c,—and deportment. But these stories were so very unlike any others from out of that world "east of the Bowery," reproduced so quaintly the dialects, so accurately the points of view, gave such a new, deep insight into that seething world where there were hundreds of thousands of citizens in the making, that their author quickly became famous and prosperous.
But Miss Kelly kept on with her work in that East Broadway school, and remained where she had elected to teach, in the lower grade. She might have had higher grade classes, for she had been specially prepared for her profession by post-graduate studies. But the little folk from the tenements seemed to her to deserve the best instruction that could be given to them not only in a, b, c, but in how to look upon life, domestic and civil. Also she kept on writing stories until they grew into books, "Little Citizens," "Isle of Dreams," and "Wards of Liberty," and these books, selling by many large editions, had a big influence in shaping the work of many societies and organizations trying to help make good citizens out of the children of the Ghetto.
"Miss Bailey" was the name of the "Teacher" in those stories, and what teacher had to overcome in respect to her pupils' views on some familiar aspects of American history is shown in this scene from one of her stories:
"Ain't George Washington made shoots
mit pistols?" demands Isidore.
"Yes, he did," admitted Miss Bailey.
"Ain't Teddy Rosenfelt hit mans? Und ain't they made him President over it? On'y that ain't how they makes mit mine uncle. They don't make him Presidents nor papas, neither. They takes and puts something from iron on his hands so he couldn't to talk, even. Then they puts him in a wagon und they says they sends him over the water."
"Where?" asked the teacher.
"Over the river where islands is and prisons stands. That's how they makes mit him, the while he hits somebody mit pistols. I guess they don't know about
