Footnote to Fact

In New York, a troubled woman sits in a rented room, rocking in a chair. Outside, people shop and conduct business, men light cigars, fingers type on typewriters. A mother and child play peek-a-boo—life seems normal for many. The woman keeps rocking. A drunk is taken into custody; a Salvation Army band plays, children run about. Unemployed workers gather to protest. The woman’s face becomes increasingly strained. Military officers march in a parade. A man sifts through discarded clothing, while other men sit idle. These are veterans of the Great War, now neglected, many of them alcoholic. Bystanders ignore those who lie unconscious on the sidewalks. The woman stops rocking and takes decisive action.