The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-12


adoleseent fancy. His region did not extend very
far. He liked his father, his mother too but his
father little more especially when he unfOied a
cigar and let Davie light it for him.
Davie was happy He read Dickens, rode his BIZ
cycle, and drew crayon pictures. He exceedingly
glad when busy drawing, then curious ideas would
form in his head which he later tried to depict upon
paper. Davie aspred to be an artist. His teacher
he also fond of, especially when she showed his
creations to other teachers.
Suddenly the pillars of his imaginary world col
lapsed and left him cropping in the dark ruins of
childish impressions. This happened when his
father, of the fourteen striking cloallmakers,
was sentenced by Judge Rosalsky to serve from two
and half to five years in prison. The Hnheard of
cruelty of the sentences evoked strong protests from
the entire labor movement Dayie was in the court
room when his father found guilty, but did not
realize the seriousness of the situation until he
reached home. The court fascinated him
greatly His eyes dilated about the large room first
resting upon the judge and then shifted to other To-
calities. He enjoyed listening to the lawyers plead
before the bar. The whole situation pleased him.
If only his father weren't there he would have been
happy.
It was at first difficult for him to grow accus-
toned to the new conditions. Home seemed minus
something he couldn't live without Whenever the
door bell rang Dagie to the door, expecting to
see his father enter. His disappointment showed it.
self in many ways. He no longer had the same de-
sire to play, draw pictures. Instead he listened
to his mother explain the fundamentals of the class
struggle of which his father was another victim.
Some things Dave readily understood ON other
points he pressed her for information. She
told him of other men who have made sacrifices for
the cause, and Davie listened. Soon he no
longer ashamed of having his father in prison. This
found information toppled his entire social
structure. New vistas opened before him. He.began
dreaming of some day being great labor leader.
Visionary expectations of becoming like Lenin whose
picture hung the wall occupied his attention. 1t
was pleasant day dreaming to him.
One of the things that puzzled him the word
Intimidation" of which his father accused. He
looked it up in the dictionary "to Brighten the
answer he received. This explanation confused him
still more. precocious intuition informed him that
his father was innocent He felt certain of it, and
began hating society for taking away mis- father.
Last week Dayie, along with his mother and uncle,
paved his father visit. And today he sat in his
classroom trying to concentrate his lessons.
Somehow the drab prison and his father living in it
kept circling around in his thoughts In his dream
version he peced together the many events differ
emily, sometimes adding things which never oc-
curred and at other times he racked his head trying
to recall some incident which he had forgotten.
First walked the prison guard. That Davie re-
membered but he couldn't recall whether he was
tall short, having taken no particular notice of
him. All that impressed him that his face
seemed unfriendly and that in his right hand shook
a chain of keys. Behind him came Uncle Mednick
holding to his hat though he afraid of
losing it. His bare head slightly bowed and his
right arm interlocked with that of Davies mother
stepping beside him. Davie followed them several
PAGES away.
He pictured the grey clad guard leading
them through wide corridor lined on both sides by
rows of cells 1t was the first time that he the
interior of a prison and the direct contact with a
thing that was hitherto something mysterious COM
petely overwhelmed him. Davie felt i'll at ease and
seemed to brighten when his eyes discerned faces
behind the bars. He hurriedy shifted his gaze
elsewhere and continued walking feeling as though
he were treading upon forbidden path.
Before long he remembered seeing the guide pause
in front of a cell and insert Of the keys into
a large lock. Dave heard familiar voice call
"Sonia' 1t was his mothers and he turned
around to her step through the open door
Davie remembered gasping, ats papa Then he felt
his fathers lips press warmly to his checks The
sight of him, dressed in the regulation prison uni
form Mortified him, but only for instant. He
smiled sheepshy and replied "Pm all right in reply
to his fathers, "How do you feel Dave?" The rest
of the conversation which he had inclination to
join was carried on in Jewish. He sat on a corner
of the cot and listened attentively sometimes miss
ing words which he later tried to fit into sentences