than q
! beast of burden. Just as you hear oul