His struggle for a bare living left him no time to take advantage of the public evening school. In time he learned to read, to follow a conversation or lecture; but he never learned to write correctly; and his pronunciation remains extremely foreign to this day.

After its publication Antin lectured on her immigrant experience to many audiences across the country and became a major supporter for Theodore Roosevelt and his Progressive Party. She married Amadeus William Grabau a geologist in 1901 and moved to New York City where Mary Antin attended Teachers College of Columbia University and Barnard College.