The San Francisco call., 1910-02-12
WHEN CRUZTTA AND LUPE. CAME TO OUR SCHOOL

anything she doesn't want to. But
guess no one ever disobeys Miss
Prrce.
ASK these chlldrep what their
names are, Carmen where they come
from and what they want?'
Carmen spoke to them, very low, as
If she was ashamed. We couldn't hear,
but we all saw what Lupe did, TIe let
go of Cruzita's hand stepped right up
to Carmen and took off his ragged cap.
And he didn't put 1t on again all the
time he was talking to her. ! guess
that pleased Carmen, because her face
changed and after a minute she began
to smile CruZita and Lupe smNed too,
and there they Were all three laugh
ing away together.
"Well, Carmen, what is 1T? Let us
laugh too" Even Miss Pierce was
smiling to watch them.
why he's only and she's not
6 yet and they want to get work
He says he knows boy who works
after school and on Saturdays and
makes a lot Of money, but when he
tried to get q place nobody would take
him because he can't speak English
Some man told him to come to school
and learn first and then he would give
him some errands to run. So he came
and brought his sister because he
thinks maybe there's something she
can do too"
'For-the-lahd's sake-aliver
Mother says she's sure Miss Pierce
never said that But she did. / was
right in front and L heard it, Where
do they come from? And why is he in
such a hurry to so to work?"
Carmen talked to them again. They
didn't laugh now, and pretty soon [
thought Carmen was going to cry.
"Oh, they're awfully poor" l don't
believe she stopped to think whether
the girls were looking or not Their
fathers sick in bed and they haven't
had anything to eat but beans for the
longest time. And they didn't have
any dinner last night nor any break
fast this morning and there isn't any-
thing in the house when they go home
They have a little, tiny baby brother
that cries every time their mother goes
out, so she has to stay with him all
day. Their father got sick because he
used to go out every morning, whether
1T was raining or not to look for work.
but he couldn't get any, because he
can't speak English, either. They came
from Mexico, and they can only talk
Spanish. He says
Bring them into the Office Carmen ,,
Miss Pierce was almost CRYING She
took off her glasses, twisted them round
ana put them on again, and l saw her
eyes were wet.
and we bad to go In. At noon We trie1
TO get Carmen to tell us what Misss
Pierce had done, but she lust locked
important and smiled and wouldn't saw
a word. Early In the afternoon we
saw her go out with Miss Pierce and
tney dldn come back till 1t was al
most time to go home Than ME-
Pierce called a meeting and to1d ,,aa5
ABOUT IT, There were Cruz ana Tune
and the baby and the father apS
mother. They had Just one he'd ana q
stove and some boxes to sit on and
nothing to eat in the house at all
they had come all the 1yav e,
Mexico because they thought thsra r..aa onl
lots of work here for eyeryhody 80
they couldn't speak English and tbev
couldn md any. And now the father
was SICK and if we didn't do sometime
Ior him right away he would die II
m1ula ,,.I pe JUST the same as IL we had
hlileu MIN. Ihen she asked us IL each
or us wouldn't be willing to give so,1a
or our pocket money But bafora -
mad hnished speaking, every one of nc
poys and girls, was pushing nm ~ 49,
uesh carmen got there first and emn-
tied her purse; every one OF us banaa,,
over all we had. Then Miss &c.
counted it. When she got throueb she
TOOK OFT her glasses, and this time the
whole school saw her eyes were mot
she came down to the front OF the
Piatloiin ana you could have heard n
needle drop, IT was so quiet She didn't
say much. 1t was the way she looked
don't believe any of us will ever for.
get a word.
Girls and boys" she said. I'm prond
OF you' FAR prouder than IL every one
OF you had passed a perfect examtna~
ton. That would only have shown that
your heads are good. but this shows
that something far better than vo,r
heads-your hearts--are good You,va
made family very very happy and
you've done something for your countrv
besides. You've shown a stranger that
he Is welcome In our land; that our
doors are never shut night or day to a
man because he is poor"
Miss Pierce stopped for a moment
and then she said--and whenever she
looks GROSS gain I'm going 10 renaa.n