The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 26, 1904, Page 2

sy, Page & when the ris the window- er with pur- quickly Psalms - with a sad and with ckery she sh, the ground with breast, the nches above me. t I felt a Jonging mixed and its presence bet & etween us. summer in a state ntly spoke to s, of the monot- essed a long- nd .attend balls ladies of big cittes #ay she s T ked abr : “Israel, s it guch a great sin to marry a gen- tile Magdeline Grubovski, the sur- veyor's.daughter, says she would mar- ¥y a Jew if she only loved him, and ian. Why should it be sin for a Jew to marry a no definite answer to Then she re- s0 much parties and balls, and oh! hat nice, gallant gentlemen come to 1 have been invited many times, ot like to go there because call me ‘pretty Jewes to tuke more liber with Magdeline. so polite. inski some’ Did you notice erect he walks? How beautiful his long black mustache becomes his dark blue He always pulls and irls his mustache when he talks to me, and he acts very strange! Once said to father—in & joke, of cours if he could get a girl:like me she burst into felgned. laughter covered her blushing face .with hands. “Isn't it nice of him to that? He's 2 count and owns this ge and the next, and what a pal- be has! Think of his marrying a plain Jewish girl— Why do you keep th Here and so quiet, Israel?” she asked abruptiy You're always angry at me when I speak of Count Losjinski You're a od little tutor, nevertheless,” ghe ided, emphasizing every syllable by king my chin in a playful manner 1 laughing sweetly. How little I derstood the world or even myself! I not know that there is something eeper in words than the mere mean- of them: that things spoken are y a part of what one wishes to con- ; that in order to understand a per- one must be able to divine that part of his thought which remains un- wid. The first instructor of this enig- tic language is love, and the best pil is the lover. ) YA T4 [ (3 X (AN A a baptized His Jew. amused the barroom by taiking Yiddish and reciting Hebrew b ngs, vhich we thou very strange. Malke's little brother asked his father the coachman's soul The inn- became of when he turned Christian keeper smilingly repiled that after the conversic he Jewish soul was changed into a gentile one. Malke wondered very much and could not see the difference. Y apa, what is the soul, anyhow?"” Malke asked her father with a pensive air. hat soul is that part of godliness,” ined her father, “that every Jew possesses.” not a gentile that part of god- in him, father?” asked the girl too deep for you to under- child,” responded Mr Ta- ffed at his pipe. “You're a girl, and a woman's brain is not able to comprehend such serious-problems. A Jew whose soul was present on Mount Sinai when the Torah was given to Israel, as the Talmud says, has got that part of godliness because he an- ered: ‘All that the Lord spoke we ill do and hear.'” This explanation did not seem to satisfy Malke. “Wiil not the gentiles have gan-eden (heaven), father?” she resumed. ot even Count Losjinski, who is so good to every one and favors the Jewish people in particular? “Oh, yes, my daughter. The Talmud also sa: ®All good gentiles will have the world to come. In heaven all will be Jews."™ “It will be so nice,” laughed Malke. “All will be alike and there will be no more Jews and gentiles, but all the same, and the Jews will be permitted to own land in their own names, like the gentiles, and will be allowed to live everywhere, even in St Peters- burg and Moscow."” 'Oh, you fool!” interrupted her little brother. *“In gan-eden all the noble- men will make fire in Jewish houses and snuff the candles on Shabbos. And Vanka, who calls me Christ-killer, will carry mama’s prayer-book to the syna- gogue on Shabbos. It will be so nice!™ The innocent little martyr, who al- ready bore the yoke of the Torah, clapped his wee hands- and danced with' joy. 5 CHAPTER XXIL A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE. Mrs. Takiff often sighed because Mal- kele, as she fondly called her daughter, was already going on eighteen and there was ‘hothing suitable” for her. Shadchonin (marriage .brokers) = pro- posed many bridegrooms, and each one whispered to Rob Nosen (as they ad- dressed him) that he had the very best article in the market. But none quite satisfied the innkeeper. As for Malke, who of course was never consulted when the merits of the varjous candi- dates were being considered, she was @s heedless of all matrironial talk of THE SAN. FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. 15 F her papents as if she had been a girl of twelve. One afternoon at the end.of August Wwe were in the sitting-rogm<-Mr. Takiff before an open win- long pipe, Mrs. Ta- ng a stocking, Malke work- a piecesof embroidery, and I scanning th. pages of a Russian book —when Koppel the rhadchan, who had taken a keen interest in Malke's future, red before the window at which Takiff sat. 3ood afternoon, Reb Nosen,” he said, with his indolent, oily smile on his face. “Sholom Aleichem,” returned Mr. Takiff, offering his hand through the open window. “How do you come here at this time of the day? “What a question—ha! ha! ha! ha!" The shadchan’s laugh was dry and cackling. - “Isn't a person allowed to pay you a visit? When one has mer- chandise he should not clése the door aingt a prospective purchaser.” And ing sigpificantly he cackled again. “Well, Reb Koppel, well,” rejoined Mr. Takiff somewhat eagerly, “any- thing new?" “‘Sure, indeed, Reb Nosen. The very. article you are looking for is at hand, and one to-suit—I should rather say becoming—an Honorable Jew like Reb Nosen Takiff. Well'—spreading his arms—''a young man who is a rarity among millions—millions, I say; of the very, very choicest in the realm of Lithuania. An Tilul upon whom thou- sands of wealthy fathers are casting their eyes and are trying to take him into their nets. ‘But no, no,’ said I to myself, and my wife said the very same, “‘this goldfish must go to no one eise but Reb Nosen's daughter.’ You see”"—he drew- an old dirty, tattered note-book from his pocket—"Baas Reb Nosen L'Javolin Tllui ‘(the daughter of Nosen for the Javolin prodigy). He! he! he! Koppel the shadchan is no fool.” “Well, well, come ihto the housé and let me hear what you' have to_say.” The shadchan disappeared from the window and a moment later was with us in the sitting-roem. He had an ex- tinguished corn-ceb pipe in his mouth, and he playfully swung a gnarléd cane betwéen his’ thumb and forefinger, which were yellow from the tobacgo he spuffed. He was a man of medium size, with a weazenefl head, which he carried bent slightly forward and to one side. His eyes, set deep in their sockets, were overhung by shaggy eye- brows, his beard, though thin, was broad and long, and his pelis fell to his shoulders.. He wore a long caftan, the skirt of which registered his move- ments - on his shining boots, into the tops of which his trousers were stuck. The caftan was of a distinguished ap- pearance, parted In the back in’the fashion of a frock coat, but pinned to- gether at the very bottom so that it Appea Mr. ‘toward him, might be technically regarded as hav- ing but two corners and so be exempt from tzitzis* Only the lowest button of his coat was fastened; the upper part hung loosely forward, exposing a large red handkerchjef protruding from his inside pocket, where a snuff-box could invariably be found. z “Good morning, bride,” the shadchan bowed, to Malke, who blushed scarlet at this salutation. “Go, my daughter, to the next room,” sald Mr. Takiff. “We have something to talk about which is not fit you should heat.” Malke left the room, agitated and blushing. But I, in an agony ofexpecta- tion, pretended not to hear the last re- mark and remained In my seat. The shadchan took off his hat, leav- ing his head covered with an qld threadbare skull-cap, and settled him- self in a chair which the host pushed Koppel dropped a large pinch of snuff into the hollow of his left hahd and raising it to his nostrils drew in the pungent sturf with one long breath. “Pshtzi! pshtzi! pshtzi!” he sneezed three'times, applying the red handker- chief to his nose as a protection for his host. “I can never start a conversation of *Fringes, which, according to some ?bbb.lnieal law, four-corner garments are 0 have, any importance befure I take a little snuff,” the shadchan commented, wip- ing his mouth and nose. “It clears my mind and eyes, and I tell you, Reb Nosen, I become fresh and vigorous after a little sneezing. It is simply a refreshment—a restorer of stréngth. And I tell you there is none better than Kalman's snuff in the whole world. It's a real heaven on earth, so help me God, and it prepares me for active work. By the way, snuff does not cost me anything. Kalman promised to give me as much as I want gratis in addition to the five per cent commis- slon he paid me for the match of his daughter.” “Of the snuff we’ll talk Nosen a little impatiently. proach our subject.” 4 “God be with you, Reb Nosen, have not the Talmud sages said: ‘Match- making is as bard as the task of Moses er,” said ‘Let us ap- in dividing the waters of the Red Sea’? The Talmud also says, ‘Be patient in our judgment,’ and we must weigh our words before we decide. Well, now, Reb Nosgen, I'll light one of your Prus- sian cigars, and we'll instantly proceed to business.” Mr. Takiff took the hint and handed him a cigar. “In short,” the shadchan resumed, “I have for you a young man—a jewel, a gem, whose real value a Rothschild only could pay for; and furthermore, a real Talmud-Chochom Ben Talmid- Chochom (a disciple of wisdom, the son of another).. As the Talmud says: ‘One should give his daughter in mar- riage to the son of the law.” The truth is"—here he stretched his neck and emitted a thin curl of smoke—"“that I am too ignorant to mention the qual- ities that prodizy possesses. A young man that has the six parts of the Tal- mud at his fingers’ ends, and can tell the word & hundred pages ahead if you stick‘a pin through a certain spat a wonderful scribe whose handwriting is like print, and who can read Posk (a digest of the Talmud) in his r of the univ elp me to a 1 a ha you know Rabbi Br he told me that the y man is a shining star in Israel brilliancy will {llumine our holy pe in exile. As to his: personal beauty”— here he shrugged his shoulders ar made a motion with his hands as if drive away an imaginary oppanent— “he looks like an angel. God's grace rests upon him. Tall, majestic, anc his white and crimson face there is t reflection of .angels, so may the Lord send a blessing wherever I turn.” He paused for a moment to wipe the perspiration from his forehead. Nosen Takiff nodded his head In silent ap- proval. “As to the dowry,” .the shadchan continued, “we have little to say. He has been offered ten thousand and fif- teen thousand. rubles, but of course to an aristocrat like Reb Nosen—well, he would go for a little less. I believe you once told me that you were willing to give your daughter six thousand ru- bles. Well, when you get such a rfare gem you will-not .mind to add two thousand. This young man is worth every pemny of it, so help me the one above—every groschen. Yes, this is what I call a bargain which could not be had by the richest of our brethren. Why, did you never hear of the Javo- lin Ilui?" He looked with such aston- ishment at Mr. Takiff that the I blushed at his own ignorance. “So-may the holy one—blessed be he! —help me find suitors for my own mar- riageable daughters—even babes have heard of him! Oh, Reb Israel,” he turned to me, as if just seeing “you here! I did not notice you at al Young fellows like you must not listen to talk o arriage;” this with his oily smile hen you will be ripe.enough I'll get you a nmice girl with a big dowry.” so may the Cre blessed be hour. of Javelin; Of cc h my heart throbbing painfully over what T had heard I went into the dining-room. There I found Malke pale and apprehensive, pretending read a book. I thought I detected the sign of fresh tears on her cheeks. In about an hour Mr. Takiff car N TR to the room where we sat, snill blisstully. “My daughter,” he an nounced, “next Friday wyour intended one is going to stay Shabbos with u Malke did net utter a word, but her beautiful face changed color, a few tears trickled down her cheeks, and the bock in her hand slipped to the floor. “Oh, Israel, I am so unhappy so unhappy!” she. whispered, and without giving me a chance to she slipped away to her bedroom. ply CHAPTER XXIIL THE BRIDEGROOM. Friday night arrived. Having spent all afternoon brooding im, the ferest, I had not seen the chesom (buldegroom) who had arrived a little before sunset and was now in the parlep chanting prayers with Mr. Takiff. I.found the dining-room brightly illuminated. the finest cloth spread, and the best dishes arranged on the table, and Mrs. Takiff in a _new silk gown and a white apron was reading from her prayer-book and fi2quently raising her eyes in the di rection cf Malke’s. room. She likewise had not seen the choson and was nerv- ously awaiting his appearance. “Tell Malke to hurry with her toilet