The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-18
How East Side Feels the War

door and was summoned In
"Dobry vecner (good evening". said
Good evening TO you"
| was not in the room longer than tvo
minutes when my little friend uncere.
moniously suggested that we take
walk, being doubtless abashed at nv
calling upon her without warning And
forthwith we started.
| Down we went through tho dImly
lighted hall on the second floor I no.
held through an open door a woman
pushing baby carriage to and fro and
singing in a monotonous wall 81 In hI,
loo lu.' a melody familiar to Jewish
mothers. My friend needed 1t not. nor
did ! say anything to her. but a; s,lu
possesses me. and rightly for did no,
sing the same when rocking nv babv
| sister?
We reached the street and then. wha,
a fury OF noises! There were swarm,
OF people there. vendors shouting thoi,
wares exhibited on pushcarts-every.
| thing from cooked sailed beans ana
baked sweet potatoes to underwear and
caps and sweaters-wagons and au,o.
mobiles going by. children playing and
what not. 1t was Saturday evening
when the older Jews had left their syna.
| gogues and were assembled I'm tho
streets. And then there were those WIN
were coming from work. and others WIN
were not working. all standing in the
cutters and on the sidewalks, talking
| ana gesticulating--of the hard time,
and the war, and the news from home
Yes indeed the war. for had not som.
I OF them wives and children in Europe
and friends-perhaps relatives-in both
the Russian and Austrian armies, and
was 1t not fortunate that they them.
| selves had come to America? Thev
would not nave escaped being ordered TO
the front.
We pushed our way through IN.
crowd.
And now. how have you been sine.
last saw you?" asked.
"Oh, quite WE'LL" my little friend r..
sponded. but would feel much bette-
| had work. I have only been wo K.
Ing two or three days a week for the
past month, and you know what that
means and father hasn't done much
more. And | need things too"
"How's that?"
We'll the war, / suppose The hoss
only Keeps on the week workers steadily.
rather and l are piece workers Last
week when | worked two days | made
s5'4o. year ago this time | had 10
WORK even on Sundays. we were 81
BUSY But no night work. When
work steadily | make about s11.5O. and
with that of course / can turn arounl.
make more than father because am
so much faster"
What does your father do?"
rather sews the cuffs on the shirts
and ! the collar bands. You know ore
person doesn't make the entire sh.r.
mere are those who work on the fronts
ana those who make the sleeves AND
sun others who attach them 10 the
snirt' ANA so on. | get II cents
dozen for that, and that pays fine.
we used To get II for it. but sine
ne place was made to move by The
Board of Health we get less. But still
am satisfied to work here hecaure
everything is SO much cleaner and il il
cool and light In the union places thy
only get eight cents for what | get
twelve here, and four cents for what
get eight. | suppose that's because we
carry better line--pongee and linens
and that sort of stun.
Say, do you know last week | went
to the opera and heard Carmen one
u the cutters in the place had TWO
tickets and he sold them to me for
% cents. certainly enjoyed II, and
now II ! We're working | would get
season ticket for Saturday evenings
IN" other nights | would not be able
10 20 because OF school. | do not want
to miss that for the world"
But now what do you do when YOU
are not working? Don't you go out
walking these sunny days? You need
it,"
NO. not very much. because always
find something to do. Some days
sew for myself, fixing up last years
things. And then l read, but mostly
Russian books, because | cannot get
In the library easy English books It 10
50 hard to understand the words |
thought II | We're working this season
| would get a dictionary good ono
that would give good definitions"
DO you like II where you are STAYING
now?"
"Oh, yes my missus is fine. She Is
as good to me as my mother was. and
she Is n stranger TO me. We found
her through a To Let sign in front
OF the street door. She cooks our
evening meal for us and only charges
US what 1t costs her, and father and
! pay her $3.50 a week for our board
Have you heard from home lately
mo. Before the war broke out father
sent home s25, but since that letter
went we have not had word from
my stepmother. suppose it's on &C.
count OF the war, / read that bread In
that town where she is Is pw about
40 cents pound. and everything has
gone up. The soldiers are srlL5-.ed
near there, and the army calls upon me
town for some OF its prov1Fons"
Wouldn't you like to see the Czas
defeated?"
What difference does It make ~ mF
who Is defeated? Aren't they all ny
brothers--Jews in the Russian army
and Jews In the Austrian army-man
against man everywhere? I dom care
who wins, II only the war would cease
We had come to my station,
when shall I come for my n'N
lesson, uchitel Ueacher)?" asked.
GOOD. how to remember. suppose
you come next Saturday"
well, then, I will say good-bS Bet
ter times are coming"
"Spokoinoi nochi" GOOD night.