The Washington herald., 1906-12-09

go to certain districts where they viii
find immediate employment. The men are
given their choice Of several forms Of Ia
Dor. and they are herded in bands and
sent on emigrant trains TO their places OF
destination directly they land In this eoUn-
try.
There is an age limit also that affects
emigration. In all the hundreds that
made up the steerage load in our steamer,
not an individual appeared to be more
than forty years Of age. The men We're
a strong, vigorous looking lot averaging
from eighteen 10 twenty-five. There were
several rabbis in the steerage, who, with
open book. read aloud TO numerous
groups Of sleepy-eyed Russians every
day. Several births occurred in tho
steeTage. and each case a purse for the
mother was made up by the cabin pas
sengers. and the child was christened
with the name Of the ship. One mother
died. and the burial al sea was conducted
at night.
The enterprise shown by foreigners In
coming alone to this country is amazing.
Among the cabin passengers were several
examples Of this. There was Polish
countess, who spent much Of her leisure
doing very beautiful altar embroidery
She did not understand a word Of Eng
lish. but she told me in German that she
was greatly reduced in circumstances.
and had realized On what remained Of her
property in order TO come 70 New York.
where she expected to teach needlework.
This woman had exactly $500 to her cred
it. She showed me the embroidered lin
eerie which she hoped TO sell advantage
ously in New York The work was ex-
duisite, but il was all wrought upon linen
as thick as we employ for bed sheets.
Fancy such a commodity finding a mar
ket in New York!
There were several young German girls
who hoped 10 obtain positions as nursery
governesses or ladies maiGs-girls sufl1-
ciently welI-tO-do 90 travel as cabin pas
sengeTs, and coming to America TO enter
domestic service They were accom-
plished in music and needleworkr and
finely educated. There was one little
Russian only twelve years old, bound for
California TO join her parents. She trav-
eled entirely alone, and trusted cheeTfuily
20 the steamship company to put her in
care Of the railroad officials, who would
see her safely TO her destination
The confidence with which the youth
lea seems a questionable form OF inter-
national policy on the part Of the moth
ers and fathers.
Why is a voyage home less thrilling
and pleasant than a voyage out?
Jack said my nose was always IN the
air-over the personnel OF the passen-
gers. the food, the service. AS I simply
~1T
essary my heaviest veil, at no time was
the position Of my nose a calculable
thing 10 Jack. The daschshUnd and I kept
rather exclusively to ourselves until
blew into the arms Of a big man In an
ulster one windy morning, and he, IN
turn, tTipped over what We mistOok for
stewards clothes-basket, but which
proved 10 be the bassinet of a two
months-oId baby covered with oil-cloth
tor the voyage. Finding an infant in
such an unexpected place was sufficient
to make Us break out ConyersauOnally.
II a strange man had been present when
little Moses was found in the bulTushes
even the daughter Of an Egyptian king
would have waived an introduction and
sqUeaied over the baby. Women cannot
help that kind of thing. My big man and
were friends on the spot. He was aS
strong as a lion, an American citizen
who thought enough Of his fatheTlaud
TO return every summer 10 Germany and
visit his old mother. 1 believe he had
crossed the ocean more than fifty times.
He was a splendid anchor when I want
ed to stand the wind Of the forward
deck and catch the spray that caught
the bow as We took the great rollers Of
the Gulf Stream.
1t was a rough voyage, and the nearsT
we came 10 America the keeneT was my
relish for the salt and brine Of the sea.
Jack had taken under his wing a dear
little Maryland girl, who was travelling
home from Europe alone, and with her
he talked long hours Of Atlantic City and
Annapolis jargon- When S0utherners
meet. what depths of congeniality are
sounded, We used to call this gay little
companion kitty" but It was not her
| correct name. Kitty took it upon herself
to run the "Zwischendeckers" off the
steps that connect the upper and lower
decks, and to spur the sailors to their
task OF setting babies upright when they
tOppled over under the vigorous on
slaught Of the broOms Kitty had the
history of all the rOsy-Cheeked deck
stewards down fine and Jack and I de-
pended upon her for the news of the
ship Ny erTant husband even went SO
far as to write an ode TO this maiden 5
useful charms. invoking her presence
upon all subsequent ocean voyages. A
/ lazy man does love a busybody woman
who hustles for gossip and dotes upon
setting crooked matters straight WheT-
ever little Kitty is-ruddy Of cheek and
curly Of head-lOng may she prosper and
help set the world to rights,
Ny big man-how dreadful it is not 10
disclose his identity, but he is too we'll
known in official Washington 20 do So
never spoke Of Kitty by any name but
Sherlock Holmes" I don't know what
I should have done without his calming
presence when we sailed into dear old
New York HarbOr one glorious morning.
Ny heart was so light at the prospect OF
soon beholding my chiidren-measles,
spots and all-that I hung over the rail
with the glasses glued to my eyes try
ing to distinguish a familiar form In the
crowd gathered to welcome our arrival
Jack was every bit as excited as I was;
only, being n man. the emotions or MS
soul did not flow glibly from the tip OF
his tongue.
Poor Kaiser would have been utterly
neglected II Kitty and the big man be
tween them had not attended TO the httle
fellows needs. The nearer ] approached
to my blessed babies the less 1 cared
for dogs.
That night, sitting around an immacu-
late table at the Waldorf. with parents
in-law and a few congenial friends, dis
oussine the best hot weather menu posi-
HE to find in New York, Jack said to ne:
How about t. Jean; sorry we didn't go
on to China?"
THE END,
The President Takes Them All.