384 NATHANIEL SOUTHGATE SHALER 



all the play he wants." This account was later confirmed by 

 a very intelligent American teacher in one of the public schools 

 in the Russian quarter. Mr. Shaler frequently walked through 

 this part of Boston and spoke of the sturdy looks of the children 

 and the strong maternal aspect of the young married women. 

 He also commented upon the change for the better in the 

 appearance of the streets: the gradual recession of squalor 

 before the march of the intrepid, strong-willed immigrants. 

 One day he returned from his office much amused by the naive 

 remark of a young Russian from this same neighborhood who 

 wanted to enter college. When questioned as to his means of 

 support, he said that his mother kept a clothing store run on the 

 instalment plan. "But," asked the professor, "doesn't she 

 lose a great deal of money selling her goods in that way? " " Oh, 

 no," was the prompt reply ; " she only sells to Jews." Mr. Shaler 

 was on very good terms with many of the Jews in Boston. He 

 was sometimes invited to their social entertainments as well 

 as to speak at the annual dinner of the Purim Association. 



There was another class of persons with whom he got on well, 

 and this was the class known in college circles as "Mothers." 

 With them he was always patient, even with the one who felt 

 when she paid the tuition fee that she had bought the entire 

 University, also the time and devotion of the teacher, to be 

 dedicated exclusively to her son's interests, mind, body, charac- 

 ter, and estate for the finding of occupation for the young 

 man when he was through with college was often an implied obli- 

 gation. Mr. Shaler used to say when he wanted to get down to the 

 bed-rock of a youth's nature that he would go to the mother; 

 that she knew the boy infinitely better than his father, and if 

 she would she could lay her finger on the weak spot of his char- 

 acter. Once, in a state of perplexity about the evil courses of a 

 young man with whom he had to deal, he went to the mother, 

 and, after stating certain facts, put the question, "I shall be 

 greatly pleased, Madam, if you'll tell me just what's the matter 

 with your boy." "Oh," she answered, "there's nothing special 



