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NOELA la on of a Ghetto family of eight which
Uvea on lews thnn $5 a week.
Not to have known Angela U to have mlssc il
the greatest of Inspirations to contentment In
adverse surroundings. To make her acquaint
ance one has to go to 114 Bunker street, Chi
cago. To see her anywhere clee Is impossible,
for the utmost distance that Angela or any of
the family ever goes from home, farther than the grocery
and the raids which she makes upon the nearby alleys, la
when she " stays by " her aunt, who Uvea only four blocks
away.
Angela lives at 114 Bunker street " rear." The passage
leading to It Is so narrow that a better way Is to go In by
the alley and the back gate. A happy obliviousness of gar
bage, an extremely deep step down, regardless of an Inter
vening puddle, and a serene optimism that the tiny shanty Is
really a house, and not a little stable belong'ng to the cottage
In front If persisted In long enough will lan1 you In Angela s
yard.
, The first time I saw her she was out there In the alley
herself, rolling out a garbage can. They were Just the same
height, though the garbage can was In far better shape, being
less worldworn and probably having several years the ad
vantnge of Angela, even though she was only 8. She wore
a dress of old rose cashmere, with a skimpy, little, tight waist
made with whalebones and buttoned up the front. It had a
train and had seen better days.
Gospel of Cleanliness Unknown.
Angela never has. There are too manv editions like her
self, both older and younger mostly younger which make
their appearance at the first sound of conversation. There
Is Jennie at 12, Phillip at CV4, Tony at 4, Mary nearly 3 and
sick, and Johnnie, who Joins In the rush to Investigate the
unusual disturbance by being carried In the arms of his
mother.
The family, that has never heard of the gospel of cleanli
ness, also lives in darknr.is as far as langunge Is concerned.
Jennie Is Interpreter. " She has had ten children," she says,
pointing to her mother, " and she Is only 34 years old. We
have been In this country twelve years. My father earns
1.40 a day working on the track. But h? has to go on the
cinch car, and so It Is only $1.30. Then he Is sick most all
of the time. Sometimes he can make a whole week, some
times only a few days, and sometimes he can't work for a
week at a time. And then we have to pay $8 rent. I go out
to work whenever I can get It to do. I scrub when I can and
I would like to go Into a factory."
There are two haunting questions facing this family. The
first Is how to pay the rent, and the other Is how to get the
next meal. Prices are not low In .he Ghetto. Eggs are 18
cents. Potatoes are two pecks for a quarter. Cabbages are
5 cents. Pork Is 12 cents a pound. There are sold substitutes
for the higher priced food, however, which would not enter
Into the catalogue of a " fancy grocer." There Is pork,
liver, heart and lungs, the whole " plucking," to be had for
5 cents. There Is also that of the sheep, which Is not so
popular, as It Is smaller. There Is stew meat from the neck,
which Is sold at 2 cents a pound. It Is only on very good
days that the Sanduchl (this Is spelled according to Angela)
children have the luxury of one of these meats. " We get
three pounds." says Jennie, " but even that Is never enough."
The more common fara Is bread and coffee.
Good Bread at All Times.
There is one thing that the Italian families have better
than anybody else In the Qhetto, and that Is bread. They buy
as good flour as can be hud, when they can possibly get the
money together. This and the coffee, which Is a broken Rio
at 10 cenu a pound, they have for breakfast, and this they
generally have over again for dinner and supper, if It hns
been a good week and the father has been able to " make
four days." If he has been at work all six, there is the meat
and sometimes macaroni, which can be bought for 5 cents a
pound. There are also luxuries which bring untold dellrhts
to the smaller ones, and which to Angela are enough for a
whole day's happiness. One Is an extremely sour pickle the
size of the largest size cucumber possible, which can be
bought for 1 cent, and which she brings from the grocery,
guiltless of wrappings, and apportions to the other children
In bites. Again, when times are good and Tony Is fretful,
his mother puts down the baby for a few minutes and takes
him to the nearest meat shop, where the next thing he knows
his mouth Is stopped by a chunk of heavenly bolojnia.
About one thing the grocers have an Inexorable law. That
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Vj family that can have a grocer's book In this neighborhood.
and then It Is a possession to be displayed as often and as
conspicuously as possible. 8o that If the. week has been a bad
one It Is open to the little Sanduchls to go hungry If some
thing cannot be done by Jennie or Angela.
Angela the Hope of the Family.
It Is plain to be seen that upon these two la set the hope
(a forlorn one) of better days. Upon Angola, who goes forth
with a rusty lunch pail, It depends to get fuel and an occa
sional eatable scrap. To her also-and her habit of trans
forming a look of grave reflection Into a Middonly beaming
smile they look for a little contagion In the way of happi
ness. She is the only one In the family who still scores vie-
torles of mind over matter.
"Angela Is all right," Bays Jennie, with an older sisterly
manner, which Is plainly the real thing. Jennie Is the oldest,
'and It wouldn't be sentimentality to say that the Iron has
entered Into her soul. On her Is the burden of adding to the
family finances. She scrubs In some nearby flats, and as
they have: little kitchens, thinks she Is doing well at 10 cents
a floor.
" She works good," Bays the Bohemian woman who is
Jennie's employer. " but she drives me crasy she stops every
little bit, when she has done a few Inches, and says: ' Is that
right does It suit?" She makes me nervous, and I have to
go in and shut the door."
Jennie's monotone, hopeless and Intense at once, might
well get on anybody's nerves who did not have an ear open
to Its musical quality. " You will try to get me something to
do, won't you?" she says, appeallngly.
It Is evident that it Is her diminutive size which has kept
her from getting Into the factory already, rather than the
fact that she Is only 12. The school question Is also shady,
and one upon which neither JennJe nor Angela Is good at
Interpreting what their mother has to say. But It Is clear
that Phillip Is the only one who Is there.
Children Do Household Vork.
It Is also clear that upon Jennie and Angela depends the
household work. They do not appear to have been taught
household distinctions, not even the difference between the
kitchen and the parlor. The loaf and some cups are on the
parlor table. There Is an old fashion high bed here, and also
the pictures, the broken accordion, and some decorations
which are from better days. There is a base burner of such
diminutive proportions and such dainty outline that It must
have come from Italy or some other land of warmth and
artistic Ideals. The second room has a cook stove, large and
American, and also beds. The third, In which there are signs
of tubs, la properly the kitchen. Jennie has been doing the
family washing, which consists of queer looking quilts and
thick shirts. There Is no back yard except the alley, and so
It has to be carried through the parlor to the little spot In
front whloh la back yard, too, to the house beyond.
Seeks Boarders at 13 a Month.
Mrs. Sanduchl has one hope, and that Is to do as other'
Italians do, and get a man or two for boarders. They will
pay her $3 a month, and for this she will do their washing
and cook their food for them, which they will buy themselves.
This will help pay the rent and lay the ghost that stalks day
and night and will not down.
Jennie adds a postscript, which her mother has command
ed, to the good-by.
Wouldn't you like to help u pay the rent?" ahe says,
shamefacedly. " Well, anyway, you will help me to gi t
something to do?"
There Is flexibility in her voice and a note of hope, as she
hurries, with a suggestion of latent stores of energy, back to
her washing.
4
T 1)30 Fifth svenue, New Tork, stands a palace.
Even If It Is a rainy day It is evident at a
glance that the little pools of water standing
about are not being utilized Jtor splashing pur
poses by smaH children. There Is one tittle
boy upstairs, however, who Is nevertheless
playing with making little mud cakes, the ma
terial for which he Is digging out of a great
room full of fine white sand. It 1j the cleanest variety that
can be found and the quantity 4s large enough so that the
little boy can dig almost ns deep a well as he does at. the
Newport beach.
All over the room there are other evidences of fairy land.
There are giant palms full of singing birds. Part of It Is
built out into a sun palace so that this little Inmate can take
a sun bath every day. Here there are hammocks and hang
ing swings, and even chairs that can be wound up to go of
themselves and which take the little boy around for all the
world like small automobiles. On beyond the brach is a wide
lake, witfh a sloping green bank on Its opposite side, where
sail a fleet of boats, which represent in miniature all the
craft that Is afloat on the sea.
Still beyond the rooms with the sun parlor and the lake
is another more wonderful than any of them, which Is the
little prince's engine room. In this are miles and miles of
shining tracks, and trains and trnlns of cars, and engines.
There are steam cars and electric cars, and bridges, and sta
tion houses, and engines. There are bridges, and tunnels, and
trestles, and engine houses, and roundhouses. There are also
ranges of hills through which the railroads can be built to
wind In amd out.
Valet Is Verszii'.e Enlertainer.
To keep all tluse In running order and to engineer all the
craft which is on the lake, when he is anxious to be amused,
the little prince has a valet The valet has a wonderful rec
ord as a ringmaster, and when even the engines, and the
boats, and the sand pile all begin to paJl he makes the me
chanical toys do wonderful stunts together ithat woutd be
next to Impossible except In experienced hands.
The valet also has a great deal to do to take care of the
little prince's wardrobe. Upon this has been spent thousands
of dollars. For Instance, he always wears beautiful ahoes,
each made upon his own Individual last. He has red shoes,
and blue shoes, and gray, and tan, and fawn. He hae them
made of suede, and patent lea'her, and of soft kid. They
are tai ail shapes; high shoes, low shoes, boots of diminutive
size, and slippers, and pumps. Then there are dozens kept
on hand of white kid alone. These have to be replaced the
minute a. little soil appears around the toes, even If the little
prince has only worn them a few hours, and over all these
things the vaiet has to exercise the closest attention; which
takes a great deal of time, especially as all the other clothea
belonging to the small boy are made to correspond.
Charles, however, Is not the only servant that comes at
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i 'He has a special corps of men to attend him when he goes to
I the park and to see that nothing can come near him in the way
of danger, whether It be of the Insidious kind which might
lurk infectiously around the clothes of any small, ragged boy
I who should approach too near, or danger of a more violent
1 He also has a special cook who goes to market and per
sonally selects every bit of food that is put into his mouth.
He has a governess who watches with the cook over all the
affairs which might affect his health.
Little Prince Is John Nicholas Brown.
In fact, so many are the luxuries which surround the little
prince that If his name Is kept in the background any longer
he will be open to the suspicion of being like the hero of which
Harvey of " Captains Courageous " told the sailors and whom
they Immediately dubbed the " crazy kid."
There is nothing, however, which can lay this little boy
open to such Imputation. Neither is there any royal blood In
his veins which could account for his magnificence. He is
simply the heir of the Brown mUllons. who is counted the
richest little boy in the world. John Nicholas Brown worth
fH.Onn,iNio, John Nicholas Rrown worth flO,O00,00O, and John
Nicholas Brown worth f20,000,000 are three different waya In
which his name appears In lists of the respective fortunes of
baby heirs and heiresaes.
At least he hae $.Y 000,000 which was left him by his father
and $,",000,000 more which was left him by his uncle. Of these
he Is already in absolute possession. He Uvea, and hae ever
since he was 3 years old, In houses which are absolutely hia
own. Besldee the one In New York City he hnpVrne in New
port and another at Providence.
His life at Newport Is the one which gives the best Idea of
the way In which money can be spent upon luxuries for a baby
millionaire. Here he has an estate which Includes a farm upon
which everything of the choicest Is grown for his own special
eating. Chickens and squabs are raised for him, and the milk
which he drinks comes from his own special cow, whloh Is
pastured upon land worth $100,000.
The Interest uiion money Invested In the luxuriant clover
field which the little millionaire's Alderney roams at will Is
nearly $15 a day. and thus It Is that the single quart of milk
which the little fellow drinks In one day Is represented by
that .price. Here he has automobiles, horses, and ponies, and
pony wagons on a scale which would put to the blush those
In Toledo that belonged to the " crazy little boy." He has a
pet kitten, too, who haa part of the pure Alderney cream
which falls to the lot of its master. Every once In awhile,
for fear the kitten should be ailing, she Is forced to have the
doctor, whether with her consent or without.
Wcndctland in Newport House.
At the Newport house, too, he has a little gymnasium with
miniature dumb bells, he has a little bed which is made of
mother of pearl, and a white swan bathtub which is a work
of art. Over the bottom and sides of the swan Ls laid a linen
sheet which Is as fine as cobwebs and which Is put there so
that when the little millionaire gets Into the tub he will not
have to touch the enamel. Then, when the water is heated,
it Is perfumed with the finest and most delicate violet water
that money can buy. After his bath he has a rubdown of
cocoanut oil and is powdered off with violet powder.
Here the walls of his nursery are covered with flowers
that were painted by one of the most renowned artists on a
special paper. This ls changed every once In awhile so that
the little prince will not wake always In the same at
mosphere. The wonder of having the sensation of the real little
princes In fairy tales when they are transported in the night
from one bower of flowers to another is a common experience
for him, because of the happy ideas which his mother thinks
of and executes for him.
It is not until he travels, however, that the little fellow
begins to get anything like the benefit of his millions.
Wherever he goes he has a special car. To avoid any danger
of infection this Is fumigated. It Is the same with his state
room when he travels.
His trips to Europe have always been taken In the most
elaborate suite of staterooms. Ten trunks are the number
which are allotted to the boy himself for these trips, which
are Just for his clothes. There are more which are filled with
tils toys. He has a collection of dolls of all nations which
walk and cry. There are wild animals and domestic animals
which make really all the noises which are usually taught
to children by Imitation. These, with all their coops, and
stablee. and houses, are transported with the young man and
with them goes the caretaker, who has to be responsible for
their packing and unpacking.
Asks Questions, Like Other Boys.
In addition to all his other blessings he has a bo.utlfut
mother whose only thought and task In the world ls to make
him well and happy. He has a grandmother who ls equally
devoted. His aunt, Mrs. George Vanderbllt, will do anything
for him In the world. (
The devotion of his multimillionaire relatives la put to
the test and their wits also in the unusual faculty which he
has lately developed of asking questions even more searching
than those of the usual small boy about everything he does
not understand. He is already a great reader and has a
library In which, is Included all the best books for children
which have ever been written. Of these his favorite la
" Mother Gooee " and the explanations which he demands
about his favorite rhymes are some of the things which make
his devoted relatives tremble.
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