The Cairo bulletin., 1909-08-24

-TNS about about b ere nssnoht
" a good appetite, laziness and sloy
enlness.
Renecca thought she was beautiful
IL she did not, why did she stroll the
length of the long room to fill her oil
can SIX times day when the other
girls oiled their machines three times
at the most? Why did she wear the
Dig bows OF gay ribbon across the
back of her head? Why were those
earrings in her ears and gay Jewels
on her fat hands? She deemed them
desirable adJunets to her persona,
+ loveliness.
TO Rosie Eisenstein. who was as
neat as a pin, and to Lena Olson who
had not been brought up in the Ghet
TO, Rebecea was repulsiye. But Re.
/ beeca loved them with a mad devotios
only less real than her devotion 10.
the man who sewed on the double.
stitch machine
Rebecca had come over from Rus
STA three or four years before as had
most OF the girls in the sWeatshon
She had no education save for a little
received as child She had worked
on ovefalIs since she was II, three
years before, and had advanced nc
further than to earn four dollars 4
week, while others who started with
| her We're making as much as seven
dollars week and doing piece work
What WAS Rebeeca's grace IT
seemed to be either her generous SUP
ply Of affection for eyeryone--aifeetios.
not desired by any-or her strone
sense OF humor. At lunch time he
voluble conversation in Yiddish,
which came thickl; and continuously
out 81 her mouth while chunks Of salt
fsflsh went in, was greeted with frp
quent shouts of laughter. Though
loved by no one. her society was not
Stunned, for her eyerready fund of
jokes amused everybody
1t happened one evening that Sadi
little, frightened. dark-eyad. dar,
skinned girl who had come shrinking
~ to work AT the shop two weeks b..
lore. had received her first payment
OF three dollars. The first weeks won K
OF each girl had to be gratis.
Sadie had tied up the precious dbl
ter bills in bit OF c8arse white clo- h
which she hado found by her machine
and had wrapped the whole around
with thread Then she tucked VI q
package securely in her waist. She
put on her hat and coat at closing
time. quietly and silently, for Sadie
$50 shy and frightened was She
knew no one even after two weeks In
the shop
She put her hand fer the tenth
time inside her waist TO feel the little
white bundle. Then look of fright
CONFUSED her teatues. il was gone
hen money?
Her tongue then was loosened. A
volume of spatterirg Yiddish. English
and Russian Historically bursting
forth, made eyep girl anxious to dc
what she could to relieve Sadie's dis
tross
Going down on their knees on the
dirty Loor. they loo,ed under papers
and rags for the little white bundle
tied around with thread. They coIld
nof Hnd it anywhere.
"You would to steal it," his,ed
Sadie, looking accusingly from one to
an"ther. at Rebecca, Lena, Rosie and
last at Fannie
They all denied the charge emplsat-
ically in Yiddish, English and F.us
sian.
It's a lie!" said Fannie, incensed
that her honesty should be doubted by
a strange girl in the sweatehop. Amt
5hame' Comes no robbers by hoe"
But The strange little girl heard not.
a small tragic figure she was as her
dark eyes momentarily grew bigger
and more wild.
He will to have fierce mad on
me- She moaned. II can't to go on
NY house. lie may bees to hit mel"
Her voice broke piteously. Sinking
in little forlorn heap on the floor.
she trembled and choked and sobbed
Rosie. Lena, Fannie and Rebecca
stood silent. Sadie shuddered VIC
lently and wept on.
You could to have this the whites
you are scairt to 60 on your house"
IL was Rebecca's big. warm 'oice that
spoke. IL was Rebecca VIII impuis-
lively tucked three one-dollai bills into
the coarse, dirty hand of Sadie
Sadie clutched the money eagerly
and went out silently and hurriedly,
as if in fear that it would be taken
from her
II means much in the sweatshop to
give away three dollars Enough il
happened that Sadie that evening
ripped herself open and found in one
OF the ereviees of her winter packing
the white bundle tied with a thread.
Rebecca could not have known. any
more than did Rosie OF Lena or Fan
ME. that the money was safe.
Incongruous it seemed that Rebecca,
who had not a feature indicating the
nobler sentiments, whose very pres
ence was repulsivs, should have been
the one to do the big and generous
thing.
A book worm 10 not necessarily o
bore.