Evening star., 1921-04-24

I their upper-middle-class gauntness.
and each tried to act as though the
purpose of his visit were a secret to
the others, and as though the purpose
OF the others visit likewise were A
secret. 1t was here, the girl who had
written the advertisement told me.
that tact had overreached itself . bit
She had hoped that her visitors might
have no necessity for brushing ahoul-
deFs in mutual humilfAtion- Her plan
and to have no men and women sit
ting on the benches outside. But they
came too quickly for her.
The pastor. who is fifty years old,
has wife alphabetically enough
eight children. These he supports on
Ii. 900 marks a year. The present pur-
chasing power of q mark was cited to
me by a banker this morning AZ being
between IS to 20 pre-war pfennig. And
he maintains himself. Of course, In the
decent habilimcnts required by his
honorable profession.
Subsequent visits by doctor and nurse
to the pastors home showed that ali
ten members. including the pastor. were
suffering from undernourishnent: that
the pastors wife was on the verge of
nervous breakdown. because of what
amounted, in effect. to slow starvation
that five of the pastors offspring had
but one shirt apiece. and that none
have decent shoes. The pastors chill
drer were. in fact. unable to 60 to
church on Easter day.
Tho ships officer receives 500 marks
q montk--that is little over $l3 in
American money at the presen:
exchange rat-and supports a widowed
mother, his wife and three children.
Illness. the result of undernourishment.
brought him to the Consultation hour"
for middle and upper class people.
THE music teacher had believed
himself to be possessed Of remark
able perspicacity and business acumen
when he negotiated for a series OF street
car advertisements supplemented by
pamphlets inviting the public to learn
violin. guitar and mandolin virtuosity
from him He had figured that, with
expenses as they are, the piano is too
pretentiouS an instrument for the purse
OF the average music lover. and that.
once his ability as teacher of less
expensive instruments was brought to
the attention of the public. his troubles
would be over.
They had, in fact. only begun. No
pupils came. but the bills for advertis-
ing arrived promptly, Silver and fur
had once earned a decent enough living
and maintained a decent enough home
by his art-and at last his own musical
instruments went to help pay the price
of the plucky little ads that brought
no pupils. and the music teacher and his
wife and children were on the verge
Of starvation.
The sculptors widow is seventy-nine
years old. Her income on a little cap
ital left her by her artist husband was
about 500 marks a month-plenty in
pre-war days. Now, she is i'll and al
most blind and although she tries with
her gropinE old fingers to make lace
that may bring her in an additional!
mark here and there. she is unable.
A landscape gardener has a wife who
is expecting her eleventh child. The
oldest boy has an offer Of a job. but
no clothes in which to go to work.
Six Of the children have one pair of
apiece.
And so these 'gebildete Leute"--
these cultured people-come. Some are
given a little money; some OF the old
and sick are put into institutions tho
rickety and undernourished childrsa Ct
others are being sent into tho country.