Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-05
ROMANCE OF THE GHETTO
New York Society Interested in the Engagement OF
Wealthy Philanthropist to Poor Jewish Girl.


shoulders the burden of the family
support. obtaining employment in a
cigar factory. Slight were her earn
ings compared with the vast needs OF
family of seven. and many a time the
girl who, IN few months will share
the Stokes millions, grew familiar with
the dread footsteps and the soul
curdling whine Of the wolf at the door.
But she had the soul of heroine.
Here is a poem she wrote one Thanks
giving day when there WAS literally
nothing in the house to eat. How
many women. how many men. could
have so written?
~ THANKSGIVING.
/ thank Thee. Lord, for ev'ry moment
dropped
Into my life that had some sweetness in
For ali the golden hours when friendship
And gave up heart for heart, and thought
for thought.
For all the love that faithful hearts let
fall
TO drop into mine own For every look
From loving eyes. for subtle Influence
That made me strong, Dear Lord, |
tnaEk 'Iucc.
] thank Thee, Lord thank Thee for th'.
hours
When slowed my tears; when fell tn J;e
grief wrung drops
On lips that m'irmurcd Lord. Thou
knOwest best
For All the love borne sorrow. hidden
pain.
For all the cares and burdens Of my life
dor glad or sad, Thou givest for the
beSD:
For all the strength thou gavest me to
Dear Lord. thank Thee.
This was but one of many poems and
stories, dreamed out as her deft fin
gers swiftly rolled cigarettes and
stogics. Finally. A. III. Fromenson.
one of the editors of the Jewish Daily
News, received in reply to request
from subscribers for opinions letter
from Miss Pastor. He has since said
it was the most remarkable letter he
had ever read. He correspondent with
Miss Pastor. and eventually brought
her to New York to take position on
his paper at SIS week. Her de-
partmeEt entitled "Just Between Our
once. The English style of the self
educated Russian girl was vigorous.
fluent and refined. AS one of the
star writer's she was sent to inter-
view singular young man. who had
been the fourth of his family to in
terpret- literally the command of
Christ. Leave all. and follow me-"
sdleness which was spread before him,
in order to live the simple life and de-
vote himself tn the service of God and
man as clergyman Of tie Protestant
Episcopal Church. His sister. Caroline
Phelps Stokes, was an enthusiastic
settlement worker and about a year
ago married Robert Hunter, then head
worker at the settlement, with whom
she now lives in the tenement district.
much as her brother. James, and his
bride are expecting to live devotinS
themselves to humanity. Still another
brother Newton Phelps Stokes. for
merly a tenement house commissioner.
also rcHoulccd society ana business
FOR the study of sociological and chart
table work.
On July Is. 1902, Miss Pastor was
assigned by the Jewish Daily News"
to interview Mr.. Stokes. There had
been rumors that. owing to a disa gree
ment, in the governing board of the
settlement, Mr.. Stokes was to retire
and take up work in a new settlement.
to be founded by Robert Hunter Miss |
Pastor obtained denial Of the rumors |
When she went back to the office she |
wrote twO-C oumn STORY"
The consequences, however, were
farther-reaching than mere scoring |
OF journalistic triumph. The enthu- |
sIastic young man and the enthusiastic
young woman-the adaptive Little
Brother of the Poor and TIE born Child |
Of the Ghetto--had exchanged views
and each found IN the other the exist
cnce IF deep intellectual and spirtu-
al affinity. So worldly unequal SO un-
worldly equal. they became necessary
to one another's lives.
Leaving journalistic work for the
more fascinating field of philanthropy
Miss Pastor worked among fOrlorn
homes of the East Side under the de-
hGntiul tutclaSe of 4 man whom in her
memorable interview" she had de-
sc ribed as follows:
MI. stokes is dt ep. strong thinker. |
HIS youthful face takes by virtue of
ITS fresh. earnest and kind expression.
one glance at his face and you feel
that Mr.. Stokes loves humanity for its
own sake, and as he speaks on with
the sincerity which is the keynote of
MS character you feel how the whole
soul and heart of tho man is filled with
You feel that he has sown
ms black young curls with the bleach
ing cares of half a million men,"
The differing races and crecds of thu
fappy one-since they will not let
themselves be called pair-afford no
obstacle to union. On this subject Mr..
Stokes says:
Miss Pastor is a Jewcss in the same
ehse That the apostles and Jesus were
Jews. We are both proud of the Jew II
sh race and of its traditions We both
'elieve that Judaism. while true, so far
Us 1t goes. joes-not express as much Of
ne real truth as Christianity does. Our
attitude toward Judaism and Chris a
:anity is identical. We both conside, Z
ourselves ChriSfiapc Che ;s or |