But then, before Leon Welfish is by the hospital very long, comes the immigrationers from Ellis Island and they say Leon Welfish is unfit for being in this country and never should have come by New York. Back he goes to Kaminoka, Galicia; so say these immigrationers.
Everybody believes that Leon Welfish must go back to Kaminoka, and his friends by Rivington street are mourning that such a good boy goes home. Then one day--it was the 5th day of August, two years ago--comes to one of Leon Welfish’s friends by Rivington street this message from the hospital:
“Leon Welfish is dead. Pleurisy makes it. Shall we bury him or do his friends make the buryings?”
Of course it is to be that the Kaminoka Strumolova, which is the society belonging to Leon Welfish, shall make the buryings. Leon was a member standing good and every member has for his money a good burial or good doctors when in sickness. So says the Kaminoka Strumolova, “We make the buryings.”
They makes. It costs all the $8 for hearse, $35 for headstones and the rest of those $200 which belongs to Leon Welfish for being a dead member of the Kaminoka Strumolova. Nobody sees Leon Welfish before the buryings, for the hospital people sends it so no one sees. All of the society makes of itselves assessments for paying the funeral and three members of committee wear white gloves and rides in those for $11 hacks to Mount Zion Cemetery.
Leon Welfish’s papa and mamma, which are by Kaminoka yet, gets a letter from the Kaminoka Strumolova which says Leon is dead and has a good buryings for $200--a very good buryings--and very sorry to have to say these sad tidings. Then Leon Welfish’s papa and mamma make mournings by their dead son, and all of his friends by Kaminoka make mournings.
Comes to Kaminoka then one very dark and rainy night Leon Welfish, who was sent home by the immigrationers. Comes Leon and knocks at the door of his papa and mamma’s house.
“Hello, my papa; hello, my mamma!” says Leon when they opens the door, and Leon’s papa calls for police and Leon’s mamma has a fit on the floor right in front of him.
After that Leon Welfish and Leon’s papa and mamma make a great rage because he was dead and is not really dead. They make writings to the Kaminoka Strumolova to know for why was that mistake made. Strumolova makes investigations and now it goes to court by a lawyer.