El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-18
An Amigo Listo" Pilgrimage
A Glimpse at Things is They Are a Little Study Of a Big Problem and
Of Relief Methods
By EP.M-
Pilgrimage
By E P NJ.

picture on the wall. a straight. slim
young girl in charge, a sick father in
the alcOve, three little children peepinE
round the door frame. The young girl
sWe quietly: her father was a
master mechanic, but has been i'll i'm
bed for many weeks, the mother has
axe the youngest child and gone TO
Chihuahua to hunt work There was
no work in FL Paso- This young girl
has the sick father and three little
brothers and sisters to look after and
not one cent Of none and no food
In another house Of one room. where
the washing hangs on the line. is a
woman whose face is gray with pallOr.
u is evident that any another
Ire VIII be added to the little group
about her knees. Three children. the
eldest 9 years old. cling to her. She is
Just able TO stand in the doorway as
sue answers the questions Her hus-
band is working. he has found one
day S work in three weeks. They have
sold everything they had. The woman
Keeps quiet and polite as she tells what
NE meanSs she stands I'd quite braveIv
but then comes the long. sobbfnE
breath Of an utterly spent woman.
however, Amigo ListO promises to helm
wnen the baby comes, and gives her the
card allowing her a weeks provisions
and meat for the day. Meat ne
woman says. have not tasted meat
for one ear.
Work. Work. Work.
One Dig dark woman about seven
months along, standing in the doorway
ovid with children. is perfectly
courteous, but she talks darkIy and
llercely- She is angry at having to
beg. Give US work. she says. so we
eat without work We ave hunted for
work every day. I hate TO eat this food
Of charity"
And 50 it zoe Sometimes it is a
nan quick in every courtesy. not one
word OF his troubles, but at home a del
icately reared and educated wife in a
little mud hut. devoid Of everything. no
rood, no clothes, no bedding, not a de-
cency except the proud manner and
decent hearts Of them
Or 90 down this hollow, mind the
Stops that pave the street, mind the
dogs growing over IN ash heap. there
from a hole under the street. from a
door opening out into the smelly court.
a tiny woman comes smiling. hushing
a baby under her black rebOsa. Not a
polite salutatiOn overlooked. VIII the
senoras enter the dark hole2 CThe
senoras would not house a dog or sheep
or burro in that hole.) No, they do not
enter, but they see in the shadows a
man, five children. a bare bed, nothing
whatever on the springs, a bright col
ored picture Of a saint on the wall over
the bed, a stove, a box turned over for
a seat. and that is all Not a rag OF
scrap OF bedding, not a bit OF carpet.
You forget there is such a thing any
where as a pantry or icebox with food
IN It. You forget there are ever any
where clean blankets TO sleep under. or
splashing bathtubs for babies The
Mexican children dearly love baths. You
forget there are men who have regular
work TO do and women who a homes
TO keep their children in
Endless WOe.
Down one dirty. dreary street after
another YOU 80 and see people living
the most hopeless lives in the world.
Young widows with big families Of lit
tie children. OF families where the man
must be idle, living as you would not
keep dogs
See beautiful babies who have neither
milk nor blankets nor bathtubs. see
the bright faced boys with no home. no
school, no play but the street. no hope
ahead see pregnant women COINS
without food. and nursing mothers sick
for food and warmth see old women
trembling with cold and hunger and
idle men who could and would do good
wOrk-never hear a bitter word. never
hear an ugly word. never be crowded OF
1OstIed. never a black look. coutrari-
wise be greeted everywhere as courte-
ously as. or more -cOurteOusly than. you
are at an e-Ntravagant tea party where
food and light and warmth go to waste.
See a dozen people living in a hole in
a mud bank sleeping on the bare floor
See bright. good, capable human life
See human love and hope n beauty
dying by inches.
See sorrow and desolation stalking
the streets OF our bright, comfortable
city.
BraE about our city as a city OF op-
p%ortuuity, Of health for little children.
of affabIe climate, of comfortable
homes each with its garden plot. bras
Of il all. for il is true. There isn't a
happier. joIlier. more hopeful. comfort
able. HEAVIER blessed city in the world
than our sunshiny FL Paso. nor better
friends. nor better work But there is
Chihuahuira, and added TO ChihuahuiJa
are thousands OF war refugees. men
without work. pregnant women. cherubic
faced. little. curly haired babies that a
painter would love TO put in his pic
lures. soft spoken. Eazelle-eyed maid
ems dreaming and smiling at love as If
they were rich. idle but e~ternally pa
tient mem hoary. bent gray old men
and trembling old women No one can
mend the broken life of Mexico Time
may help. but some help can be given
20 it in Chihuahua through Amigo
ListO.
How Amigo LiStO Works.
The work OF Amigo ListO has been
going on satisfactorily SO long as funds