The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1920-06-30
Yellow Elbows
BY YErrA KAY sToDDARD

if we are always with more babies
and more cousins yet to come from
Russia? ~
There makes way, Mirya. There
makes always a way" philosophical
Lyman.
But how comes 1t that shall now,
when 1 want so much to practise, ami
there is no place with always someone
around, day and night hereT
Next week Leon he goes on day
shift, and then you sing in this room
when there is no eating"
But always the baby is sleeping
Babies, they should learn sleeping
with singing"
Bah, 1 should have hours! How
comes it that I should go on the roof
and practise, Father"
"Oh, the roof-the neighbors will
say at Tonetloffs they make the buggy
house, singing on the rOor ~
But TO the roof went Mirya, prac-
Using everything remembered of school
songs and exercises. However, hav-
ing caught sight of the streams, the
rivers and the open seas of music.
she realized that no swimming was
to be in pan of water. Ambition
had dawned.
You remember the frightful annual
Jrw-slaughterings of Iiiev. 1t was
to bring away nine prospective victims
that Hyman Tonetloff determined to
head for an American shelter with
his wife and seven children. Mirya
was six, the flower of the family, II
you speak of blossoms when mention
ing people like Tonetloff's at the pc
iiod of their migrations.
The quack-quack of ducks suggests
tracked mud not more instantaneously
than new names like Tonetloff sug-
gcsts dirt and lack of sanitation. Vel
low elbows were indeed theirs, but
deep and loyal was the mutual affec-
ton that flourished among them. They
fastened themselves upon Homestead
LYMAN drew nourishment for his hun
CRY brood from the nearest rolling
mill; and the children, down to the
youngest admissible, went to school
Every year or so a new baby and
bcdraggled cousin or uncle or Old
auntie found his or her way across
cosmic businesses. watery depths and
the New York Central line. into the
crowded rooms at Homestead, where
oh-so very many relatives awaited
the newcomer with loving expressions
of tender welcoming. 1prp Al" d
Not long after Mirya's fourteenth
birthday the rooftop returned to its
old silence. Entering the employment
of Taylor's swell department store
in Pittsburgh. n new time came on
for her. There she met a number OF
girls lately of the class of yellow ell
Lows like herself, Irish, Italian, Jewish
girls who had learned the benefits OF
the bath and mastered some of the
nicetcs of refined toilet Miryas
nails rounded neatly. Her crinkly hair
swept into bright tower that brought
in many male customer for his first
personal purchase of n paper of pins.
LITTLE by little Mirya was turning her
self into n beauty and she was not for
getting. meanwhile. the grandcr pur-
poses of her life.
Professor Micacl's wife had gone 10
lin with the news that pure tone was
in Yellow Mirya's throat, and after
that, twice II week, Il glorious shcred
hour of musical instruction belonged
to the girl Naturally initiative, she
was soon at considerable apparent case
in dozen lyrics in five languages. the
words of which as yet, meant little
. to her uncultivatcd mind. Listening to
photographic records during the noon
hour she reproduced at night. for the
surprising joy of her loved ones in
the thick atmosphere of the Tonctloff
quarters, Calves pearls and Melba'S
gold: and neither the babies nor the
toil-rackcd relatives slept thru her per
fOrmances.
She heard Lohengrin from high
'.ncaven' and came home with Elsa III
heart. soul, throat, and manner. That
night. lying wakcful among heavily
sleeping little brothers and sisters.
Mrya began to sec rather clearly whnt
life cXactcd of her; and starting then
with one great determined impetus of
fully-arOused ambition, she went for
ward thereafter. with every turn OF
every door-handle behind her. toward
the successful operate career she is
now i'm the triumphant midst of
Yellow elbows? Yes, in the past of
some of these children OF sorrow who
come to us in lowlincss from afar, who
knows what seeds of rare achievement
lie buried? Look at the talent that ha
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