and when she got no satisfaction there, to the superin~
tendent. This was unheard-of presumption, but the super~
intendent said he would see about it, which Marija took to
mean that she was going to get her money; after waiting
three days, she went to see the superintendent again.
This time the man frowned, and said that he had not had
time to attend to it; and when Marija, against the advice
and warning of everyone, tried it once more, he ordered
her back to her work in a passion. Just how things hap~
pened after that Marija was not sure, but that afternoon
the forelady told her that her services would not be any
longer required. Poor Marija could not have been more
dumfounded had the woman knocked her over the head;
at first she could not believe what she heard, and then
she grew furious and swore that she would come anyway,
that her place belonged to her. In the end she sat down
in the middle of the floor and wept and wailed.

It was a cruel lesson; but then Marija was headstrong --
she should have listened to those who had had experience.
The next time she would know her place, as the forelady
expressed it; and so Marija went out, and the family
faced the problem of an existence again.

It was especially hard this time, for Ona was to be con~
fined before long, and Jurgis was trying hard to save up
money for this. He had heard dreadful stories of the mid~
wives, who grow as thick as fleas in Packingtown; and he
had made up his mind that Ona must have a man-doctor.
Jurgis could be very obstinate when he wanted to, and
he was in this case, much to the dismay of the women,
who felt that a man-doctor was an impropriety, and that
the matter really belonged to them. The cheapest doctor
they could find would charge them fifteen dollars, and
perhaps more when the bill came in; and here was Jurgis,
declaring that he would pay it, even if he had to stop eat~
ing in the meantime!

Marija had only about twenty-five dollars left. Day
after day she wandered about the yards begging a job, but
this time without hope of finding it. Marija could do the
work of an able-bodied man, when she was cheerful, but

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p122 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p123w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p124

v?