| Show A Passport to Paradise By M MYRA YRA KELLY KELL V Author of a Book of T These hese East Side Stories School had been for some months in progress when whan the footsteps of Yetta Tetta Aaronsohn were turned by a longsuffering longsuffering fering truant officer in the direction of ot room 18 During her first few hours a among its pictures plants and children i she sadly realized the great and many barriers which separated her from Eva Morris Pat Patrick Patrick Patrick rick Brennan and other favored spirits who basked in the sunshine of teach teachers teachers teachers ers regard For with a taco face too white whitehair whitehair hair too straight dresses too short and legs lega too long one runs a poor chance In rivalry with more blessed and be bedizened bedizened bedizened children Miss Bailey had already appointed her monitors organized her kingdom and was so hedged about with servi servitors servitors servitors tors and assistants that her wishes were acted upon before a stranger could surmise them and her cabinet from the leader of the line to the moni monitor monitor monitor tor of the goldfish bowl presented an Impregnable front to the aspiring pub public public lic lie During recess time Yetta learned that teacher was further in groundless prejudice Sarah class bureau of etiquette and of savoir faire warned the newcomer Sooner you comes on the school mil mit mita a dirt on the face she to have hae no kind over aver you She dont lets you should set by hor her side she dont lets you should be monitors off ort of she dont lets you should make what Is nice for you OU Another peculiarity was announced by Sadie So you comes late on the school she has fierce mads Patrick Brennan he comes late over yesterday on the morning und and she dont lets he should march first on the theline theline theline line Did she holler asked Yetta Tetta in an ana awed wed a whisper No She dont need she should holler when she has mads made She looks on you mit und and you yo dont needs no holers hoers She could to have mads out sayin nothings und and you OU could to have a scare over it Its fierce Und extra she goes und and tells it ut to Patricks papa hes the cop mit buttons what stands by the corner how Patrick comes late und and Patrick gets killed as anything over It Ony Patrick aint cried Interrupt Interrupted ed Eva She had heard her heros name and sprang to his de defense defense tense Patrick tells me how his papa hits him awful mit a club I dont know what is a club ony Patrick says it makes him biles bites on all his bones You set get et biles bites on your bones from off of cops sooner you comes late on nn the school gasps Yetta Nobody aint tell me nothings over that I dont know neither what is s clubs I II I know what are they the more learned Sarah began Its a house mit mans faces In the win windows windows windows dows Its full from mans by night Ikey papas got one mit music inside I dont likes It I have a fraid over oyer it IU wailed Yetta I dont know does my mamma likes JUtes I should come some wheres where cops mit buttons makes make like that mit me I dont know Is s It t healthy for me Sooner you dont comes late on the school nobody makes like that mit you Eva reminded the newcomer and for the first three days of her school life Yetta was very early and very dirty dirt Miss Bailey with gentle tact delivered delivered delivered ered little lectures upon the use and beauty of soap soaI and water lectures which Eva applied to and discussed with the newcomer Miss Bailey Balley is a awful nice teach teacher er she began one afternoon I never neverin neverIn neverin in my nay world seen no nicer teacher Ony fancy I seen how fancy Yetta agreed got her hair done fancy mit combs und and her waist is from fancy goods Yes fancy Eva continued d She likes you should put you OU on aw awful awful awful ful clean Say what you think she sends a boy home once mit notes not s even the while he puts luts him on mit dirty sweaters She says like this Sweaters what you wears by nights night und and by days aint stylish fer school Und I guess she knows what is stylish I aint never in my world seen no isher teacher teach or orI I dont know be dresses the style this year ventured v Yetta The same misgiving had visited Eva but she thrust it loyally from her the latest she declared Its good there in style sighed Yetta Mine dress is a back dress too Ony Orly I loses me the buttons from off of it I guess I sews t em on again Teacher could to have hao maybe kind sooner she sees how I 1 puts me mo on mit buttons button on mine back Sure could she cried the sustaining sustain sustaining ing Eva Could she have kind sooner I puts me on mit buttons on mine back und and makes all things what is nice for fer ferme terme forme me Oh Eva could she have over me Sure could she repeated Eva Sooner you OU makes all them things she could to make you maybe mabe monitors oft off of Be you monitors demanded Yetta An tin sudden awe Off Oft of ot pencils Aint you seen how I gives em out und and takes em up She gives me too a piece of paper mit writings on it Sooner I shows It on the big boys bos what stands by he door In the yard ard sooner they lets me I should come right up by b teachers room loom You could to look on it it And after unfolding countless layers of or ra pa paper raper raper per and of cheesecloth handkerchief she exhibited her talisman It was an ordinary visiting card with a line of writing under it neatly engraved Miss liss Constance Bailey Balley and Yetta regarded It with envying eyes What does it says she asked Well admitted Eva with reluctant candor I to read them words but I guess it says I should come all aU places what I wants the while Im good girls Can you OU go all places where you wants mit it Sure could OU On tres Sure On the Central park Sure On the country Oh I guess you to go on the country mit It iU Sure could you All AU places what you ou wants you could to go sooner sooner Bailey Balley writes on paper how you Is good girls Oh how I T likes she should write like that fer me Oh how I likes I should be monitors oft off of ot I 1 tell you what you want to do wash your hands cried Eva with sudden inspiration Shea crazy for tor what is clean You wash your hands und and your face She could to have feel ins for some sumo mornings thereafter Yetta Latta v i I I was clean and late Miss Bailey over overlooked overlooked overlooked looked the cleanliness but noted the tardiness and treated the offender with some of the mads made out sayin noth ings Sadie had predicted pred Still the cop hat olt buttons and clubs did not appear Yetta lived in con constant constant stant terror and expected that every opening of the door would disclose that dread avenger On the fourth morning of her ablutions ablutions ablutions Yetta reached Room R om 18 while a reading lesson was waa absorbing Teach Teachers Teachers Teachers ers attention Powers above ejaculated Patrick Brennan with the ostentatious virtue of the recently reformed heres that new kid late again The new kid In copious tears en encountered encountered encountered countered one of the looks and cringed Why are you late demanded Miss Bailey I I r washes mine face tace whimpered the culprit and the eyes with which she regarded Eva added tear tearfully tearfully fully fuU Villian behold your work So I see but that Is no reason for being late You have been late twice a day da morning and afternoon for the thelast thelast thelast last three days and your only excuse has been that you Jou were washing your face Which Is no excuse at all allI I tells you OU souse pleaded Yetta mine dear teacher I tells teUs you OU souse Very well Ill forgive you today I suppose suppo e I must tolerate you maam Teacher Bailey Balley dont you OU do It screamed Yet Yetta Y Yetta t tta ta in sudden terror I have a awful frightened over It I swear I kiss up to God I never no more come late on the school I dont reed nobody should make nothings like that mit me Oh Its not so bad Miss Bailey re reassured reassurEd reassured assured her And you must expect something to happen If you will come comelate comelate comelate late to school for no reason at all allAnd allAnd allAnd And Yetta Tetta was too disturbed by the danger so narrowly escaped to tell this charming but strangely ignorant young person that the washing of a face was wasa a most process Yet tas house was on the top floor the sixth and the only water waters supply s was in the yard Since Sinco the day tier her father had packed assorted no notions notions notions Into a black and shiny box and had h d set out to seek his very ver elusive fortunes in the country Yetta had tolled toiled three times a morning from the theard yard ard to her room with a tin pall pail full of water This formed the daily dally store and there wa was no surplus to be squandered But to win Teachers commendation she had bent her tired energies to another trip and behold her reward was a scolding Eva tiva was terribly distressed dis distressed distressed and the plaintive sobs which from time to time rent the bosom of dingy plaid dress were as so many blows upon the advisers bruised conscience Desperately she cast about for some device by which Teachers favor might be reclaimed and all ju jubilantly she Imparted it to Yetta Say she whispered I tell you what you want to do You leave your mamma wash your our dress dressI s sI I dont know would she like It I washes mine face fer her und and she has hasa a mad on me meShed meShed meShed Shed like it all right all an right Ight aint I tell you how she is crazy fer what w at is clean You get your our dress washed and it will look awful I done it und and she had a glad gad Now a mamma who supports a fam family family ily by the making of buttonholes for forone forone forone one hundred of which she receives nine cents has little time for washing and Yetta determined unaided and unadvised to be her own laundress She made endless trips with her tin pall pa from the sixth floor to the yard and back again she begged a n piece of soap from the friendly janitor lady and andset andset andset set valiantly valiant to work And Evas prophecy was fulfilled The dress looked awful when it had dried to half Its already scant proportions proportions proportions From various sources Yetta i collected six buttons of widely dissimilar dissimilar 11 ilar liar design and color and with great difficulty since her hands were puffed I and clumsy from long Immersion in strong suds she affixed them to the back of the dress and fell into her corner of the family couch to dream of Miss lIss Baileys surprise and joy when the blended plaid should be revealed unto her Surely If It there were any gratitude in the hearts of teachers Yetta should be ere the sinking of an another another another other sun monitors off ort of some Iome things That Teacher was surprised no one who saw the glance of puzzled Uz led inquiry with which she greeted the entrance of the transformed Yetta could doubt That she had a glad Yetta who saw the stare replaced by a smile mlle of recognition recognition recognition was proudly assured Eva Gon shone triumphant Aint I tell you she whispered ju jubilantly jubilantly as she made room upon her little bench and drew Yetta down be beside beside beside side her Aint Ain t I tell you how she Is crazy for what Is clean Und I aint never seen nothings what Is clean like Uke you oU be You smells off of soap even It was not surprising for Yetta had omitted the rinsing which some laun laundresses laundresses laundresses dresses advise She had wasted none of the janitor ladys la lys gift gUt It was all allIn allIn allin In the meshes of the flannel dress to which It lent in addition to its re reassuring reassuring reassuring assuring perfume a smooth damp slipperiness most pleasing to the touch The athletic members of the First Reader Class were made familiar with this quality before the day lay was over for at the slightest exertion of its wearer the rainbow dress sprang widely open up the back Then were the combined efforts of two of the strongest children required to drag the edges into apposition while Eva guided the buttons to their re respective respective respective holes and Yetta let go of her breath with an energy which defeated its purpose These Interruptions of the class routine rou routine routine tine were so inevitable a consequence of Swedish exercises and gymnastics that Miss Bailey was forced to sacrifice sacrifice fice flee physical development to the general discipline and to anchor her in quiet waters during the frequent periods of drill When hen she had been in time she sat at nt Teachers desk dek in a aglow aglow aglow glow of love loe and pride When she had been late sho stood in the corner near the bookcase and repented repe of her sin And despite all ull her exertions and nd Evas Evs she was still occa occasionally occasionally occasionally late lato Miss Bailey was seriously s at a n loss 1159 for some method of delling with a child so wistful of eyes and so BO damaging of or habits A teachers standing on the books of ot the board of education de depends depends depends to a degree upon the punctual punctuality ity and regularity of attendance to which she can inspire her class claps and Yetta was redoing redl Miss Baileys av average average average to untold depths What 1 r ened Teacher asked OP naming fo for the third time in one week and through noisy repentance she heard hints of store and mamma j p II c i I Your mamma sent you to the store stor she Interrupted and Yetta I nodded dolefully And did you ou give ive her ller my message about that thai last week Did you ou tilt t Tier her that she must send erid you to school before Again Yetta nodded l silent and resigned evidently a creature bound upon the wheel heartbroken and uncomplaining Well Wen then began Miss Bailey struggling to maintain her het Just resent resentment r res nt ment you may tell her hr now that I want to see her Ask her to o come to the school tomorrow morning Teacher her she Sha She aint gut got time she don know where is the school either nonsense You liva Uva only two blocks away She sees it every evert time lime she passes the corner comer She dont never neer pass no corner She dont never come on the tha th street My mamma aln aint got time She sews But Bat B she cant ant sew always She goes out she to do o shopping and to tosea to tosea sea see her friends She aint got dot friends friend She Sho Sh aint got ot time she should have hale em She sews all times Sooner I lays me und and the ba babies bables babies bies bles on the bed by night my mamma sews Und sooner 1 I 3 up in morn mornings mornings mornings ings my m mamma sews All AH all all aU times she sews And where is your father lather he help Teacher Te cher hes on em tho the country count He Ho HoIs HeIs Heis Is peddler mans He walk und and he walk und and he walk mit all things hat is stylish in a box Ony On nobody wants wants they should buy something from off of of my papa No maam Bai Bailey Bailey Bailey ley that aint how they th y makes makee mit my poor papa They goes oes und and makes dogs should bite him on the th legs how he tells tens in a letter etter what he writes on my mamma Comes no money In Inthe inthe inthe the letter und and me und and my mamma 1 we got sot it pretty hard We Ve got three babies Im going home with you OU this after afternoon afternoon tEr noon announced Miss Bailey In a voice olce which suggested suggest d neither n r mads nor clubs nor violence nce After tuter fter that visit things were a shade sha c more bearable In the home of the tho ab absent absent absent sent peddler and of or ambition was achieved Teacher Teach had r a c glad There was a gentleness almost apologetic in her manner towards Yetta and the hour after aft r which an ar arrival arrival arrival rival should be met with a long proud was Indefinitely Indefinite postponed po And |
