Page:Emma Goldman - The Social Significance of the Modern Drama - 1914.djvu/106

 to hinder a weaver waiting' for an hour, or for a day? What else is he there for? "

Indeed what else, except to be always waiting in humility, to be exploited and degraded, always at the mercy of the few pence thrown to them after an endless wait.

Necessity knows no law. Neither does it know pride. The weavers, driven by the whip of hunger, bend their backs, beg and cringe before their " superior."

Weaver's wife. No one can't call me idle, but I am not fit now for what I once was. I've twice had a miscarriage. As to John, he's but a poor creature. He's been to the shepherd at Zerlau, but he couldn't do him no good, and. . . you can't do more than you've strength for.... We works as hard as ever we can. This many a week I've been at it till far into the night. An&iacute; we&iacute;ll keep our heads above water right enough if I can just get a bit o&iacute; strength into me. But you must have pity on us, Mr. Pfeifer, sir. You&iacute;ll please be so very kind as to let me have a few pence on the next job, sir? Only a few pence, to buy bread with. We can&iacute;t get no more credit. We&iacute;ve made a lot o&iacute; little ones.

" Suffer little children to come unto me." Christ loves the children of the poor. The more the better. Why, then, care if they starve ? Why care if they faint away with hunger, like the little boy in Dreissiger's office? For " little Philip is one of nine and the tenth's coming, and