Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-24
Vivid Picture Painted of Peasant Poverty.
Child of Destitute Couple, Her Life One of
Grinding TOi-She Resolves at Last to
Commit Suicide
Terrible Hardships of Trip to Siberia Are
Graphically Described At Fourteen,
Continuing Years of SOuL-Searing Toll,
She Became Main Support of the Family

side, and both OF us wept bitterly at
parting. 1t was a gray, painful, in
comprehensive world into which I
was being led by my father. My
view of it was further blurred by a
stream Of tears.
| took are Of the little boy for
several days. One afternoon, while
amusing him by making figures in
the sand, I myself became 81 en-
crossed in the game that I quarreled
with my charge, which led to a fight.
| remember feeling keenly that ]
was in the right. But the child's
mother did not inquire into the mat
ter. She heard his screams and
spanked me for it.
/ was deeply hurt by the unde-
served spanking administered by a
strange woman.
where was my mother? Why
did not she come to avenge me?"
My mother did not answer my
cries. Nobody did. | felt miserable.
How wrong was the world, how un-
just! 1t was not worth while living
in such a world.
My feet were bare. My dress was
all in rags. Nobody seemed to care
for me. | was all alone, without
friends, and nobody knew of the
yearning in my heart. I would drown
myself. / thought. Yes, l would run
to the river and drown myself. Then
| would go up, free Of all pain, into
the arms of God.
l resolved to slip out at the first
chance and jump into the river, but
before the opportunity presented
itself my father called. He found
me all in tears.
whats the matter, Manka?" he
asked.
81 am going to drown myself,
papa" l answered sadly.
"Great Heavens! What's hap
pened, you foolish child?"
then poured my heart out to him.
begging to be taken to mother. He
caressed me and talked of mothers
distress if left my place. He prom
ised to buy MI a pair of shoes, if !
remained.
But | did not stay long. The little
boy, having seen his mo'her punish
me, began to take advan age Of me,
making life quite unbearablc. FL
nally ! ran away and wandered
about town till dark, looking for my
mother. It was late when a police
man picked me up crying in the
street and carried me to the police
station. The officer in charge of the
station took me to his home for the
night.
His house was rather large. | had
never been in such a house before.
When | awoke in the morning it
seemed to me that there were a
great many doors in it and all of
them aroused my curiosity. AS |
opened one of the doors, | beheld
the police officer asleep on a bed,
with a pistol alongside Of him. |
wanted to beat a hasty retreat, but
he awoke. He seized the pistol and,
still dazed from sleep, threatened me
with it. Frightened, | ran out of
the room.
My father, meanwhile, had been
informed Of my fight and had gone
to the police station in search of
me. He was referred to the police
officers home. There he found me,
weeping on the porch, and took me
to my mother.
My parents then decided to estab-
lish a home. All their capital
amounted to six rubles. They rented
a basement for three rubles a
month. Two rubles my father in
vested in some second hand furni-
ture, consisting of a lame table and
benches, and a few utensils. With
a few kopecks from the last ruble
in her purse my mother prepared
some food for US. She sent me to
buy a kopeck's worth of salt.
The grocery store of the street
was owned by a Jewess, named Mas
tasia Leontievna Fuchsman. She
looked at me closely when / entered
|. her store, recognizing that l was a
! stranger in the street, and asked
=, me:
Whose are your"
81 am of the Frolkovs. We just
moved into the basement in the next
|. block"
: ~ need a little girl to help me out.
. Would you like to work for me?"
she asked. an give you a ruble a
, month and board"