Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto

ay, whither he had betaken himself two or three hours before in quest of work. The little sweltering assemblage-for it was an oppressive day in midsummer-beguiled the

leading actors of the Jewish stage. The board of a third machine, in a corner of the same wall, supported an open copy of a socialist magazine in Yiddish, over which a cadaverous young man absorbedly swayed to and fro droning in the Talmudical intonation. A middle-aged operative, with huge red side whiskers, who was

aslant, and one of his bared mighty arms akimbo. He spoke in Boston Yiddish, that is to say, in Yiddish more copiously spiced with mutilated English than is t

ivan's. He is a Christian, that feller is, and yet the two of us lived like brothers. May I be unable to move from this spot if we did not. How, then, would you

roke in, "John Sullivan is

bootsh! Johnnie could not leak Chollie, becaush he is a big bluffer, Chollie is," he pursued, his clean-shaven florid face beaming with enthusiasm for his subject, and with pride in the diminutive proper nouns

d, Dzake?" the

brawny arms and magnificent form did not charm them as much as he thought they did. For a display of manly force, when connected-even though in a purely imaginary way-with acts of violence, has little attraction for a "daughter of the Ghetto." Much more interest did those arms and form command on their own merits. Nor was his chubby high-colored face neglected. True, there was a suggestion of the bulldog in its make up; but this effect was lost upon the feminine portion of Jake's audience, for his features, il

, who had stopped sewing to follow Jake's exhibi

an exclamation mark he puffed up his cheeks into a ballo

at his dog's tricks!" t

A disease he does! He only knows how to strike like a bear [Jake adapted his voice and gesticulation to the idea of clums

bbinical-looking man was usually addressed by

rding to 'right and left,'[2] you know." This was a thrust at Jake's right-handers and left-handers, which had interfered with Bernstein's reading. "Nevertheless," the latter proceeded, when the outburst of lau

I betch you he would not. The peasant would lie ble

whose name was Fanny. She was celebrated for her lengthy tirades, mostly in a plaintive, nagging

but very seldom," Jake

ded all except the socialist; the former two, together with the two girls and the presser,

ty, withdrawing from the contest to resume his newspa

ever min', we shall see how it will lie in his h

chicken know about these

Jake, can not do without 'these things,' can you? Inde

ow that I live in America. Dot'sh a' kin' a man I am! One must not be a greenhorn. Here a Jew is as good as a Gentile.

America?" Bernstein objected with an amused sm

ke said with a Yankee wink, followed by his Semitic smile. "Here you read the

Bernstein replied with a bored

you don't know,

him, and was now anxious to vindicate his tastes in t

imself to Bernstein. "But what will you say to baseball? All college boys and tony peoplesh play it," he concluded triumphan

the playgoers who wanted to know whether it was true tha

joined with the cloud lingering on his brow,

om there is to it," said the presser wit

!" laughingly remarke

demanded sarcastically, somew

as you at

d at the same moment he fished out a handful of coin from his trousers

pitzers and catzers may all lie in the earth. A nice entertainment, indeed! Just like lit

ter Shtreet." As Jake thus vented his bad humour on his adversary, he cast a glance at B

ankee!" the pr

one than yo

aving one's mustac

ed white

ve such a shaving and planing to his pig's s

l you are

er him, Jake," sai

hat he has somebody to take h

an innuendo still more far-reaching than his first. Jake, with bloodshot eyes, leaped at the offender, and catching him by the front of his waistcoat, was aiming one of thos

ited," Bernste

soil your hand

on the education of baseball players: "Look here, Jake; since fighters and baseball men are all educated, then why don't you try to b

rom you, do I? Rejoice that you keep tormenting your books. Much does he know! Learning, learning,

in's sallow cheek. "Ull right, ull right!" he cut

an English oath, which in his heart he directed against himself as much as a

Joe was a dancing master. She was sure Jake intended to call at his "academy" tha

id Jake,

day is V

don't know it!" he

shed deeply and refra

ankee, doesn't he?" Pessé whi

nd as

uch a nasty preacher! Did you ever hear-on

le Jew, with a vivid pair of eyes and a sh

then added with a triumphant grin. "Vell, I shall not be teasing you, 'Pity living things!' The expressman is darn stess. I would not go till I saw him

ked on indifferently. The three finisher women, who had awaited the advent of the bundles as eagerly as the men, now calmly put on their hats. They knew that their

both his arms from all except "De Viskes" and Jake-the two being what is called in sweat-shop parlance, "chance-mentshen," i.e., favorites. "Don't be snatching and cat

o of the largest bundles. The others went to their machines empty-handed and remaine

den by a kind of malicious pleasure which he took in their eagerness and in the demonstration of his power over the men, some of whom he knew to have enjoyed a more comfortable past than himself. Th

him a deposit for a ticket." The prospective ticket was to be for a passage across the Atlantic from Hamburg to New York. And as the notion of it passed through Jake's mind it evoked there the image of a dark-eyed young woman with a babe in her lap. However, as the sewing machine t

n the flesh. But then at that period of his life he had not even suspected the existence of a name l

ng home, panting for breath, with the "red certificate" assuring his immunity in his hand. She nearly fainted for happiness. And when, stroking his dishevelled sidelocks with her bony hand and feasting her eye on his chubby face, she whispered, "My recovered child! God be blessed for his mercy!" there was a joyous tear in his ey

d barracks near which stood his father's smithy. From a cheder[3] boy he showed a knack at placing himself on terms of familiarity with the Jewish members of the local regiment, whose uniforms struck terror into the hearts of his schoolmates. He would often play tru

ns of his wife, the tremulous "Go in good health!" of his father, and the startled screams of the neighbours who rushed to the relief of his fainting mother. The broken Russian learned among the Povodye soldiers he had exchanged for English of a corresponding quality, and the bellows for a sewing machine-a change of weapons in the battle of life which had been brought about both by Yekl's tender religious feelings and robust legs. He had been shocked by the very notion of seeking employment at his old trade in a city where it is in the hands of Christians, and co

the more remunerative cloaks, and having rapidly attained skill in his ne

n the wake of his former first name; and if he was still free from wor

kl would bring to Jake's lips a smile of patronizing commiseration for his former self. As to his Russian family