The  father  in  his  indignation  told  him  that  he  should  not  visit
the  house,  and  put  him  out.  Within  a  week  the  father  was
found  dead  in  the  engine  house.  The  lad  made  his  escape,  but
the  indignation  of  the  people  was  such  that  they  rose  against
the  Italian  colony  and  demanded  that  they  leave  the  city.  An
immigration  that  is  preponderatingly  male  has  far  more  serious


HOME  LIFE  151

consequences  on  society  than  one  made  of  families,  and  in  this
respect  the  new  immigration  is  open  to  grave  criticism.
Foreigners  adopt  New  Standards. — The  foreigner  finds  it
difficult  to  adjust  his  religious  customs  to  our  industrial  system.
It  is  well  known  that  orthodox  Jews,  employed  by  Christians,
lose  two  days  in  the  week.  They  won't  work  on  Saturday,  be-
cause of  conscience'  sake,  and  on  Sunday  they  are  compelled
to  remain  idle  because  of  the  Christian's  conscience.  A  business
man  in  a  western  city  told  me  of  some  orthodox  Jews  who  ob-
served Saturday  as  the  Sabbath  ;  but,  said  he,  "  they  come  quietly
to  collect  their  bills  on  that  day."  It  was  the  first  step,  under
economic  pressure,  from  the  orthodox  faith.  During  the  two
long  annual  fasts  ordained  by  the  Greek  Church  the  men  are
supposed  to  eat  no  animal  food,  not  even  butter  and  eggs  are
to  be  touched — linseed  and  olive  oil  being  the  substitutes ;
but  men  working  hard  in  mill  and  mine  in  America  cannot  sub-
sist on  diet  prescribed  for  European  agricultural  workers  under
no  industrial  strain.  This  immigrant  farm  hand  employed  as
an  American  wage  earner  must  eat  better  and  richer  food  than
European  customs,  both  social  and  ecclesiastical,  prescribe,  if  he
is  to  keep  step  in  the  industrial  army  in  the  United  States.
