76 ADVENTURES IN IDEALISM 



and Poland were very abject and uncouth. The Amer- 

 ican villagers, most of them seeing Russian immigrants 

 for the first time, were not favorably impressed. They 

 judged the immigrant by his appearance, which, to tell 

 the truth, was far from attractive, especially when we 

 remember that, like all pioneers, his first winter was 

 spent in a cold barn, without accommodations for a 

 good wash, let alone a bath. But my husband worked 

 constantly for a better understanding with the 

 Americans. 



November 5, 1892, my husband wrote to the rep- 

 resentative of the farmers in the New York office: 



"Yesterday was the first manifestation of Wood- 

 bine's political life, and it made a great impression on 

 our American neighbors. We had a fine torch-light 

 parade. Mr. Y. tried to buy votes, but I'll see to it 

 that Woodbine is free of the blame of being corrupted." 



