Evening star., 1914-07-18
Called America Taradise.

CallGQ America afaOlSe.
From the ancient hills of Sicily, from
the hower-embroidered fields where Pros
erpina played and Pluto wooed. they had
come to America, the Agnellos-Teodoro
and Maria. And in America-''il para
diso," they had dreamed of it-this is
what befell.
They were erecting a model factory in
our town. one of the first. 1t stands now.
as a special sight for visitors.
Teodoro was doing his share to help
on this beneficent undertaking. With
heavy barrows of mortar on his shoulder
he scaled ladders and walked narrow
girders.
II one lost his balance, or stepped too
far aside to let another pass-one may
read statistics to know the life-cost Of
labor-well. Teodoro was not dead when
they examined him. He breathed.
1t was eighteen months before he could
rise and walk about. But only a few
days after the breaking of his body he
was left alone, helpless on his bed, by
a loving wife and an inhuman society,
left to be the caretaker of four small
children. The mother knew that they
ate. for she left bread every morning on
the table. and she worked from until 8
to get the money to buy 1t.
Work Of Insurance Agent.
The insurance company with which
the contractors for the model fac
tory made business arrangements to care
for their injured and dead sent from
their palace in New York an agent to
our town. He. dwelling in the security
of high-storied office, had his agent,
too. The subagent was political ward
heeler regularly maintained in a munic-
ipal position that from this vantage
point he might usefully control the un-
knowing foreigner.
In this way the power of the New
York palace presented itself at the bed
side Of Teodoro. about week after the
breaking of his body. The lids lay thin
over his sunken eyes. His rosy, begrimed
little children stood silently, innocently
around.
Pauently the subagent sat, and pa
tfently he held Teodoro's hand He wait
ed quietly when the mans consciousness
seemed to ebb away in utter exhaustion
But after half an hour of effort, with
the gentlest possible guiding of the pale.
gnarled hand, waiting a space between
each letter. he caused him to write his
name. "Agnello Teodoro." at the foot
of a piece of paper
For pittance Teodoro had signed away
his right to sue the contractors for the
almost total loss of his body. life. liberty
and the ability to pursue happiness.
So the mother worked. bending her
And the little unnested children cried.
One of them fell sick and died: a new
baby came and died. The tall woman
grew taller for thinness. and her cheeks
pinker. and her eyes blacker for the fire
of the soul that burned through them.
Mother Victim of Disease.
Then there in the model factory. Maria
Agnello also fell-fell into another un-
guarded pit. She had no time to see it
in her great haste. five-dollar-a-week
job builds no rail round the pit of over
work and deepening responsibility. Tu-
berculosis stepped beside and pushed her
down. She fought bravely for health.
In October they took her to the county
hospital. In about two weeks she was
dead. The four children were removed
by the Children's Aid Society and sepa-
rated in two orphan asylums.
The manned man was alone. He could
walk now, and get around haltingly;. he
tried to find work But our industrial
system has no place for the lame. Day
after day he sat in the corner of the
kitchen with his head on his arm and
sobbed.
He felt his mind bewildered A thou
sand thoughts like a mob beat through
his brain. Slowly one emerged and
knocked insistently: How did it all hap
pen? He traced back. step by step,
through the gloom to the old sunshine
ah. the fall! But that was by the grace
of God. Then the insurance COM
pany's agents subagent. Had he not
heard that for an injury Ike his the law
awarded not hundreds. but thousands of
dollars?
If the subagent had not held out his
hand half an hour making him sign a
paper. there would have been more
money. and not only could the doctors
have been paid, but Maria could have
stayed at home. and she would still be
tall. taller than he, and pink under her
dark eyes, and the children would not
have died, or have gone to the asylum,
and there would be home and he would
be getting stronger. and some one would
give him work.
Starts Out to Seek Justice.
He grew feverish. Oh. for some justice
to change al to ko 1ifo ripbtf His