The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-05
Mother Mellicher
Translated by Avrom Landy

mouse mere. women, large pony, Win grey
shawls, their faces white and CLASSY, strain
ed upward. Men, too. Half-grown lads. Old
men. They walked in twos, in threes. In long
lines The whole neighboring quarter was in
motion.
She shrank. What did these people want?
Were they hungry too? She was a lone travel
er. She had been that even as child. Nor
did she ever go with such crowds. She even
avoided them. She was afraid Of them. What
were they doing? They shouted. They reared
through the streets. They were rebels. But
was there any use of that? Was that wise?
Weren't they always beaten down again?
She bent her head lower Why had she gone
along, anyway? She had been urged to go.
All are going today, the neighbor woman had
told her. From the whole city. Behind the
city park. There is to be a meeting. What
about? Her neighbOr had laughed out. About
hunger! About hunger? Well, did she think
she was the only hungry one? Didn't she see
that it wasn't only in her own house that bread
was lacking. Along the whole street, they
were crying out for it. Beyond in the suburb.
J Everywhere. And today they were to rise up
| against it.
| Around her it became nosier. The crowds
| of marchers became denser. They all talked
Many harsh and screaming. Most of them al
so raised their hands. Thin, transparent hands
like her own. What did they talk about? She
tried to catch few words.
BESIDE her walked cringing, hunchbacked
woman. She also dragged one leg. Her
face was small and apprehensive. "Since yes
terday we've had no bread, no flour, no pota-
toes She said it slowly, merely thrusting each
word out before her.
Another replied: I'VE are even worse of.
My big boy who laid bricks, IS In bed. He's
I got fever MY husband has been out Of work
for four weeks. l can't find any work either"
"Oh," third raised her voice. what about
me. My baby is dying. First his feet gave
way. Now only his breath is still wheeling.
And what's he to live on?'
Mother MeIlicher looked about her in as
constituent Who was talking there? What
voices were those? Who was starving there
too? Who was complaining? Who was sit
uated in life like her, isolated and outcast?
Was not she the only one? Who was sudden
ly pressing right up to her? She shivered and
tried to SMILE
The first whom she saw more closely was
the hunchbacked woman. Her small, anxious
face was even more wrnkled than her own
and her skin hung on her cheek bones like a
rag. Besides her hobbled a taller woman. Out
of neckerchief peered a sallow, shrunken
face. The feet beneath it dragged behind as
if they were heavy iron clumps. And they all
looked the same, those who went with her.
They were emaciated and weary. They push
ed themselves forward as though they could
no longer endure their lives. And in their
faces, misery and hunger were visible as if
they had been branded with it.
Mother Mellcher's eyes became moist So
there were hundreds who we're cast aside and
doomed in the same way as herself. She was
really not the only one. All those who were
going back and in front of her were just as
much So She felt that as consolation. Nay,
more, as blessing. At that, something snap
ped somewhere within her. Her loneliness.
Her bitterness. Her isolation. All at once she
felt unlocked. AS if expanded in every drec-
ton. All the walls were crumbling. She was
merely flowing along. She was melting away.
She felt too, as if everything in and about her
were becoming lighter.
AT the same time she sensed it in her steps.
In her body. She no longer walked alone Her
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