The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-17
HOME SERVICE HELPS
RAFAElO FIND HIMSELF

lcountry. He could read and write a
nortunity to study English, so that at
'twenty-seven when the great war came
and he was called to the colors, he
could neither read nor write it. But he
had grown to be a fine n1iner--weli
huilt--with perfect health and he was
able to mine more coal than any other
two men. He once got out thirty
two and half tons In one day. or
rather as his days work--which was
exactly four hours, This won him
I honorable mention In the company
journal which was published in the
town where Rafaelo lived. II seems
unbelievahle---but there it is in black
and white
In those days--just before the war,
Rafaelo was making as high as $3.50
a month. He was his own man--hap-
py. independent--his future and that
of his wife and little girl assured. Then
Rafaelo was drafted. He laid down
his pick and took up q gun-gladly.
as thousands OF his fellow countrymen
did for Uncle Sam, ard these Italians
for the most part have made happy.
| cheerful soldiers Certainly Rafaeio
/ did. carrying his winning smile right
into the thick of things over there. yes
and coming home with IL too--even
though he left a leg somewhere in
| France.
| While he was away there was de-
! lay about the allotment and allow
ance due Rafaelos wife and she APP
pealed TO the Red Cross Home Serv-
ice, They were able TO straighten this
I out for her She worked--and man
aged TO keep the little girl, very
krfpbf rhiII m SHhnpl
| Then Rafaeio, big, strong, smiling
| Rafaelo, came honle-with one leg
gone. He suffered a good deal at
times. finding 1t most difficult to get
about on crutches on account of his
weight
! Smiling stil--yes--when one was
| looking at him. but when he was alone
his face fell into rather tragic lines
| lines caused by physical and mental
suffering, He is no fool, this Rafaeio.
| He knows better than anyone else his
| limitations, He cannot read nor write
he cannot even speak SO that people
can readily understand him; he knows
coal mining and nothing else-what
of the future? He is no longer a man
/ among men--so his thoughts run----he
| lis weakling. something for someone
| TO take care of 1t is CALLING to him
| to have even women and little chill
dren to open doors for him and help
nnss nnr,s ~ 60 az a ,tansa,d ra
ro;xsanra 80 -, ,-oai.nes "a 49,.
| -. - r,tsa 20 49, ,t,.1a ~, u
49, r,aon. ~ 49, -, ss,',,.ir,x,
on ~. So "a ro+ IA IT. t,,,,ra
| lnotsas h,aoL A., tai. ro,,1s &C
! in Rafaelo's face when he thought no
one was looking But he was inartic-
ulate~-like thousands of others.
pa crass parhana :, ~, 80
,;oaahIt, $40 rtaoas ~, ~ 30 49, ~
w. III ~ Itaiio -, 80
,s. h,,.i.,,, s,,,9,r 80 'i &c
go az r,'. - sa'. ~ a.
| , ,me .eu onoSs ms ial.h anu ens,I
a. ~ - GO ssl.,.tSe an Isl ,rl
soo1 -. ~. =. ,,.th .h'et
49,. nan,., a.r'1a ~, 49,
t,,s,Is,, .h,s ahtd;r $50 W"
And az VIZ pafae,o sstas tor al.
,;ca aho,,t w nax,,rnnsa+ir',, ~, q" Az
,,a ~ alaa
80 1917; - -, ~ aa,.,
ata, ,,s. " 49,,
go ancan,ed Mnanm,si,a ,ans,.,,s,
! a;so,,,siorna, $1,000 f,,.,,,a 80
,ia.a n,,a a. ar1a 800 80 80 ,an
| r,t.h ~ eaaora, hoara.s rarrasa,ta
$50 A., erst yhar 49, H. So,
worker oyevtionnd pafaeIo os to any
ar,httior ~ ,,,nrt otha- 49, ,,irtns
-. tnna,lnaga 10 snv tind-ha nni,,
sbruggaa ~. shom,snrs ana s,no,, ~
he,a IL hnnaIas~ wav h,,t radnali,,
as ariou, hives. ynar uith tu,n ~
fao,l,, COOS avs rriy.t a. n,ara 80,
aos.ss - enamaa sonoa ,,taras. ~,
The on,v an,hi,ion voicaa was IN an
c,,,ar ~ .na ,ras+ior 10 ~ H.,
carv,.o vacrs, AZ, 49, harrarea 10
ho,sin ,a,,er =, har ha,d a. 80
r,an, VIVA a.ouId ,o, ,ita - a.
n,ors ,han ary,hirt, ~ the ,rhcia
ror,a pafas,o o."
Va ,ooLca .. Tho let.er ana said
.srha,u
.re r..a,-
.yoaara r,r,,o-
The yoca.iora, hoard ,y,,, ,a.nr x,o,,
reas "a ,r,.i.a 80 W. A. ,,.S.is
tbat ,,,l1 r,,ra vo,, r,,ch nnora,,.
nerba,s nc r,n.h az va, .ot 4, r..
mines wouIdn,t va, 1ika tb.t -,
parae,o sTn5,ea ana saia ..yes.
O. 4, VS. ,rr,ngad ~, a,a,,s
co ~ ia trv.o,,t School y, w,sbj,a
tor eva ara o,,. Mat ~ no,aa A.
bast
Na.ru,,no +.o or.,scr,, w.
o. all haa has,, rna.s,,,.aa h,,t u,ha. :,
arrived ba insistad n ala NJ eta
tha. q hnrt bi,,, CO tha IIora 60
Ice ofena halnnd Mn, sena ~ bac,,