Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto

r venomous gaze stung his heart. She seemed to him elevated above the social plane upon which he had recently (though the interval appeared very long) stood by her side, nay, upon whic

e Jake and as much of a Yankee and a gallant as ever. But here was his wife fixing him with a timid, piteous look, which a

d on his face made him shrink, as if at the contact with a reptile. He was anxious to flee from his wretched self into oblivion, and his

entered it without knocking, as was her wont. She found Bernstein bent over a book, with a ponderous dictionary by its side. A kerosene lamp with a red shade, occup

finger on the passage he had been reading, and his eye

May not

ak out! Are you afraid t

e matter? She was

ficant smile. And immediately regretting the remark he went on to smoo

f fortunate in having him f

y what you said first?" she d

e he knows many girls. But who does not? You know there are always girls

! Did I say I di

ophisticated woman, he pursued: "May no Jewish daughter have a worse husband. Be easy, be eas

king fun of me!" she sai

not a pretty young woman?" he rema

o her cheek, and she

, I beg you," she said

retty young woman? Take a looki

with confused deprecation. "I mean what

y so," he jested. "Reall

ow?" she queri

ed, with an amused smile.

ver told y

ngly, see! He did, lots of times," he concluded g

she lectured herself, in the best of humours. Still, the words "Your husband knows many nice ladas," kept echoing at the bottom of her soul, and in another few minute

-scrupulous cleanliness for which the fame of her apartments reached far and wide. Her neighbours and townsfolk pronounced her crazy but "with a heart of diamond," that is to say, the diametrical opposite of the precious stone in point of hardness, and resembling it in the general sense of excellence of quality. She was neig

to a sage smile. When the young neighbour had rested her case, she first nodded her

at I have to te

n knows what revel

of a pound of evil. I should open the door and-march to eighty black years! Let her go to where she came from! America is not Russia, thanked be the Lord of the world. Here one mu

ean?" Gitl inqu

band does not behabe as he should, one does not stroke his cheeks for it. A prohibition upon me if o

hey send hi

eatre?" Mrs. Kavarsky

id, with horror. "May God

ear, and for the third or fourth time she elicited from her

e, dare not cross my threshold any more, do you hear?" she thundered. "One might as well talk to the wall as to her!" she proceeded, actually addressing herself to the opposite wall of her kitchen, a

sure-as sure as this is Wednes

turned back to

dot's ull! It can not be helped; when one lives in an edzecate country, one must live like edzecate peoples. As they play, so one dances, as the saying is. But I think it is time for you to be going. Go, my little kitten," Mrs. Kavarsky said, suddenly lapsing into accents of the most tender affection. "He may be up by this time and wanting tea. Go, my little lamb, go and try to make yourself agreeable to him and the Uppermost will help. In America one must take care not to displease a husband. Here one is to-d

advent had produced in his life, feeling himself the same free bird that he had been a fortnight ago. He stared about the room, as if wondering where he was. Noticing Gitl, who at that moment came out of the bedroom, he instantly realized the situation, recalling Mamie, hat, perfu

the door sent a sharp pang through her heart. She had no doubt but that he was bending

ed to draw him with magnetic force. Moreover, he had a lurking hope that he might, after all, find her about the building. Ah, if by a stroke of good luck he came upon her on the street! All he wished

came from the ball, when he was seized with a sudden sense of the impropriety of his expedition, and he

no more imposing a place than Joe's academy, and before repairing thither she had had to betake herself home to change her stately toilet for a humbler attire. For, as a matter of fact, it was expressly for her visit to the Podkovniks that she had thus pranked herself out, and that would have been much too gorgeous an a

usual, but first repaired to Mamie's. He found her with her landlady in the kitchen. She l

two to the mistress of the house, he boldly proposed to her boarder to go out with him for a talk. For a moment Mamie hesitated, fearing lest her landl

an, with bravado, in spite of his intention to st

ening of the conversation than he. "I ai

ountrary, I shpend even much less than I used to. We have two nice boarders-I keep them only for company's sake-and

o an artificial laugh which

to the theatre, nor anywhere any more? Still

gs along with you and never lets go of your skirts," she said sneeringly, add

nd against her will she went on twitting him as a henpecked husband and an old-fashioned Jew. Finally she reverted to the subje

drew out his soul," as he once put it to himself, dropping his arms and head in despair. "Is this what they call love?" he wondered, thinking of the strange, hitherto unexperienced kind of malady, which seemed to be gradually consuming his whole being. He felt as if Mamie had breathed a delicious poison into his

e made an effort to take an affectionate tone with her. But the unnatural sound of his voice each time only accentuated to himself the depth of his repugnance, while the hysterical promptness of her answers, the servile gratitude which trembled in her voice and shone out of her radiant face wo

ffection; while, in some instances, when the boy let himself be fondled by his mother or returned her caresses

iew with Mamie in front of the Chrystie St

ik?" she inquired, wi

eloped with that Polish girl," flashed upon her overwrought mind. At the same moment Fan

speak to you," the visi

t is

here nobody else in the house?"

t my boy, and he is asleep. You may speak; never fear. But fir

nd manner began to insp

ow you well enough, never mind that we have never seen each other before. I used to work with your husband in one shop. I have come to tell you such a

lurted out, all anxiety, and i

d somebody else. But see how you did guess! Swear

mently, thrilling with anxiety and impatience. "So it is! they have eloped!" she added in her heart, s

d work on purpose to come and speak to you. As true as you see me alive. I wanted to call when I was sure to find you alone, you understand. Is there re

o to the same dancing school-that is a place where fellers and ladies learn to

ame shop with him, hasn't she?" Gitl br

you she had?" Fann

! I am just asking. May I b

ake him away from you. She hitched on to him long ago. But since you came I thought she would have God in her heart, and be ashamed of people. Not she! She be ashamed! You may sling a ca

"Tell me, do tell me all, my little crown, ke

ach other's eyes and talking like a pair of little doves. A lady who is a particla friend of mine saw them; so she says a child could have guessed that she was making love to him and trying to get him away from you. 'F cou'se it is none of my business. Is it my business, then? What

wn, and her bosom heaving rapidly. Then she fell to swayi

hat is to be done? Come to the rescue! People, do take pity, come to the rescue!" She broke

ulder she murmured: "My little heart! you don't know what a friend