The Immigrant Tide, Its Ebb and FlowSteiner, Edward Alfred
History
The Immigrant Tide, Its Ebb and Flow
Steiner, Edward Alfred
United States -- Emigration and immigration
"If there is therefore any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of
love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and
compassions, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through
factions, through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting
other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things,
but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you
which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, counted
it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and
being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient
even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly
exalted Him, and gave unto Him the name which is above every name; that
in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven and
things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
XXIII
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS WITH THE NEW IMMIGRANT
It is now twenty-five years since I landed in the United States with a
group of Slovaks from the district of Scharosh in Hungary.
I followed them across the sea and watched this historic movement of the
Slavs, who until then had remained practically dormant where they had
been left by the glacier-like movement of their race, the pressure of
the invader or the fate which governed Eastern European politics.
It was a fascinating experience to see these forgotten children of an
unresponsive soil coming in touch with a civilization of which they had
never dreamed; to see the struggle of emotions in their usually
impassive faces, as they saw the evidences of European culture and
wealth in the Northern cities through which we passed.
What fear crept into their hearts and drove the healthy blood from their
cheeks when for the first time they saw the turbulent sea.
The ocean was vaster and the fear of it most real to us who sailed out
of Bremerhaven in the steerage of the steamer _Fulda_; for we were the
forerunners of a vast army of men which had scarcely begun to think of
leaving its age-long bivouac. The Slav has never taken kindly to the
sea, and the "_More_" held unconquered terrors.
It is difficult now to describe the incidents of that first landing in
New York, for in rapid succession the experience has been so often
repeated; and all the joys, fears and hopes which repeatedly I have
shared with hundreds and thousands of men are so blended in my memory
into one great wonder, that either analysis or description seems vain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account