through those
few years while they are yet small; your sun will begin to shine, you
will live on the fat of the land, when they begin to bring you in the
wages each week."

Hanneh Breineh refused to be comforted.

"Till they are old enough to go to the shop and earn money they'll eat
the head off my bones," she wailed. "If you only knew the fights I got
by each meal. Maybe I gave Abe a bigger piece of bread than Fanny. Maybe
Fanny got a little more soup in her plate than Jake. Eating is dearer
than diamonds. Potatoes went up a cent on a pound, and milk is only for
millionaires. And once a week, when I buy a little meat for the Sabbath,
the butcher weighs it for me like gold, with all the bones in it. When I
come to lay the meat out on a plate and divide it up, there ain't
nothing to it but bones. Before, he used to throw me in a piece of fat
extra or a piece of lung, but now you got to pay for everything, even
for a bone to the soup."

"Never mind; you'll yet come out from all your troubles. Just as soon as
your children get old enough to get their working papers the more
children you got, the more money you'll have."

"Why should I fool myself with the false shine of hope? Don't I know
it's already my black luck not to have it good in this world? Do you
think American children will right away give everything they earn to
their mother?"

"I know what is with you the matter," said Mrs. Pelz. "You didn't eat
yet to-day. When it is empty in the stomach, the whole world looks
black. Come, only let me give you something good to taste in the mouth;
that will freshen you up." Mrs. Pelz went to the cupboard and brought
out the saucepan of _gefuelte_ fish that she had cooked for dinner and
placed it on the table in front of Hanneh Breineh. "Give a taste my
fish," she said, taking one slice on a spoon, and handing it to Hanneh
Breineh with a piece of bread. "I wouldn't give it to you on a plate
because I just cleaned out my house, and I don't want to dirty up my
dishes."

"What, am I a stranger you should have to serve me on a plate yet!"
cried Hanneh Breineh, snatching the fish in her trembling fingers.

"_Oi weh!_ how it melts through all the bones!" she exclaimed,
brightening as she ate. "May it be for good luck to us all!" she
exulted, waving aloft the last precious bite.

Mrs. Pelz was so flattered that she even ladled up a spoonful of gravy.

"There is a bit of onion and carrot in it," she said as she handed it