The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1921-06-04

than those of the usual NOTED visitor"
who superhcially sees us for a few
days, losses an odmiring adjective or
two and goes his way. 1t is fifteen
years since Anzia Yczierska came TO
the east side from Warsaw, and dur
ing that time she has lived lUborious
days in crowded tcnements and shops
and streets. For a part of the time
she was the sole support OF her fam
lily which included nine children.
She worked in laundries, garment fac
tories-'I have done every kind OF
work" she sums up, simply, and her
sensitive but toil-worn fingers uncon-
sclously illustrate the statement.
-Four years ago she shut herself I'D
in a small tenement room, resolved to
express herself and her heroes of
reality as she calls the east side
workers among whom she has lived in
written words. Now her stories arc
being published in the leading maya
zines, the O'Brien collection Of "The
Best Short Stories of 1920" was dedi-
Gated to her, and--the final accoladel
'--she has begun to write for the
movies. But they can't keep her in
California, away from her beloved
New York, and yesterday she told me
why.
Il had 10 come back" she said.
because | wanted to live among the
living, 1t is an Inspiration to be in
New York because every one you meet
seems to be working for some pre,t
goal for some inner conception of
beauty. New York is so completoly
the opposite Of all that is SNUG. static
selt-Satisfied. II has the hungry
heart, and that is why it is the sc.no
OF such great achievements. When
you stop being hungry, you stop be-
ing aiivc-and young"
For what do you find New Workers.
hungry?" l asked Miss Yeziersko
There are so many hungers." she
answered, musingly. Sometimes of
course, there Is the hunger for ma
terial success, but | think that is far
Ioss common than superficial critics
would nave US believe. The New York
nan Is hungry for advancement, not
,.or inc material satisfaction it brings,
but for the sense of power fuIfiIied
ana extended which il gives him
New York men and woman a,iL -
are hungry for romance, although
sometimes they hide this hunger in
thelr hearts. L have seen more ro-
nance in New York than in the
most beautiful countryside. There
you have the physical attraction OF
youth for youth. But in New York
older men and women are not
satisfy it. ~
These older women are hungry
for youth, and why not? BecaIse OF
that hunger they keep young, in
spirit as well as flesh. They know
better than 70 be satisfied with a
maSsaglng away of wrinkles, n dive.
ing of gray hairs. They do not let
their hearts and souls grow old and
dull and stultified.
Girls and women in New York
are hungry for beauty. That Is the
.eai reason Tor their passion for
beautiful clothing and Jewels: these
things are their form of self expres-
sion. Most of them have no gift for
painting Or carving or writing poet
ry; SO they try to make of them
selves pictures or poems. I have
known little shopgirl to 70 almost
without food for days at a time in
order to buy long red feather for
her hat. To her. that feather was
an expression OF beauty. to attain
winch she willingly sacrificed her
Il knew a poor woman, a laun-
dress, whose hungry heart was set
on kitchen as beautiful in its glis-
tening white paint and glittering pans
as that OF the woman for whom she
worked. And by infinite struggle and
sacrifice and personal toll this poor
woman turned her dark little tene-
ment into replica OF the kitchen
beautifulness' she so admired.
Other women-so many OF them
are hungry for their children, eager
to give them music lessons or a col
lese education. yearning toward a
greater future for the boy or girl. The
children themselves are hungry to
learn.
And there was a man, an east side
butcher, OF whom wrote" Miss Yezi
erska recalled, smiling, the big eyes
more luminous than ever. what
do you suppose his hunger was? He
wanted to be absolutely Just in his
dealings with his customers: to treat
all alike. He used to say that his
idea OF American democracy was fail
weight and measure TO every man
woman and child!
1T 10 because OF this spirit OF as.
piration. OF idealisnn, which walks the
streets OF New York. that the immi-
grants who come here cannot be made
to leave 1t. Consciously or subcon-
sciously. they feel that in this city
every one has chance to show what
is in him or her; that ones future Is
ones own and is not prescribed by
ones past"
And YOU have found that New
York offers food to its hungry
heerts?" asked Miss Yezierska.
Wonderful food" she excla i'm ed
enthusiastically. Beauty, freedom
education, opportunity, friendship