The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-25
Djuka'S Thanksgiving
4 Tale of the other Half
BY JAMES GABELLE.

Poor, lame little Djuka Vukelic sat,
sad and forlorn, in front of her home
in a shabby courtyard known as
The Patch, looking longingly to-
ward North Second street. Second
street is to THE Patch" what Broad
way is to New York, the Strand TO
London, or the Champs Elysees to
Paris. Today in "The Patch" all was
stagnation. Even old Mother Cero-
Vich, who was either quarreling or
getting ready to quarrel when she
was sober, or whining and crying
and wishing herself back home in
the old country when she was drunk,
was enjoying one of those extreme
~ rare intervals when she was
neither one nor the other The chill
dren were either at school or picking
coal along the railroad track. There
was no movement anywhere.
Because of her lameness Djuka
could not join the other children in
helping around the house. Neither
could she pick pieces of coal wood
or cinders from the city dump. Often
would her mother sCold her, for in
THE Patch" life is hard and in time
the savage shows. That she did not
mean all the words she used did not
lessen their cruelty.
worthless one!" she would storm
Think shame on vot you are! You
can not the baby mind or the coal or
wood bring. All the time you sits
und holdings does; For Wy you live
yet, [ dunno? | wish you better get
soons, or somedinks else. ! don't care
yich."
Then Djuka would creep away
with tears in her eyes, white, tremu-
lous lips and sob in a half choked
fashion to herself and Jedva. Jedva
was a china headed, sawdust- bodied
doll, with cracked face and one
arm and leg IT was q veteran of
many wars before finding its way to
the small dump just beyond THE
Patch" and had been given her in
an outburst of generosity by big
Melovan Jankewlcs, who had no use
for dolls. To Jedva she confided her
few joys and many griefs and it
was wonderful how well Jedva knew
and understood.
mo one is lovin' nit me but you,
Jedva" she sobbed, after her moth
er's latest outburst, the tears stream
ing down her thin, prematurely old
face. But you are lovin' init me, |
und l am loVin' init you, und some |
day l will be rich. I'll get a chob |
und make most a dollar a day, den |
| buy you a nice dress, all blue and
red und green, NIT big yellow flow |
ars yuist like Sophia Jankewics. und
Il hat, too nit puppel fedders und
We will get a ride from off the street
cars effery Sunday Yass, und hat
all the bread to eat dot We want. |
Won't dot be nice?"
Old man Vitmeloyx, who did odd |
Jobs along the levee and was often |
aid off, would sometimes come by |
md carry her to the curbin" on |
Second street. There she could |
watch the wagons, autos and street |
,ars pass. To ride in the latter |
seemed to Djuka the height of lux
Try. Once in n great, great while
} red letter days of her life!--the |
Ire department would go racing by |
In the midst Of her grief surly old |
came along, picked her up |
md carried her over to Second street. |
He was the only one that was ever |
lind to her and she was the only |
me that he was ever kind to. Per-
laps the memory of a little hunch- |
,ack daughter who died in far-off |
Serbia had much TO do with 1t.
She sat on the curbing hugging !
Iedva to her bosom her grief for |
gotten for the moment. Absorbed |
n the scene before her, she did not |
notice o girl of her own age until |
he latter broke in:
Gee, kid! Wot we got there?"
Djuka shrank back. Her first |
bought was that she was to be |
obbed Of her treasure, but the other
aseght sight of the dilapidated doll |
nd laughed.
HUH" she said contemptously. |
1t amt nothin' but an old doll. l
.ot two lots better'n that. Why, it's |
ace is broke, too. That amt no |
God. You orter see mine"
Djuka was greatly relieved. 1t
vas evident that the newcomer had
10 intention Of robbing her Of her
reasure.
You nicer dolly have got?" she