The Jungle

It was four o'clock when the ceremony was over and the carriages beganto arrive. There had been a crowd following all the way, owing to theexuberance of Marija Berczynskas. The occasion rested heavily uponMarija's broad shoulders--it was her task to see that all things went indue form, and after the best home traditions; and, flying wildlyhither and thither, bowling every one out of the way, and scolding andexhorting all day with her tremendous voice, Marija was too eager to seethat others conformed to the proprieties to consider them herself. Shehad left the church last of all, and, desiring to arrive first at thehall, had issued orders to the coachman to drive faster. When thatpersonage had developed a will of his own in the matter, Marija hadflung up the window of the carriage, and, leaning out, proceeded totell him her opinion of him, first in Lithuanian, which he did notunderstand, and then in Polish, which he did. Having the advantage ofher in altitude, the driver had stood his ground and even ventured toattempt to speak; and the result had been a furious altercation, which,continuing all the way down Ashland Avenue, had added a new swarm ofurchins to the cortege at each side street for half a mile.This was unfortunate, for already there was a throng before the door.The music had started up, and half a block away you could hear the dull"broom, broom" of a cello, with the squeaking of two fiddles which viedwith each other in intricate and altitudinous gymnastics. Seeingthe throng, Marija abandoned precipitately the debate concerning theancestors of her coachman, and, springing from the moving carriage,plunged in and proceeded to clear a way to the hall. Once within, sheturned and began to push the other way, roaring, meantime, "Eik! Eik!Uzdaryk-duris!" in tones which made the orchestral uproar sound likefairy music.