Here is the complete text:
"A handsome, clear-eyed Russian girl of
about twenty-years, the daughter of a farmer comes in and sits down
before us. She is clean and intelligent looking. She nervously clasps
and unclasps her hands and the tears are welling in her eyes. "That girl
over there," says the commissioner, "is an interesting and puzzling
case. Her father is a farmer in moderate circumstances. A young man with
whom she grew up, the son of a neighbor, came here two years ago, and
last year wrote to her father that of the girl would come over he would
marry her. So she came, alone. But the prospective bridegroom didn't
show up. I wrote him-he lives somewhere in New Jersey-and last week he
appeared and looked her over. Finally he said he wasn't sure whether he
wanted to marry her or not. Naturally her pride was somewhat wounded,
and she decided that she had doubts herself. So everything is at a
standstill. The girl says she doesn't want to go back, to be laughed at;
and I can't let her land. You don't know any lady who wants a servant,
do you? She could work! Look at her arms. A nice girl, too. No? Well, I
don't know what to do. Are you willing to marry Peter if he comes
again?" The girl nods, the tears brimming over. "Well, I'll write to
that fellow again and tell him he's a fool. He'll never have such a
chance again."
