Evening star., 1909-05-16

the timely advice to beat 1t while your
shoes are goody
"Of all places visited I found the mu-
nicipal lodging house the most inviting
scrupulous cleanliness in the way Of
baths fumigation and clean linen being
observed At this place I chopped wood
and made beds in return for lodging and
food Contrary to my expectation. the
smell of sulphurous fumes In my clothes
soon disappeared once in the open air.
The Salvation Army provides no beds. ex-
cept for those who are working in the in
dustrial home. Nor was / able to secure
any clothes here without paying a small
sum.
My search for work led me to many
wholesale groceries and commission
houses. The vacancies in the clerical de-
partments> are few and far between and
manual labor is done by colored men,
Greeks and Italians almost without ex-
ception. Sometimes the foreman Is ALI
Italian and invariably gives the prefer
ence to his own countrymen to the eXclu-
sion Of all others who are ready ana
anxious to work. At certain dry goods
establishment where applied q gentle
man with pronounced German accent up
braided me for having left my own
country. He was utterly oblivious to the
fact that he himself had once been guilty
of leaving the happy fatherland.
1.-The manners of business men difered
greatly Some with every evidence of
good breeding offered me q chair and
paper to read till they could attend to
me; others completely ignored my pres
ence in their Offices and after much wait
ing without thought of apology. gruff1y
announced that they had more help than
they needed.
II had long since discovered that the
hardest kind of work is to be out or
work. succession of refusals, constant
worry and much walking made me very
tired. One day large inscription on
public building attracted my attention.
For the People" Entering this building,
I found myself In the Public Library:
What a privilege! Soon my thoughts
were buried In the pages Of a book. When
/ entered I was worn out and tired; on
leaving / felt refreshed and had forgot
ten my troubles for the time being. Moth
ing so good as q little mental recreation.
1t takes one out of his own small sphere
to read the thoughts OF others. l know
of my own experience that a public Ii
brary is blessing to the man out OF
work.
yet another welcome sign. This was
outside the Central Union Mission-'Ho,
every one that thirsteth,' etc. These pub
lie drinking fountains are boon to one
in my predicament. 1t is embarrassing to
walk into business house and ask for
water to drink, especially If your clothes
are the worse for wear. 1t seems wrong
to receive as favor from some unoblig-
ing attendant that which should be as
free as the air itself.
How often. too. I found rest on the
park benches. I had been listening one
night to various religious sects on the
avenue. In view of my case and many
parallel instances, l was inclined to dis
credit the intelligence of those who an
nounced from the platform of Christian
ity that there is God Of Mercy, adverse
events seeming to preclude the possibility
of such being the case. But as l sat in
the beautiful parks Of this city. midst
an opaescent radiance born of the twi-
light and the dawn-for l was out all
night sometimes-this thought vanished.
The singing birds. the green grass. the
smell Of the flowers told me that was
wrong.
Il have soliloquized along other lines
also. On two occasions 1 had no food for
thirty-six hours. By what law or rule OF
equity was 1 to be deprived OF the five
natural medicines? Fresh air. pure water
and exercise cost nothing. But food and
sleep offered q problem More than once
I encountered recruiting office. Able
bodied men Of good character who can
read and write English? / could fill the
l.
But have never become naturalized.
81 was full of hope and ambition
through 1t all and far from reaching the
point where one considers suicide. Some
people are more level-headed than others
when q crisis presents itself. I belong to
this category, I believe. The suicide bu-
reaus of the Salvation Army have done
much to help the disconsolate. Men have
been known to visit these places and re-
ceive advice. after which they have dis
carded revolvers, raZors. poison and other
weapons of death. They have left these
places rejoicing in the words:
When other helpers fall
And comforts fec.
Help of the helpless, Lord,
Abide with me.
should I not remember that the in
ner side of every cloud Is bright and