Chapter XXX

Jurgis had breakfast with Ostrinski and his family, and
then he went home to Elzbieta. He was no longer shy
about it -- when he went in, instead of saying all the things
he had been planning to say, he started to tell Elzbieta
about the revolution! At first she thought he was out of
his mind, and it was hours before she could really feel
certain that he was himself. When, however, she had
satisfied herself that he was sane upon all subjects except
politics, she troubled herself no further about it. Jurgis
was destined to find that Elzbieta's armor was absolutely
impervious to Socialism. Her soul had been baked hard in
the fire of adversity, and there was no altering it now;
life to her was the hunt for daily bread, and ideas existed
for her only as they bore upon that. All that interested
her in regard to this new frenzy which had seized hold of
her son-in-law was whether or not it had a tendency to
make him sober and industrious; and when she found he
intended to look for work and to contribute his share to the
family fund, she gave him full rein to convince her of any~
thing. A wonderfully wise little woman was Elzbieta;
she could think as quickly as a hunted rabbit, and in half
an hour she had chosen her life-attitude to the Socialist
movement. She agreed in everything with Jurgis, except
the need of his paying his dues; and she would even go to
a meeting with him now and then, and sit and plan her
next day's dinner amid the storm.

For a week after he became a convert Jurgis continued
to wander about all day, looking for work; until at last
he met with a strange fortune. He was passing one of

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v?