to carry, and then the other two boys are always hanging about her and
pulling her down. She will soon break down at this rate; you must see
for yourself how miserably she looks, and you ought not to let her be so
overworked."

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Stein, it's very easy to say that," interrupted Marget;
"but what can people like us do? I have all I can do from morning till
night to get the children clothed and fed; and how could I do it if I
had to have all the little crybabies round me all the time? There's
nobody but Elsli to help me with them. That big Fani might help her to
be sure, but he always forgets; he means well enough, but he's
thoughtless. Elsli does have to work pretty hard, I know; but she may as
well get used to it, for it'll only be harder by and by."

"But, Marget," resumed Mrs. Stein, "I tell you Elsli will break down
and be sick, and then where will you be?"

"Where shall I be? God only knows. Such as us can't afford to stop and
think what's going to happen; it's all we can do to get along to-day,
without thinking about to-morrow. All I know is, I can't spare Elsli
from the children, and the older she grows the harder it will be for
her; for she'll have to go into the factory as soon as she can earn
wages, and that's harder work than looking after the children. Fani will
go first Old Cousin Fekli has his eye on him for Easter, and has said to
me two or three times that he wanted the boy as soon as possible. Cousin
Fekli wouldn't want him if he didn't think he could make something out
of him; he doesn't forget to look out for his own profits."

"Are you really related to Mr. Bickel?"