erica.

"But, my lady, how iss it it vas all so bad? For vork iss _not_. It iss
true I haf a little in de beginning. It iss three year ago. I know some
English I haf learn in sailing once to England, for de Finns go
eferyvere to sail. I am not helpless so, and I am large and strong, and
soon I go to de many, many china-stores--so many, I say, dat can nefer
be to vant vork--and in one dey take me. But it iss not much money,
dough I dink it so, for it iss alvay de rent--so much, and ve are
strange and dey cheat us. And ven I am troubled most, and dink to ask
for more, den quick it iss dat I haf none. De place iss failed--dat iss
vat iss tell me--and I go home to Brita to say vat shall to do? I could
dig, I vould go far off, but I haf not money; but I say, 'Ven I get
plenty it shall be ve go to vere earth shall gif us to eat, and not
starve us as here.' For soon it iss little to eat, and it iss dat ve
sell clothes and such as ve must. I get vork--a little on de docks. I
unload, and see men dat can steal all day from coffee-bags and much
sugar, and soon time iss come dat ve are hungry, and men say, 'Steal
too. It's hard times, and you _haf_ to steal.'

"Oh, dere iss one day! It iss here now. My little Jan iss dead, and Carl
so sick, and all dat he must be vidout enough to eat, and my Brita vill
get a dollar and a half a veek to sew--alvays sew and she is pale and
coughs. I pray, 'O God, you know I vill not do wrong, but vat shall I
do? Show me how, for I am afraid.' But it vas all dark. I cannot go
home, for I haf not money. I cannot vork but one, maybe two, times a
veek. And alvays I see my own _hungry_! I dink I could kill myself; but
dat helps not, and I go avay, oh, eferyvere about New York, and beg for
vork. And den eferyvere it iss said, 'He is a _tramp_,' and alvays dey
tell me, 'No, ve gif not to _tramps_. Go to vere you came from.' I say,
'I am not tramps. My children are hungry. Gif me vork: I vant to eat for
dem--not money, but to eat if you vill. Gif me a little vork.'

"I am dirty: Brita iss not dere to haf me clean. I vash as I can, in
vater anyvere, but I sleep on de ground. I eat not often. I am vild
truly, I know, and soon peoples are afraid. Den, my lady, I haf no more
faith. I say, 'God, you haf forgotten me: you haf forgotten vat you
promise. It may be God iss not anyvere.' So I come back, and I find dat
my little Brita iss sick--so sick she cannot vork--and Brita my vife;
she sew all she can, but it i