408D
 
 MINNA
 
 Minna
 
 MINNA 
 
 WIFE OF THE 
 YOUNG RABBI 
 
 By Wilhelmina Wittigschlager 
 
 DRAWINGS BY 
 
 W. HERBERT DUNTON 
 
 New York 
 
 Consolidated Retail Booksellers 
 1905
 
 COPYRIGHTED, 1905, BY 
 CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS 
 
 REGISTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON 
 
 (AH Rights Reserved) 
 
 PUBLISHED, NOVEMBER, 1905. 
 
 [Printed in the United States of America].
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 BOOK THE FIRST : BONDAGE 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. THE BETROTHAL 13 
 
 II. THE YESHIVA BOCHER 19 
 
 III. THE BETROTHAL OF A YESHIVA BOCHER 30 
 
 IV. THE YESHIVA BOCHER'S WEDDING 50 
 
 V. THE WEDDING 73 
 
 VI. AT HAMBURG 86 
 
 VII. FROM PILLAR TO POST 99 
 
 VIII. THE STAR ACTRESS 130 
 
 IX. THE LAND OF THE FREE 152 
 
 X. THE JEWISH QUARTER 165 
 
 BOOK THE SECOND : HOPE 
 
 I. DR. MINNA 183 
 
 II, RED FLAG ELOQUENCE 193 
 
 III. COUNT KARAPOT 204 
 
 IV. THE FATHERLAND 215 
 
 V. MY LITTLE FIRE-BRAND 229 
 
 VI. THE ROYAL BALL 244 
 
 VII. THE GREAT RUSSIAN CRIME 258 
 
 BOOK THE THIRD : LIBERTY 
 
 I. THE PENALTY 279 
 
 II. SIBERIA 294 
 
 III. THE PARDON 312 
 
 IV. THE RETURN TO AMERICA 323 
 
 V. MY YESHIVA BOCHER ... 333 
 
 5 
 
 2138980
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGS 
 
 MINNA Frontispiece. 
 
 " You leave my mamma alone or I fix you. My mamma 
 boss." 176 
 
 " At that, everything grows dark before me ; I shiver 
 and grow cold." 240 
 
 41 Leave me, sir, at once ! " 252
 
 " The sun passcth through all pollutions t 
 remaining itself as pure as before. 
 
 LORD BACON.
 
 BOOK THE FIRST. 
 
 BONDAGE.
 
 MINNA: WIFE OF 
 THE YOUNG RABBI. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE BETROTHAL. 
 
 I SHALL never forget the day when the man 
 I called " father" returned home with a keen 
 look of satisfaction on his face, and exclaimed : 
 " Masiltof (congratulations), Minke ! You are 
 a kalo (bride *) and to a vailen ingil (ambitious, 
 studious young man), a yeshiva bocher ; " t 
 
 He walked excitedly up and down the room, 
 stroking his beard and snapping his fingers, 
 singing to himself a favorite " bimmim bam" 
 which the Jews sing when they feel very good 
 and have had a little schnapps 
 11 Terra bimmim bam, bimmim bam, bimmim 
 
 * Kalo A Jewish girl is a bride from the time of the 
 engagement to the day of her marriage, after which she is 
 called a. yunge-frau (young woman) though sixty years old. 
 
 t Yeshiva Bocher. A Jewish divinity student ; literally, a 
 " student of the book " Talmud). 
 
 13
 
 Minna. 
 
 bam, him bam, terra bimmim bam, bimmim 
 bam, bim bam ! Ah, yes ! A vailen ingil. 
 Ah ! An ingil -a tzaska (toy)." 
 
 I stood dazed. His behavior and the news 
 he brought made me feel faint. I must have 
 turned pale, for my father exclaimed : 
 
 " Look at her, how pale she has got ! Just 
 as if I had told her she was going to be killed ! 
 Na ! What do you think of that ? " Then turn- 
 ing to me, " Do you think I am going to 
 keep you until you are old and gray ? Old 
 enough to choose for yourself ? Perhaps you 
 would like to choose your own choson* eh ? 
 Or run away to the missionaries, eh ? What 
 do you think of her, eh ? " and he cast a half- 
 concealed side-glance at his wife, who winked 
 in return. 
 
 " We have reasons for wishing you to marry 
 young," she said, " but not as it happened to 
 a rich Jew some years ago." 
 
 She again winked slyly at my father. 
 
 " His daughter disgraced him when she was 
 but eighteen. They had to take her away to 
 
 * Choson. A young Jew is called the \choson from the time 
 of his engagement until he is married. 
 
 14
 
 The Betrothal. 
 
 another country. No, thanks, I don't want to 
 travel on such terms. We have never found 
 out who the Jew and his daughter were, but 
 we are watching the mamser (illegitimate child) 
 very closely and will see that she does not 
 disgrace the people she is with. We have no 
 money to secrete our daughter's shame, nor 
 do we propose ever to experience such zorus, 
 (trouble). 
 
 " Married at thirteen ! she exclaimed. " Yes ! 
 When you are thirteen, you will be under the 
 heibel," * and will be a veibel (young mar- 
 ried woman)." 
 
 I could not hear all they said. Everything 
 swam before my eyes. I first felt hot, burning 
 all over ; perspiration covered my forehead 
 and then again I was shivering cold. All 
 that that woman that woman who called her- 
 self my mother had said, pierced me through 
 and through. I was only a child and could 
 not comprehend it all, but I knew that some- 
 thing was wrong. I tried to speak, but only 
 stammered, and neither my parents nor myself 
 
 * Heibel. Calico cap (generally black) that a married Jewess 
 has to wear under her wig.
 
 Minna. 
 
 understood what I was trying to say. With a 
 twist of her head toward my father, my mother 
 again continued : 
 
 " What do you think of her ? Did I not tell 
 you it was not too soon to bring her under the 
 heibel ? Look at her ! Look ! she knows 
 enough already to feel frightened ! The mar- 
 schess ! (loose character). Twelve and a half ? 
 Why, when my mother told me I was going 
 to be married, I was tickled to death ! And 
 do you think I knew about anything as she 
 does already ? Why, all I thought of was the 
 nice black silk dress I was to wear, and the 
 music. God be thanked ! We are not any 
 too soon. If we wait till that girl is two years 
 older, she will never be married as a Jewish 
 daughter should be respectably. 
 
 " We shall take care we shall take care," 
 she went on shaking her forefinger at me, 
 " that you are a veibel before six months are 
 past. And if you like to know who your future 
 husband is Reb Schmia's Shabbas ! " * 
 
 * Shabbas Sabbath Saturday. By saying "Reb (Mr.) 
 Schmia' s Shabbas " it is understood that he is iheyeshiva backer, 
 or charity student, whom Schmia feeds every Saturday. 
 
 16
 
 The Betrothal. 
 
 Just then the horn blew. It was time for 
 me to drive the cow to the market-place in the 
 center of the town, where the cowherd used to 
 wait every day until the maids brought their 
 cows to be driven to pasture ; but though I 
 heard the horn, I would not move. " Well," 
 my mother exclaimed sharply, " did you not 
 hear the horn blow ? Are you lame ?" 
 
 With her usual shower of curses and blows 
 across my shoulders, I awoke from my dazed 
 condition. I went to the barn and drove out 
 the cow ; but upon reaching the market-place 
 the other cows had gone. I could see them 
 far up the road that led to the pasture and 
 followed, driving our cow slowly. I did not 
 know what I was doing till I reached the pas- 
 ture. Then, throwing myself on the grass, I 
 broke out sobbing and crying, " Oh, my God ! 
 What am I living for ? Is it possible that this 
 woman is my mother ?" 
 
 I could not remember ever having received 
 a word of praise as other children had when 
 their little duties were fulfilled ; nor had I 
 ever known the sound of a kind word. Always 
 
 scolded and beaten, I was the first to rise and 
 
 2 17
 
 Minna. 
 
 the last to bed ; when scarcely able to walk, I 
 already had household duties assigned me. I 
 had never owned a pair of new shoes ; the old 
 ones that my mother could no longer wear 
 were good enough for me. Her old dresses 
 tucked in under the waistband were the only 
 clothes I had ever known. 
 
 " Oh, my God ! " I sobbed. " Now I am to 
 be married to one of those filthy scarecrows. 
 I want to die ! I want to die ! " and exhausted 
 from crying, I fell asleep. How long I slept 
 there I did not know ; but when I awoke and 
 started for home, I realized that I would have 
 to submit to my fate, but was determined that 
 if I was forced to become the wife of that yesh- 
 iva backer, I would never live with him. No, 
 I would go to Siberia rather than link my life 
 with such a man ! 
 
 18
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE YESHIVA BOCHER. 
 
 As the day of the wedding drew nearer, my 
 horror at the thought of being married to a 
 yeshiva bocher increased. Reared amongst the 
 poor Jews as I was, I had ample opportunity 
 to see and know all the revolting details of 
 the lives and habits of these Russian divinity 
 students, the squalid and filthy class to which 
 my intended husband belonged. 
 
 In the small towns of Russia, the poor Jewish 
 boy with ambitions above the life of a drudg- 
 ing mechanic finds no opportunity to acquire 
 the education that will fit him for a mercantile 
 career or a profession. Still his brain burns 
 with a desire to learn he cares not what, but 
 something to raise him above the condition of 
 servitude into which he has been born. With- 
 out money or a change of clothing, or even a 
 home, perhaps, he sets out to get an education 
 in the only way left open to him. He becomes
 
 Minna. 
 
 a yeshiva backer, or what in English might be 
 called a divinity student, were this term not too 
 dignified to characterize a novitiate in a school 
 that as often prepares for a career of idleness 
 and knavery as for a life of industry and holi- 
 ness. However, the sort of education he ac- 
 quires largely depends upon the boy's character 
 at the time of his taking up the calling. He 
 may be only twelve years of age, and yet have 
 his moral tendencies already fixed for life, so 
 precocious are the Jewish lads. What he will 
 be when he emerges from the school also de- 
 pends much upon the purpose with which he 
 entered it. 
 
 The yeshiva bocher studies at the beisha- 
 medres, an annex of the synagogue, found in 
 every Russian Jewish town or settlement. 
 While the synagogue is open only on the Sab- 
 bath and on holidays during the principal 
 prayers, the beishamedres is always open for the 
 daily prayers which the orthodox Jew is bound 
 to attend. In the forenoon there is davnen 
 (morning prayer), in the early afternoon min- 
 cho, and in the evening mirov (vespers). 
 
 The beishamedres is usually one large room 
 
 20
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 with a light board partition to separate the 
 men and the women during prayers. In the 
 room where the men congregate is a small 
 altar near the middle of the wall, and a plat- 
 form called " bimmcfr" in the centre for read- 
 ings and prayers. Under the windows stand 
 long wide tables with benches on either side. 
 Between the two divisions of the room is a 
 great low brick oven, which serves to heat both 
 apartments ; and during the cold Russian win- 
 ter as many yeshiva bocherim as can possibly 
 crawl on it will lie there for the warmth. 
 Along the wall are shelves and closets, filled 
 with religious books of great variety even in the 
 beishamedres of the smallest towns. Three or 
 four rooms attached to this building serve as a 
 city residence for the rabbi. 
 
 The young men who are ambitious and 
 anxious for a religious education never begin 
 their studies in their home town, where they 
 are probably too well known ever to gain that 
 honor which is proverbially the prophet's due. 
 Leaving his poor parents, or perhaps his 
 widowed mother, the aspirant for rabbinical 
 honors starts out on foot, to make his way to 
 
 21
 
 Minna. 
 
 some other town where entire disassociation 
 with his past life will form his strongest rec- 
 ommendation to the good will and respect of 
 the people. 
 
 When such a one arrives in a strange town 
 he knows he can always make the beisha- 
 medres his headquarters. Here he may come 
 at any time and sleep in the women's part on 
 the floor, without being disturbed or ques- 
 tioned. So he goes to the shammes (caretaker) 
 and says to him : "I came here to study, to 
 be a yeshiva bocher, and I want you to be kind 
 enough to find me a few days if possible." 
 By "days" he means accommodations of the 
 following nature : 
 
 Every member of the Jewish community 
 knows that these young men must be fed, and 
 that they are wretchedly poor : consequently 
 they must be provided for. The caretaker 
 goes to one of the Jewish citizens and says : 
 "Reb Yankel, a new young man has come in ; 
 can you give him Monday or Tuesday, as most 
 convenient to you ? " Reb Yankel generally re- 
 plies, " I will." Then off the caretaker goes to 
 another citizen and says ; " Reb Leib, there is a 
 
 22
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 young man come into town to-day. Will you 
 give him one day in the week ?" 
 
 Thus he goes the rounds until he has filled 
 in the seven days of the week for the student. 
 The young man is t^en advised which days 
 he is to go to the different citizens. He knows 
 that every Monday he is to eat with Reb Yankel; 
 on Tuesday with Reb Leib ; on Wednesday 
 with Reb Maise ; on Thursday with Reb 
 Salnten, and so on. 
 
 Fortunate is that young man who, on his 
 arrival in town, is the possessor of a ruble or two 
 with which to bribe the caretaker. This im- 
 portant personage knows which of the citizens 
 will feed the newcomer willingly and gener- 
 ously, putting on the table enough bread and 
 butter, and occasionally a piece of meat. He 
 is also well aware which citizen gives a "day " 
 out of vanity rather than charity, and which 
 one sets rubbish on the table that even the 
 servants, who in Russia are accustomed only 
 to the poorest food, could not eat it. Such 
 men, if they provide bread, put no knife with 
 it, so that the yeshiva backer may not take too 
 
 large a portion. But, whether his host is 
 
 23
 
 Minna. 
 
 generous or stingy, the poor student does not 
 dare to complain. So if the shammes receives 
 a small remuneration, the young man gets 
 something to eat ; whereas if the shammes is 
 not " tipped," the student gets his " days " 
 but no food. 
 
 Many of the students are compelled to eat 
 in as many as fifteen houses during the seven 
 days, for often the citizens will take a student 
 for part of a day only. One gives him break- 
 fast, another lunch, and a third will offer sup- 
 per alone. So he fills in his days ; but not 
 one has ever been known to say that he was 
 able to fill his stomach. 
 
 Clothes, too, are furnished by the citizens. 
 The man who has ayeshiva backer ai his table, 
 occasionally supplies an old coat or trousers, 
 when the raggedness of his guest has shamed 
 him into generosity. Very often a slim young 
 fellow of fifteen they are always slim for 
 obvious reasons may be seen wearing a coat 
 and trousers that had been worn by a six-footer, 
 who probably weighed two hundred and 
 eighty pounds. As for shoes, the yeshiva 
 
 bocher is obliged to wear them until his pro- 
 
 24
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 trading toes shame some citizen into hunting 
 him up a cast-off pair. 
 
 Since the Hebrew religion, as it is under- 
 stood and practised among the old-fashioned, 
 orthodox Jews, absolutely forbids any man to 
 shave his beard or mustache, and, as the 
 student has no money to get his hair cut, nor 
 would it be proper for him to do so except 
 perhaps twice a year before the two great 
 holidays, " Peshach " (Passover) and New 
 Year, or " Roshhashona Yom Kippur " (the Day 
 of Atonement), a more forlorn appearance 
 than the yeshiva bocher presents is incon- 
 ceivable. He is the very disembodiment of 
 wretchedness. Furthermore, these students 
 seldom possess underwear ; or if they do 
 happen to have any, they wear it until it falls 
 off their backs. During the winter they are 
 frequently unable to go out for their meals, on 
 account of insufficient clothing. 
 
 Owing to these filthy and neglected condi- 
 tions, every yeshiva bocher is afflicted with 
 some kind of rash or skin disease. Their 
 heads especially become full of sores and 
 
 vermin. Whether or not it is due to the con- 
 
 25
 
 Minna. 
 
 stant scratching of their polls, it must be con- 
 fessed that there are many bright wits among 
 these students, and even in these wretched 
 conditions they occasionally find some ingeni- 
 ous means for recreation. For instance, they 
 have little private hunting parties late at night, 
 at which they supply both the instruments of 
 of sport and the quarry. After the beisha- 
 medres is closed the students go into the wom- 
 en's department, and with the assistance of a 
 candle start the chase. They take off their 
 clothes and hunt through them for game. The 
 one who has the largest herd is elected master 
 of the hunt, a position which he holds until he 
 is superseded by a more populous huntsman. 
 A prominent citizen, who had been a student, 
 once said that no self-respecting yeshiva backer 
 would consider himself worthy of the name 
 unless he pastured a goodly herd. 
 
 How do the yeshiva bocherim get their 
 pocket money ? Some of them are fortunate 
 enough to receive occasionally a few kopecks 
 from a mother or some other relative, but 
 most of them must earn what they get. They 
 
 do so in the following manner : 
 
 26
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 When a Jew or any member of his family is 
 taken ill, and the doctor says there is no hope 
 for his recovery, some of the relatives run 
 through the streets to the beishamedres scream- 
 ing like mad. Then, when they hear the 
 wild cries approaching, a broad smile of 
 anticipation overspreads the faces of the yesh- 
 iva bocherim. Without a word they move 
 toward the altar, each carrying a small prayer- 
 book in his hand. One of them asks the 
 suppliant relative, " What is the name of 
 the sick person, and what ove (saint) do you 
 wish us to invoke ?" After a prayer has been 
 offered, the grateful relative distributes a few 
 kopecks among the yeshiva bocherim. Some- 
 times they get three, five, even as many as ten 
 kopecks apiece (a kopeck is a half cent) ; and 
 you may be assured, that in their hearts they 
 continue to pray for some time that another 
 citizen may become sick, so that a few more 
 kopecks may be added to their meager earn- 
 ings. 
 
 In regard to their religious education, the 
 new students appeal to such of their fellows 
 
 as are farther along in their studies and are 
 
 27
 
 Minna. 
 
 willing to lend a helping hand to the beginner. 
 Those students who are most advanced in their 
 education, when overtaken by some especial 
 difficulty, go to the rabbi, who holds it his duty 
 to assist them. Those citizens of the town 
 who have been students and have now nothing 
 else to do but lie around in the beishamedres 
 among their books, are often of great assistance 
 to the know ledge-seeking j's///x>a bocher, among 
 whom are some who have a desire to learn 
 more than religion. Perhaps, as youngsters, 
 they have played with rich children who 
 taught them the alphabet. They manage to 
 procure a few German or Russian books and 
 study secretly ; but woe betide them if a fanat- 
 ical religionist should chance to hear of this 
 devotion to profane learning ; for the ambitious 
 student would be driven out of the town in 
 disgrace. 
 
 There are some again who are a lazy, worth- 
 less set : they do not care to learn a trade, as 
 they have no desire to work. They prefer to 
 lead an idle life. They never study, but lie 
 about the beishamedres willing to be dirty, 
 
 filthy and hungry, so long as they do not have 
 
 28
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 to work. They are sharp, for when they see a 
 citizen enter the beishamedres, they open a 
 prayer-book, droop their heads, wrinkle their 
 foreheads, and look like the hardest-working 
 students present. 
 
 The yeshiva backer often marries into a good 
 family that, possessing a little money, seeks 
 honor in the matrimonial alliances of the 
 daughters. Such parents choose a poor di- 
 vinity student, buy him a suit of clothes, very 
 often a watch and chain, and give him their 
 daughter in marriage. After the wedding the 
 father starts the newly wed couple in business, 
 so that the yeshiva backer may continue his 
 studies as a citizen, while his wife attends to 
 business and supports him. Many students, 
 knowing no other kind of career than the one 
 they have chosen, allow themselves to be led 
 by these temptations. Of these, the ambitious 
 students finally become rabbis and procure 
 good positions ; while the others continue 
 their idle life, in addition to making the un- 
 fortunate women whom they have married 
 hopelessly wretched and unhappy.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE BETROTHAL OF A YESHIVA BOCHER. 
 
 THE Jew expresses himself every day at his 
 morning prayers : " I thank Thee, O Heavenly 
 Father, that Thou hast not created me a 
 woman." That ought to answer all questions 
 as to how a woman stands in general in Jewry. 
 Her lot is especially hard in Russia, among the 
 poorer class, who consider it a grievous afflic- 
 tion to have a daughter. Therefore, a girl's 
 education is neglected. She is never sent to 
 school ; and throughout childhood, she is kept 
 a slave to her parents. After marriage, and 
 until death, she is to be a slave to her husband ; 
 so what need has she for an education ? If a 
 girl is unfortunate enough to be homely, her 
 fate is sealed ; she must depend upon her 
 father until she is old and gray. No money, 
 and a homely daughter ! Mercy ! Even with 
 a good-looking girl, plenty of money is required 
 
 to get her married. Think of a poor man who 
 
 3
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 has three, four, or five homely daughters ! In 
 such families the girls are generally married off 
 to yeshiva bocherim. 
 
 If the father has no money he has at least a 
 little cabin of his own in the city and can be 
 considereda baalh'bos (respected citizen). So 
 the schatchen (matrimonial agent) explains to 
 the young man, without giving him an oppor- 
 tunity to look at the wealth, that there is a 
 baalh'bos in town who has a daughter : " One 
 of the finest, greatest housekeepers ; who has 
 knitted about fifty pairs of stockings for her- 
 self " (she really has only three pairs). " Who 
 has feather-beds piled to the ceiling" (these 
 are three old pillows inherited from her grand- 
 mother upon which two generations of babies 
 have been raised). " And linen ! Ah, so much 
 of it that you cannot shut the hasten (chest). 
 And fancy work too ! I have never seen the 
 like ! " 
 
 This schatchen usually wears a long beard 
 and is highly respected. For five rubles he 
 will smuggle any maid off or any man in. 
 
 "Yes," he will go on, "she writes and reads 
 
 Hebrew like water " (a convincing expression 
 
 3 1
 
 Minna. 
 
 in sound, but in reality quite non-committal). 
 " Do you think she has to go to a neighbor to 
 write an address in German or Russian ? Oh, 
 no, she can do it all by herself." The old 
 scamp is telling many lies, but he does not 
 blush ; he is accustomed to prevarication in 
 the good cause of race propagation. As a 
 matter of course, it is essential to his business. 
 Is the girl to be married off absolutely shape- 
 less ? With a broad grin he digs the student 
 in the ribs and whispers cunningly : " Ah ! 
 she is a fat one." Is the yeshiva backer still 
 lacking in enthusiasm, the schatchen will add : 
 " And smart ! She will make a splendid busi- 
 ness woman. You won't have to work when 
 you get married. They will give you a thou- 
 sand rubles and she will run the business. Do 
 you know who her grandfather was ? Why, 
 one of the greatest ! What was his name ? 
 Ah ! I have forgotten. I will tell you some 
 other time. Her father is one of the most re- 
 spected citizens in town " (he might say this of 
 a horse thief). 
 
 So the schatchen goes from one yeshiva 
 
 backer to another as if he were a personal 
 
 32
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 friend, trying to give each a chance ; until he 
 comes across a lazy fellow who doesn't care 
 whom he marries, or what his wife looks like. 
 This one, when he hears of the thousand rubles 
 says to himself, " I will marry the girl, and 
 afterwards, if I find she doesn't suit me, I will 
 go to America." A thousand rubles ! Just 
 think what that means to a yeshiva bocher. 
 
 As soon as the young man consents to the 
 proposal, the schatchen turns round and says, 
 " And what will I get forgiving you such a rich 
 kalo (bride) ? " The young man promises him 
 something, and the schatchen says, " Well, 
 I'm willing to see her parents about it." The 
 appointment is then made in the parlor of 
 some wealthy citizen's house, as every Jew who 
 is in comfortable circumstances considers it a 
 Hebrew charity to help a poorer man smug- 
 gle off his daughter, and never refuses when 
 he is asked : " Can the meeting be in your 
 parlor ? " 
 
 The yeshiva bocher is brought into quite a 
 comfortable room in a good-looking house. 
 The father of the girl is there wearing his Sab- 
 bath capote (coat) and looking prosperous 
 3 33
 
 Minna. 
 
 With snuff-box in hand, and one foot over the 
 other, he sits carelessly on the sofa. When the 
 young man enters he is at once impressed that 
 here is the owner of the house. He looks 
 around everything appears comfortable, and 
 the bos on the sofa seems to be at home. The 
 yeshiva backer is welcomed somewhat coldly. 
 He is asked : " Have you served as a soldier ?" 
 He usually answers, " I have a green billet." 
 That may signify that he drew a lucky number, 
 or was found unfit for service. This answer is 
 satisfactory, but the next blow is a hard one. 
 " Have your people any money to give you ? " 
 That is a question the father never fails to ask, 
 to scare the young man into such a condition 
 that he will not have the courage to ask any- 
 thing for himself. The yeshiva bocher, morti- 
 fied and embarrassed, will answer, " No, my 
 people are very poor." 
 
 " Why, my dear young man," the father con- 
 tinues, " do you not realize that you do not 
 own even a decent coat, nor boots, nor a pair 
 of haisen (trousers) ? Indeed, you are almost 
 barefoot, and in fact, naked. You cannot get 
 
 married like that, and how will you procure 
 
 34
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 a kalo matones (bridal present) for your 
 bride ? " 
 
 Of course the young man sits there stupefied 
 and bullied out of his senses. Then he tries to 
 protest : "Why I had no intention of getting 
 married ! I did not look for a wife ; I know I 
 have nothing ! That's why I am a yeshiva 
 bocher. The schatchen told me you wanted 
 me for a son-in-law, and I finally consented to 
 see you." 
 
 "Well," the father will reply, " I didn't know 
 you were that poor." (What a bluff !) " For a 
 thousand rubles, you see, I can get a business 
 man for my daughter. Such a girl as I have ! 
 She alone is a fortune. My family are all such 
 fine people they will have nothing less than a 
 ftnem ingil (a learned young man). And then 
 my wife comes from rebonem (a family of rab- 
 bis), and she would not dream of permitting 
 her daughter to marry any one who had no 
 hopes of one day becoming a rabbi. But still, 
 if the young man is learned, although not a 
 rabbi, I will speak to her ; I feel confident that 
 she will be satisfied. A woman ! Bah ! I'll 
 
 fix that all right. Young man," the father 
 
 35
 
 Minna. 
 
 will continue, stroking his beard with one hand 
 and muttering " Hm, hm." " If that is the 
 meisa (story), I'll tell you what I will do with 
 you ; we will make a tnoim (engagement) right 
 now and I will fix you up. I will buy you 
 two suits of clothes, a hat, three suits of under- 
 wear, two pairs of shoes," (the yeshiva bocher 
 gets only one, by the way) "and I will give you 
 a thousand rubles, a gold watch and chain, and 
 the wedding shall be in three months." The 
 father is rather in a hurry. His wife, he says, 
 is in poor health and has to take the baths this 
 season ; so she would like to see the wedding 
 before she goes away. (You ought to see the 
 woman who is going to the baths " for her 
 health!") 
 
 Finally the schatchen pulls a red hand- 
 kerchief from his pocket and hands one end 
 to the father, who touches it and says, " I 
 give my blessing." Then the same end is 
 given to the young man who also touches it. 
 This little ceremony signifies that both parties 
 have consented to the engagement. Then the 
 schatchen rises quickly, the mistress of the 
 
 house brings forth a bottle of schnapps and 
 
 36
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 congratulates them so graciously and delight- 
 fully, that no doubt is left in the mind of the 
 yeshiva backer that she is the future mother- 
 in-law. She wears a doubled gold chain around 
 her neck, as thick as a man's thumb, and at 
 least a yard long. A pair of gold earrings 
 hang down nearly to her shoulders, and she 
 has on a gold brooch, as large almost as a small 
 hand. 
 
 Who could resist the temptation of having 
 such a mother-in-law, so decorated and all in 
 gold ! The young man goes away all smiles. 
 He does not say a word to the other yeshiva 
 bocherim. He is afraid they might say some- 
 thing against him, for his conscience feels 
 guilty of little odds and ends in his past life. 
 He is afraid that some jealous comrade will 
 get ahead of him and tread his golden path. 
 So he keeps his prospects quite a secret and 
 goes around with a broad smile on his face, 
 now and again laughing aloud. " Ah ! " he 
 says, " I am no more a yeshiva bocher. I am 
 going to be a baalh'bos of this town. What a 
 fine house they have, and what fine furniture ! " 
 
 He has never seen the girl, for he did not dare 
 
 37
 
 Minna. 
 
 ask such a privilege. He is engaged to be 
 married in three months, and that is suffici- 
 ent. 
 
 The schatchen sees him occasionally and 
 whispers to him, " She is working a fine little 
 tephilim sakel for you." (This a little velvet 
 bag with his name worked in pearls, in which 
 to carry his phylacteries and prayer-book). 
 The yeshiva bocher laughs in gleeful anticipa- 
 tion, as he imagines himself walking to the 
 beishamedres in the morning, dressed in his 
 new suit, wearing his gold watch and chain and 
 carrying the beautiful tephilim sakel, as he has 
 seen other wealthy citizens do. He sees all 
 the other yeshiva bocherim looking at him, 
 jealous of his good forfune ; he will not deign 
 to speak to any of them, but he will be proud 
 and dignified, to pay them for the way they 
 have treated him. 
 
 When the wedding day draws nigh, the 
 schatchen reappears and says to the yeshiva 
 bocher, " Do you know, I fear that some one 
 has said something about you, for I have seen 
 your father-in-law to-day and he seemed to be 
 
 somewhat doubtful about you. Somebody has 
 
 38 "
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 told him that you are not as learned as he 
 thought you were ; and they say that your 
 father ' deals in horses.' Of course you know 
 what that means." (In that part of Russia it 
 is very certain that a Jew who "deals in horses " 
 is the receiver of stolen property ; for a small 
 horse-trader must deal with the gypsies who 
 are notorious for stealing horses This is 
 about the worst thing one could say to the 
 young man to scare him.) The schatchen 
 takes advantage of the yeshiva backer's fright, 
 and delves deeper into other family details, 
 until the young man feels that he has no busi- 
 ness to aspire to decent society. And of 
 course the schatchen, who is an expert in this 
 sort of business, mercilessly flays the young 
 man. After he has completely cowed him, he 
 will say, " I'll tell you what I will do. I will go 
 and see the machuteneste (the mother). She is a 
 woman who has a great deal to say about the 
 house, as she comes of a very fine family." And 
 then he departs, with a hopeless shake of his 
 head. 
 
 The poor yeshiva backer is left in a fever of 
 
 anxiety. All his beautiful castles are apparently 
 
 39
 
 Minna. 
 
 to be shattered, and seem about to collapse. 
 He sees the schatchen walking off with long, 
 sharp, business-like steps, and he heaves a deep 
 sigh. Anxiously he awaits the return of the 
 marriage broker in the evening. The schatchen 
 comes, with a smile, and, greeting the un- 
 happy yeshiva backer, exclaims, as he warmly 
 grasps the young man's hand : " Masiltof \ 
 (congratulations). It is all right now. But, 
 remember, not a word to any one, as somebody 
 might come again and spoil it, and I will not 
 bother with it again. I have worked hard ; 
 you are not paying me anything now, and of 
 course they are not paying anything. It is for 
 you that I am working. I saw you, and I liked 
 you ; so I said to myself, ' here is a very fine 
 and capable young man, I am going to do 
 something for him,' so please do not cause me 
 any extra trouble." 
 
 At this the yeshiva backer protests, and in- 
 sists that he will pay him and pay him well, 
 too, as soon as he is married and has the thou- 
 sand rubles. But the wily schatchen replies, 
 " No ! no ! I do not want any money. I wish 
 
 to see that every young man who becomes a 
 
 40
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 citizen of the town is a baalh'bos. Do you 
 suppose I am doing this for money? Oh, 
 no ! " (He knows only too well that he will 
 receive nothing from the young man, but he 
 is satisfied, for he will probably get ten rubles 
 from the parents for dragging the young man 
 from the MUD to the GUTTER.) 
 
 So the prospective bridegroom sleeps peace- 
 fully, and enjoys sweet dreams once more. He 
 is generous that night, and allows his herd to 
 enjoy themselves unmolested. He is happy, 
 and wants all around him to be the same. In 
 fancy he sees the girl. She is like her mother, 
 and her mother is certainly a good-looking 
 woman. He sees himself lounging, as did the 
 father, on the sofa in the parlor. His wife is 
 seated at the window engaged in some fancy 
 work. He has just returned from Riga, where 
 he has invested his thousand rubles in some dry 
 goods, and also procured a credit for a thousand 
 rubles. Two thousand rubles of dry goods will 
 make a very imposing display in his store ! 
 
 And now the servant is bringing in the sam- 
 ovar. A couple of young men, citizens, whom 
 
 he had seen come to the beishamedres in a 
 
 41
 
 Minna. 
 
 proud and haughty manner, are sitting at his 
 table, and he is talking to them in a confiden- 
 tial tone. He is speaking of his experiences at 
 Riga how he conversed with the wholesale 
 people in so business-like a manner that they 
 never for a moment imagined he was a yeshiva 
 bocher. They were quite confident that he was 
 the son of some wealthy man, and had been 
 brought up in the dry-goods business. He 
 bought well, and as the wholesale merchants 
 desired his future trade, they gave him great 
 bargains. 
 
 His father-in-law now enters the dining-room, 
 and they all laugh and talk gaily. His friends 
 pat him on the shoulder, just as if he were an 
 old comrade and brother. His mother-in-law 
 comes in smiling. She whispers something in 
 her daughter's ear, who quickly gets up and 
 goes out, immediately returning and looking 
 very satisfied. The servant then comes and 
 moves the samovar aside while all continue to 
 chat and drink their tea. At one end of the 
 table a serviette is spread ; a plate, with a knife 
 and fork, is laid upon it in true baalh'bos 
 
 style. Then a WHOLE LOAF of bread is placed 
 
 42
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 upon the table ! His wife comes over to him 
 and says, " Yossel ! Will you come and wash 
 your hands now?" (Every good Jew, before 
 taking a meal, pours water from a cup three 
 times over each hand, and afterward, while dry- 
 ing them, says a short prayer.) 
 
 Smiling, he arises and gives his wife a look 
 that conveys a great deal. He walks into the 
 kitchen, washes his hands, dries them, and 
 comes in again. He sits down at the head of 
 the table (the place of honor) and, after another 
 quiet prayer, cuts the loaf of bread and takes a 
 bite. Ah ! After that bite he is permitted to 
 speak. Every one has something funny to say ; 
 all are so merry and jovial. He drinks a little 
 schnapps and passes the bottle around the 
 table. The servant brings in a little herring 
 salad as an appetizer. Then he drinks some 
 brandy again, and the bottle makes another tour 
 of the table. He pours a little schnapps into a 
 glass, beckons his wife over to him, and, with a 
 wink, draws her close to him and whispers 
 something in her ear. The young men declare 
 that his lips touched her face. She blushes 
 
 and protests that it is not so, but the others 
 
 43
 
 Minna. 
 
 will not have it otherwise ; even the father-in- 
 law says he saw it. The mother-in-law is look- 
 ing out of the window ; she sees and hears 
 nothing, feeling only the happiness of her 
 daughter. 
 
 Ah ! The servant enters again, and after 
 clearing away the herring plates, brings in the 
 roasted leg of a goose. (This is considered a 
 great delicacy by the Russian Jews.) The wife 
 has smoked it herself and then carefully baked 
 it in the oven. It certainly tastes good, and he 
 smacks his lips with a keen relish of its excel- 
 lence ; for, has not his young wife prepared it 
 especially for him ? He is eating, while the 
 others are drinking. Oh, how happy and con- 
 tented he is ! 
 
 After benzen (the meal prayer) the table-cloth 
 is removed and the samovar is replaced in the 
 center of the table. The wife and his mother- 
 in-law go to the table. They put charcoal in 
 the chimney and fill the samovar with fresh, 
 cold water. But it seems that the maid has al- 
 lowed the fire to burn down too far for the new 
 charcoal to ignite. He is thirsty and desires a 
 glass of tea very much. As he is the young 
 
 44
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 bos, he calls the maid and tells her to take the 
 samovar out to the kitchen ; he follows her to 
 see that it receives proper attention. The only 
 way to make the fire burn is to blow into the 
 chimney with the mouth to create a draught. 
 The maid blows and blows, but without any 
 success. So he, himself, bends down and be- 
 gins to blow. As he does so, a spark from the 
 fire flies out onto his forehead. He springs up 
 and falls backward. The fall is so hard that he 
 
 AWAKES, and finds himself lying on the 
 
 floor. He has fallen off the bench. Poor, 
 poor yeshiva bocher ; he was only dreaming ! 
 
 He rises, still parched and thirsty, and looks 
 about him. Although it is not time to get up, 
 he cannot sleep any more. He sits down to 
 review his dream, and promptly takes it as a 
 prophetic omen. "Yes," he says, "I wish this 
 marriage was over, so that I could get away 
 from this horrible place." The bench seems 
 to get harder as he sits on it. He has never 
 before noted how dirty it all is ; and he com- 
 pares it with the beautiful apartment of his 
 dream. How vulgar all his comrades are ! 
 
 They lie snoring on the benches, and floor. 
 
 45
 
 Minna. 
 
 Again he compares them with the associates of 
 his dream, in his father-in-law's saal (parlor). 
 He does not see how he can remain in such 
 filthy surroundings much longer. Think of 
 what a smart young man he was ! How well 
 he had bought those dry-goods ! " Oh, how I 
 wish it were daylight, that I could see the 
 schatchen ! " he murmurs. 
 
 The other yeshiva bocherim begin to move 
 and dress. He looks at them with disgust and 
 listens with loathing to their vile jokes. He 
 cannot comprehend how it was possible that 
 he could have enjoyed such jokes before. 
 What a horrible and vile set they are ! After 
 they have dressed and " davnened" and gone 
 out, he begins to feel hungry. .The goose's 
 drumstick of his dream is beating a call on his 
 empty stomach. He quickly pulls on his torn 
 and ragged shoes, his coat and trousers, puts 
 on his cap, says a short prayer and goes in to 
 davnen. To his delight he finds the schatchen 
 there. Plucking up courage, the young man 
 goes over to him and says, "Good morning, 
 Reb Itzik. Sholom-Aleichem." (Peace be 
 
 thine). The schatchen responds with a warm 
 
 46
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 shake of the hand, whispering, " I want to see 
 you after davnen." 
 
 If God has never before been cheated in a 
 prayer, he certainly is this morning by the poor 
 yeshiva bocher. The ceremony is anything 
 but devotional. He keeps his tephilim (phy- 
 lacteries) on his head, also wound around 
 his arms. His prayer-book is open, but his 
 thoughts are far from it ; he can only think, 
 " Where is that schatchen going to take me, or 
 what has he to tell me ? " The dream is still 
 fresh in his memory. Mechanically he goes 
 through all the prayer movements ; he mum- 
 bles, but does not say a word, nor does he know 
 what he is doing. He is startled by hear- 
 ing the schatchen say : " Well ! Are you 
 through ? " and at the same time he finds him- 
 self winding up his tephilim as all the others 
 are doing, and he places it under the bench in 
 a box. 
 
 Automatically he goes out with the schat- 
 chen, who says, " Come along with me to a 
 tailor and be measured for a suit." From there 
 they go to the shoemaker where he is measured 
 
 for shoes, and the schatchen then invites the 
 
 47
 
 Minna. 
 
 poor stupefied boy to his own home. A bottle 
 of schnapps is placed on the table, and while 
 his host takes a large portion, the young man 
 is persuaded to take a small one (to benefit 
 them both). The yeshiva backer is not ac- 
 customed to a large glass of schnapps, and a 
 little one will not hurt him nor the bottle. 
 The schatchen then begins a glowing descrip- 
 tion of the young man's future happiness. 
 While he is painting the beautiful pictures, 
 the young man's teeth are chattering from 
 hunger. He timidly says, " I have missed my 
 breakfast this morning." The schatchen asks, 
 " Where is your ' day ' to-day ? " and being 
 told he cheerfully says, " Oh, that is all right, I 
 know those people very well ; don't worry, I'll 
 fix it up for you. I will see that they have an 
 early dinner to-day, so you go there before the 
 usual time." 
 
 Poor yeshiva bocher ! Without a particle of 
 food, he departs to the beishamedres, where he 
 tries to while away a few hungry hours in study. 
 But the schnapps has acted as an appetizer ; 
 and after trying vainly to interest himself in 
 
 the book he eventually goes over to one of the 
 
 "
 
 The Betrothal of a Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 yeshiva bocherim and tries to borrow a pam 
 (three groschen or a kopeck and a half). One 
 refuses it, another hasn't it ; and finally, by 
 telling one that the house was closed when he 
 arrived for breakfast, tie manages to get a pam. 
 He sends one of the younger boys out to buy 
 a bulke (a large roll about three times as large 
 as an ordinary roll in America), and with that 
 bulke he goes into the women's part of the 
 beishamedres and sandwiches it with the 
 goose of his dream. Really it tastes fine ! 
 
 In a short time he goes to dinner, and finds 
 it better than usual. He sees that his hosts 
 already understand that he is going to be one 
 of the rich citizens, and he notices how respect- 
 ful they are to him. Poor yeshiva bocher ! It 
 is only a delusion ; but he eats his meal with 
 keen satisfaction, wipes his whiskers on his 
 coat-sleeve, and departs, a contented future 
 baalh'bos. 
 
 49
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE YESHIVA BOCHER'S WEDDING. 
 
 A WEEK passes. An old woman will be 
 seen going from house to house, entering each 
 without rapping. As she enters she says : 
 " You are invited to the wedding of Reb 
 Maize's daughter who is to be married to a 
 yeshiva bocher ; a vailen ingil" Some hand 
 her a kopeck or a groschen (quarter of a cent), 
 while others only grin significantly and ask, 
 " When is the wedding ?" She replies, " On 
 Thursday, at Reb Avtom's" (A citizen who 
 is willing to have this wild performance take 
 place in his house.) She goes from house to 
 house, repeating the same story and answering 
 the same questions. Some will probably say, 
 " I am glad that man is getting rid of his 
 daughter ! She is so homely; she is not smart. 
 She is no longer young ; in fact she is old, and 
 oh, so short and thick ! Why, I saw her last 
 
 week and she seems older than her mother, 
 
 5
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 and you know what a body her mother is ! I 
 am very glad indeed that the poor man is go- 
 ing to be rid of such a load ! " The old woman, 
 omitting no house, visits the rich and poor 
 alike, inviting them allio the wedding. 
 
 Thus the invitations are arranged ; and when 
 the wedding takes place nearly everybody 
 comes, for it is always a lively affair. There 
 is sure to be music, no matter how poor the 
 parents or the music may be ; and, as balls are 
 unknown in these towns, a wedding is consid- 
 ered a great treat, and, being an open affair, it 
 gives the young people an opportunity to come 
 together, to dance and be merry. The girls 
 have their calico dresses washed and stiffly 
 starched, and their hair done up in tight braids 
 so that it will be well crimped the next day. 
 
 The night previous to the wedding, the bride 
 is taken to the public bath. All the women 
 being aware of this, suddenly find that they are 
 very much in need of a bath also, and put in 
 their appearance in time to take part, as actors 
 or spectators, in the ceremony of "bathing the 
 bride." The bath-room is long, with wooden 
 
 steps built along one of the walls and extend- 
 
 5*
 
 Minna. 
 
 ing almost to the ceiling, that the bathers may 
 mount where the air is hottest. The fireplace 
 is filled with red-hot stones over which an old 
 woman attendant (the tukerke) throws buckets 
 of water, until a dense cloud of steam fills the 
 room. Every woman in the room is naked, for 
 bath-robes are unknown among the Russian 
 Jews. Some of them lie flat on the steps, and 
 the tukerke comes along with a little broom, 
 made of young bushes with large leaves, which 
 she first dips into cold water, and then holds 
 aloft in the steaming air so that the vapor may 
 pass through it. Then she passes along the tiers 
 of prone bathers and spanks each one with it. 
 As a general joke everybody joins in spanking 
 the bride, so there is usually a pretty lively 
 time. Her torture is further increased by all 
 manner of vulgar jokes, perpetrated at the 
 bride's expense. Every woman asks her em- 
 barrassing questions and demands a reply ; and 
 if the poor bewildered girl refuses to answer, 
 she is badgered all the more. 
 
 And now, the tukerke has another task to 
 perform ; a necessary, religious duty. She 
 cuts the finger and toe nails of the bride, and
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 being in a hurry she sometimes cuts so deeply 
 that the poor girl has a sore toe or ringer to 
 nurse for weeks after the wedding. After she 
 has been thoroughly scrubbed, and her hair 
 has been washed and rinsed, she is taken to 
 the mikvoh (plunge room). This is built on 
 the style of the usual plunge in the Turkish 
 baths, being a little below the level of the floor. 
 The only difference is that in the Turkish bath 
 the water is changed daily ; whereas in the 
 mikvoh it is changed but once a year, usually 
 before Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). For 
 the entire year, nearly every man and woman 
 has plunged into this same water, weekly or 
 monthly. 
 
 The bride is then led down the steps to the 
 mikvoh, the tukerke accompanying her with a 
 lighted candle in each hand, as a witness that 
 the bride has been made kosher (holy). Stand- 
 ing in the water, the bride repeats the follow- 
 ing prayer after the old woman : "Bomchatoh 
 Adonoh, eleikeinu meilech hoeilum asher ki- 
 dashonu bamizveisov veizivonu el tivilis miz- 
 voh" (Blessed art Thou, O God, that Thou 
 
 hast hallowed and ordained that we should 
 
 53
 
 Minna. 
 
 hallow ourselves through water.) Her hair has 
 been loosened and is hanging down. She is 
 obliged to plunge three times into that water, 
 so deeply that even her hair must not remain 
 on the surface. While her head is under 
 \vater, and after each plunge, the old woman 
 says " kosher" If one plunge does not seem 
 satisfactorily executed, the bride must repeat 
 it until the old woman is quite satisfied that 
 all three plunges have been properly per- 
 formed according to the laws of the Jewish 
 religion. The bride is then permitted to dress 
 and return to her home, where she will go be- 
 hind the brick oven and cry. 
 
 Then her fast begins. Until she is married 
 the next day, she is not permitted to drink 
 even a glass of water ; sometimes her mother 
 will fast with her, often the father too. The 
 bride has no duties to perform except to fast 
 and cry. If she did not cry a great deal, she 
 would be considered an idiot, for it is the cus- 
 tom for all brides to do considerable crying 
 prior to the marriage. As if they were not to 
 still more after it ! 
 
 But what has the yeshiva bocher been doing 
 
 54
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 on the morning of the wedding ? First of all 
 the schatchen takes him to have his hair cut, 
 then to the bath ; for the choson (bridegroom) 
 usually manages to have three kopecks to pay 
 for his bath. The schatchen carries a large red 
 handkerchief tied up like a bundle, which con- 
 tains a new suit of underwear and a red hand- 
 kerchief. No starched collars are worn ; the 
 undershirt generally has a very broad, un- 
 starched collar, and this flaps down over the 
 handkerchief, which has been placed around 
 the neck. Over the schatchen's arm hangs a 
 new suit, and on the other arm he carries a 
 new pair of boots and a new cap. Proudly he 
 marches to the bath by the side of the young 
 man, and every one lies in wait to see them 
 pass. The men are as curious as the women ; 
 and at the bath a performance is gone through 
 with the choson similar to the treatment of the 
 bride by the women. Still, he has much less 
 to suffer, as the nail cutting, the plunges and 
 the prayers are dispensed with. 
 
 After the bath is over, the young man will 
 dress up in his new underwear, his new suit 
 
 and his new cap and creaking boots, after 
 
 55
 
 Minna. 
 
 which he will most likely cast a questioning 
 glance at the schatchen, as much as to say, 
 " Well, where is my watch ? Where is my 
 gold chain ? " But he would not dare to ask 
 outright for it, after having received all the 
 new clothing. If only he had a brother or a 
 father there, they might ask for it ! Neverthe- 
 less he does not forget that the watch and chain 
 have been promised him. The schatchen has 
 seen his glance, and whispers, " Ah, there is 
 such a fine gold watch and chain for you. 
 You will receive it this afternoon." With this 
 assurance the pooryeshiva backer already feels 
 it in his pocket. 
 
 Usually the shoes are purposely made to 
 creak loudly, and as he walks, the young man 
 blushingly hangs his head, as each step be- 
 trays his errand. He, too, is fasting; but he 
 does not find it so very difficult, for fasting is 
 no new experience to him. 
 
 He is then taken to the citizen's borrowed 
 house, where a room has been prepared for 
 the groom and the men, as one has been for 
 the bride and the women. In this room all 
 
 the men, old and young, are gathered around 
 
 56
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 a table, drinking schnapps and telling tales. 
 If there are any relatives of the groom present, 
 one of these will most likely say to the father- 
 in-law : " How about that thousand rubles ? " 
 And the father-in-law will reply, " A thousand 
 rubles ? Ah, yes ! But I have had a very 
 bad year, and I am afraid I can give you only 
 five hundred." " What ! " they will exclaim, 
 " Only five hundred ? Why, you promised a 
 thousand." And the young man's relations 
 will try and persuade him to go home, saying, 
 " Why, a thousand rubles have been prom- 
 ised you. You surely are not going to marry 
 a miserable five hundred ? A bright young 
 fellow like you, can easily get ten thousand." 
 " No, you don't," chimes in the father-in-law ; 
 " No fear ! No doubt but what you could get 
 a great deal of money now, after I have taken 
 you out of that filthy condition. Who looked 
 at you before ? You miserable, half-starved 
 yeshiva backer! It was I who made a man of 
 you. Look at yourself now ! You look like 
 a real baalk'bos. How did you look this 
 morning ? " 
 
 Poor yeshiva backer! He sits there, fright- 
 
 57
 
 Minna. 
 
 ened to death lest this misunderstanding dis- 
 solve the engagement, and he may have to 
 take off his new, proudly-creaking boots and 
 his brand-new suit. He begins to wonder 
 whether the bath-house is closed or not, 
 whether he will be able to get his old clothes 
 back. Personally, he is content with less 
 money, provided he may retain his new outfit. 
 If the young man has no relatives present, the 
 schatchen manages to make himself scarce ; 
 for he has learned from long experience that 
 the first thing the young man will ask for is the 
 watch and chain. 
 
 Sometimes the money affair will be ar- 
 ranged in this way : The father-in-law says he 
 will give the young man five hundred rubles and 
 kest (board for the young man and his wife), in 
 lieu of the additional five hundred rubles. In 
 pledge of this the father-in-law gives the young 
 man his hand before witnesses, and the young 
 man's friends are satisfied. Or again the 
 father-in-law may say, " Oh, the money is all 
 right ! It is safely deposited with a friend of 
 mine. The watch ? Ah, true ! Hmmmmm ! 
 
 Laibele, come here to me. Go and ask mamma 
 
 58
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 what she has done with the watch and chain ? " 
 After a lapse of an hour or two the boy will 
 return and say, " Mamma says she has put it 
 under the pillows at home, for safety's sake ; " 
 and another young man is sent off for it. 
 While the money question is being settled, 
 and the watch hunt is in progress, the hours 
 slip by. Sometimes the bride's father will give 
 the yeshiva backer a receipt for the money 
 which has been deposited with a friend ; but 
 the young man usually finds that, when he 
 presents the receipt to get the money, the sly 
 fox has been there ahead of him and taken it 
 away. 
 
 Meanwhile the ceremony has begun. The 
 musicians are there and the whole town has 
 turned out for the occasion. There is loud 
 calling for the bride, and one of the girls will 
 go to seek her, to return with the message that 
 she is dressing. While they are waiting the 
 music plays and the girls dance together, for 
 the young men are not allowed to dance ; in 
 fact no young man is to be seen in the wed- 
 ding room except the musicians. Every girl 
 
 that pays three kopecks to the musicians will 
 
 59
 
 Minna. 
 
 be permitted to have one dance, and the more 
 money a girl has, the more she will enjoy her- 
 self. 
 
 Suddenly the cry arises, " The bride is 
 coming ! The bride is coming ! " and the 
 musicians will immediately go outside and 
 play their most dismal music, as a welcome to 
 the bride. Accompanied by a few older mar- 
 ried women, she enters the wedding room, 
 dressed in her black silk dress, her mother by 
 her side. Seating herself at one end of the 
 room, with some married women around her, 
 she remains seated while the dances proceed. 
 
 At last the women begin to tire of the danc- 
 ing. A chair is placed in the center of the 
 floor, and as soon as the bride sees this move, 
 she covers her face with her handkerchief and 
 begins to sob and cry aloud. The two unter- 
 fihrerkes (bridesmaids, generally married wo- 
 men), lead her to the center of the room and 
 seat her on the chair. The bride's hair is 
 loosened and let down ; then a saucer of sugar 
 and water is brought over, and every woman 
 dips her ringer in it and smears it over the 
 
 bride's head. About two yards of coarse 
 
 60
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 white sewing thread are next brought in and 
 her hair is tied up in little knots. While this 
 is in progress, two other women loosen the 
 bands of her petticoats and skirts, untie her 
 shoes, take down her v garters, and open her 
 bodice. The two women then take their stand 
 on either side of the bride, one holding close 
 to her forehead a plate of fine lekach (ginger- 
 bread crumbs), over which a red silk handker- 
 chief has been carelessly thrown. Word is 
 then sent to the men that the bride is ready. 
 
 If fate is kind, the financial question has 
 been settled by this time, and the young man, 
 accompanied by his fellow-citizens, will come 
 to the wedding room. As he nears the room, 
 every one cries, " The choson is coming ! The 
 choson is coming ! " and the women separate 
 to make room for the groom and his following. 
 When the young man comes in with his 
 crowd, (he has not seen the bride yet, nor does 
 he see her now, for her head is bowed to her 
 breast), he can only hear his future companion 
 sobbing and crying pitifully. Indeed every- 
 body cries. Then the groom takes one end of 
 
 the handkerchief that lies over the plate, the 
 
 61
 
 Minna. 
 
 husbands of the unterfihrerkes take the other 
 ends, and together, they quickly lift it up and 
 throw it over the bride's head. Just as soon 
 as this is done, all the women rush madly for 
 the plate, grab handfuls of the gingerbread 
 crumbs and throw them at the bridegroom and 
 the men, who dash for the door and then pro- 
 ceed to the synagogue. 
 
 It is very often the case that the bride has 
 fainted from the day's fast, from the heat of the 
 room, from her crying, and from all that she 
 has gone through ; but there is no mercy 
 among these savages. They will not allow the 
 least opportunity for torturing the bride to 
 slip by. They must amuse themselves. 
 
 In front of the synagogue four men hold a 
 huppa, or canopy on four posts, under which 
 the groom awaits the bridal procession. Two 
 women hurriedly lift the bride from the chair 
 and march her to the synagogue, supported on 
 either side by the unterfihrerkes (bridesmaids), 
 for she is a pitiful sight. Her stockings are 
 hanging down, her shoes are open, and the 
 strings trail on the ground. She drags her- 
 self along, supporting her loosened skirts with 
 
 62
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 both hands, the red handkerchief tied to her 
 head and hanging down over her face. The 
 entire crowd of women follow until they reach 
 the synagogue. 
 
 While the rabbi is engaged in a little cere- 
 mony, the bride and the women all stand a 
 little to one side. When the word is given she 
 is taken under the canopy, and to the singing 
 and praying of the entire congregation, she 
 solemnly marches thrice around the groom, 
 who stands in the center. At the end of the 
 third round she stops in front of him, and a 
 bridesmaid lifts her right hand, the forefinger 
 of which is pointed at the groom. He takes a 
 ring (or a silver coin) and places it on the 
 finger, saying as he does so : " Hari at mei- 
 kudeshes le beitabas su ceidas Meises vei 
 Ishroel " (For truth you are prepared to me 
 with this ring, according to the law of Moses 
 and Israel." 
 
 These words are used as a most solemn 
 marriage bond ; and without the ring (or the 
 coin) the marriage would not be legal. As 
 soon as he has said them, every one cries out 
 
 11 Masiltof; " and if you were to glance at the 
 
 63
 
 Minna. 
 
 father-in-law at that moment, you would see 
 how he swells out his chest and heaves a deep 
 sigh of relief. 
 
 Next the rabbi will say a prayer over a glass 
 of wine, from which he takes a small sip, and 
 hands it to the young husband, who drains the 
 contents, throws the empty glass on the floor, 
 and crushes it under the heel of those power- 
 ful new boots. 
 
 Now the whole procession sets out for the 
 real home of the father-in-law. One of the 
 women takes from beneath her shawl a very 
 large round flat gingerbread, called the kalo 
 lekach (wedding cake), which is as hard as the 
 very hardest of ginger cake. Another woman, 
 usually a machuteneste (near relative, or close 
 friend), takes this cake with one hand while 
 she holds her skirts together with the other ; 
 and raising the kalo lekach as high above her 
 head as she can reach, she dances constantly 
 in a circle before the advancing bride, (whose 
 face is still covered), singing as she does so : 
 " Kalo lekach! Kalo lekach /" Some of the 
 other married women carry lighted candles 
 
 and succeed in marring the festivities by 
 
 64
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 spoiling many a silk dress with the drippings ; 
 others clap their hands in time to the singing, 
 all the while marching on. When one has 
 danced about a dozen turns, another will 
 spring suddenly forward and, forcing the cake 
 from the other's hand, will continue the dance 
 herself. Thus it goes on. The cake is 
 changed from hand to hand, the women hop, 
 the procession proceeds, the music plays, and 
 at last they reach the real home of the bride. 
 
 When they arrive the young man is amazed. 
 He cannot comprehend why the wedding 
 feast should take place in such a tumble-down 
 old shanty. But, of course he is hungry and 
 tired, and he has not yet received his watch 
 and chain, nor the money. Why ? He fears 
 to ask the question. As soon as he is seated at 
 the table beside his bride, whose face he has 
 not yet seen, chicken broth, (called golderne 
 yaichelle), is served specially for the young 
 couple. After he has taken a few spoonfuls of 
 it, a sudden thought enters his head : " Did 
 not my bride appear to be rather short under 
 the canopy ? I had to look down upon her 
 
 when I placed the ring on her finger." But 
 5 65
 
 Minna. 
 
 this is only a momentary thought, quickly dis- 
 missed when schnapps is served. 
 
 A little old starved-looking woman is hover- 
 ing around him, and it gradually dawns upon 
 him that this is the real mother-in-law. But 
 where is the gracious lady whom he saw on the 
 day of the engagement and has never seen 
 since ? This woman, not only is she devoid of 
 a gold chain around her neck and a beautiful 
 brooch, but she is wearing a shabby old dress 
 that may have served thirty-five years ago as 
 her w r edding gown, and is now her only Sab- 
 bath garment ! Frightened and shocked, he 
 looks at his father-in-law. Yes, that is the 
 same coat he wore on the engagement day ! 
 It might have been black once, but it is green 
 and glossy now ; and, judging from the wed- 
 ding feast, he begins to feel that the outlook 
 for his promised three years' board and lodg- 
 ing is not very encouraging. Still, as he is not 
 an over-conscientious yeshiva bocher, he con- 
 soles himself with the thought : " If I find 
 that the bride is not pretty, and the board is 
 not good, why, I will take the five hundred 
 
 rubles and go to America and leave the old 
 
 66
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 man his daughter." With these consolations 
 for the future he strengthens his weak heart 
 and fills his empty stomach with the wedding 
 feast. 
 
 The bride has also e^ten ; and being satis- 
 fied both in body and soul, the kosher (holy) 
 dance begins. When the family is very poor 
 and the crowd small, the kosher dance and the 
 wedding present dance are combined. Other- 
 wise they are given separately, that the batchen, 
 (a joking master of the dance), may get more 
 money out of the assembled guests. 
 
 The bride is left standing in the center of 
 the room where the men and women now 
 mingle together and seem to be trying to con- 
 ceal something in the folds of their dresses, or 
 in their coat-tails. The joker, or batchen, 
 stands in a corner and, one by one, calls upon 
 the honorary guests and nearest relatives of 
 the bridegroom and the bride, and then upon 
 the dearest friends and neighbors of both, to 
 come forward and dance with the bride. As 
 he calls upon each in turn, he improvises some 
 rhyming joke upon the name of the person, 
 
 who then comes forward, bearing a wedding 
 
 67
 
 Minna. 
 
 present so conspicuously that all may see it, 
 and, stepping to the side of the bride, the per- 
 son so called whirls her about in unison with 
 the music. 
 
 The presents are laid on the table ; and the 
 joker, while collecting his coins from each 
 dancer, calls on another and another, all the 
 while rhyming and joking with spontaneous 
 but cheap wit upon the name of each guest, to 
 the hilarious enjoyment of the crowd, until all 
 who have presents to give and a coin to spend 
 have had a dance with the bride. This poor 
 mortal receives some pretty hard swings dur- 
 ing the wedding-present dance, which, added 
 to her previous fasting and other tortures, keep 
 her on the verge of collapse. But what does 
 that matter ? The more the merrier, and the 
 merrier, the more presents. 
 
 Finally a woman edges up to the bride and 
 " digs " her in the side, saying at the same 
 time : " Come outside, I want to see you a 
 minute." The bride follows to another room 
 where a wig-maker, generally a woman, awaits 
 her with a pair of scissors in her hand. In a 
 
 few moments the bride's long hair is clipped 
 
 68
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 off, so closely that you would imagine she had 
 been shaved. A little black calico cap is tied 
 on her head, and, with a ruble and a bunch of 
 hair, an exchange is made for a wig for the 
 bride, to be put on the following morning. 
 The poor creature, in her natural state might 
 be a blonde ; but the next day she is quite 
 likely to appear with a jet-black wig, for these 
 are called chinison hor (china hair), the cheap- 
 est kind possible. 
 
 From the wig-maker the bride is led to the 
 bridal chamber, which is quite often in a barn. 
 She is undressed, and no less than twenty 
 women participate in this torture. All that 
 takes place in that room is of the same order of 
 cheap wit that characterizes the ceremony of 
 the bath. They badger the bride and insult 
 her with all manner of vulgar jokes, until fi- 
 nally exhausted, she drops into bed. Her nose 
 is red, her eyes are swollen, her hair is clipped 
 off, a black cap is tied on her head ; she has 
 been made kosher. In this picturesque condi- 
 tion, the bride awaits her lord. 
 
 While the kalo is being prepared to receive 
 
 her husband in the bridal " barn," the crowd 
 
 69
 
 Minna. 
 
 amuses itself with teasing the choson. He is 
 told that some one wants to see him on busi- 
 ness. He replies that his business just then 
 is his wedding, at which every one laughs and 
 applauds him for his wit. They find it ex- 
 ceedingly difficult to fool him into the bridal 
 apartment, however, so they all begin to sing, 
 
 " That's the way, that's the way, 
 
 We fool the choson ; 
 We promise lots of money, 
 
 But we give him not a groschen." 
 
 Poor fellow ! He thinks they are merely 
 joking : but the crowd and the parents know 
 it is the truth. 
 
 Finally they get him in the center of the 
 room and dance him around and around. 
 They drag him here and drag him there, and 
 gradually lead him toward the bridal chamber, 
 where some unseen hand opens the door and 
 he is literally " fired " in. Then it is closed 
 and barred on the outside ; and while the 
 crowd gives itself up to merriment and danc- 
 ing, he stands there contemplating his wife by 
 the light of one small candle. He notes the 
 
 black cap. Well, that is all right, for he has 
 
 70
 
 The Yeshiva Bocher's Wedding. 
 
 seen his mother wearing one. He sees her 
 red and swollen eyes. Well, that is all right, 
 she has been crying. He looks at her red 
 nose. Well, that is all right too. That would 
 be caused by the crying. " But, I don't 
 know," he says to himself, "it seems to me 
 she is homely in general. She doesn't look 
 like the young girls I have seen, but more like 
 an old woman. Well, what do I care anyhow ? 
 It's dark now ; maybe she'll look better in the 
 morning." Finally the young man undresses, 
 and with one eye on his new suit and the other 
 on his new pair of boots, he retires. 
 
 In the morning, when he arises, the poor 
 yeshiva bocher is received with a smile by his 
 father-in-law, who scratches his beard and 
 says : " I am sorry, but I am unable to find 
 your watch." The yeshiva bocher looks at his 
 wife. He would like to run off to America, 
 but alas ! the five hundred rubles are still 
 forthcoming. The father-in-law tells a hard 
 luck story and explains that the five hundred 
 rubles are impossible. The yeshiva bocher 
 takes the tephilim and goes to the beisha- 
 
 medres. His comrades wait for him and greet 
 
 71
 
 Minna. 
 
 him with a shout of laughter. For a pair of 
 new boots and a suit of clothes he has taken a 
 homely old- maid daughter off the hands of an 
 old Jew, whose poverty is a byword ! So he 
 continues his studies, or lies around the 
 beishamedres lazily, just as he chooses, while 
 his wife sells fresh baked bread, matches and 
 soap. His life has changed. Before his mar- 
 riage he had many " days," and nothing to eat ; 
 now he has little to eat on many days. But 
 oh, that thousand rubles and the trip to Riga ! 
 Poor, poor yeshiva backer I 
 
 72
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WEDblNG. 
 
 ON the Friday night before my wedding, I 
 stole to Reb Schmia's yard, and the servant 
 was kind enough to let me look through the 
 window at their Sabbath, the man who was to 
 be my husband in a few days. I was obliged 
 to do this very secretly, for if any one dis- 
 covered that I dared do such a thing I would 
 have been pointed out as a bold and forward 
 character. After I had seen the Sabbath, I 
 hurried home. Yeshiva backers all looked 
 disgustingly alike to me, but what could I do 
 but cry again. I cried all night and most of 
 the next day ; so in the morning my eyes were 
 swollen from weeping. My mother was well 
 pleased, however, for she remarked to the 
 other women in the house : 
 
 " Minke has got good sense. She has been 
 crying all night, and her eyes are all swollen. 
 Oh ! she will make a fine kalo ! She is cry-
 
 Minna. 
 
 ing all the time. Why, if she were eighteen 
 she could not cry any more." 
 
 I listened as my mother talked with the wo- 
 men regarding the arrangements for the wed- 
 ding. They decided unhesitatingly that the 
 ceremony should be carried out to its fullest 
 extent, without any consideration for my 
 youth ; I was only thirteen. Overwhelmed 
 with a sense of approaching calamity I ran to 
 the next house, to the postmaster's wife, who 
 had married a Christian, and, throwing my 
 arms about her neck, cried most bitterly. 
 
 "Well, my girl," she said, "you will not 
 listen to me, how can I help you ?" 
 
 I kissed her passionately. "No, no," I 
 cried, " I must not, I must not ! " and ran 
 back to my mother's house, determined to 
 wait and see what the future might bring forth. 
 
 My mother met me at the door. " The day 
 before her wedding," she screamed, " a kalo 
 runs around ? And where were you ? At the 
 postmistress's ? Na, thank God, I will soon be 
 rid of the zorus (trouble) ! Did you go to 
 complain to the Christians that something 
 
 does not suit you ? Poor yeshiva backer," she 
 
 74
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 continued, "if he knew what he is getting he 
 would himself hang. Nobody knows what I 
 held out with such a drab (lazy, shiftless girl). 
 I tell you again your complaining will not help 
 you. You are mine, not the postmistress's. 
 All diseases from all the Jews of this town on 
 her ! " 
 
 Having spent something of her wrath upon 
 the postmistress, she turned upon me again, 
 but in a lower tone. 
 
 " Gott in Himmel ! " she said, " Go and 
 get dressed. It is late. You don't need to 
 wait till it's dark to go to the mikvoh. If you 
 are old enough to be ashamed, you are old 
 enough to go by daylight. I cannot spend all 
 night there and I have nobody to help me with 
 the work. You are a geswollene kalo (swelled- 
 up bride), but I have to do all the work my- 
 self. I want to get through early ; there is 
 such a lot of work to do for your farslepenes 
 (a slang word for wedding). And the thanks 
 I am getting ! " 
 
 There seemed to be no end to her vitupera- 
 tions, for again her wrath burst forth in a 
 
 scream. 
 
 75
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Another day and I will be rid of you. It 
 is a shame and a sin to bury a young rabbi 
 with such a beast ! Go and get dressed or I 
 will hand you a couple of slaps that your eyes 
 will go over. I will give them to you right 
 now and I will give them to you after you are 
 married." 
 
 With this burst her wrath was apparently 
 expended. I went to the bath where the cer- 
 emony of the mikvoh, with all its insulting de- 
 tails, was thoroughly carried out. On my re- 
 turn my mother placed a locket and chain 
 around my neck, saying as she did so : 
 " There, no one can say I failed to keep my 
 word." 
 
 The next day I was married and went 
 through the humiliating torture every whit. 
 In the morning when I arose I did not cry. I 
 took a slice of bread and a cup of coffee for 
 my breakfast, but my mother sprang forward 
 and knocked them from my hands. 
 
 "What! Eating to-day!" she shouted. 
 " Are you crazy ? Na ! What do you think 
 of that ? " she screamed to the curiosity 
 
 seekers who fill the home of the bride from 
 
 76
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 early morning till the wedding begins. " If 
 the choson finds it out he will never go to the 
 huppa (wedding canopy.) Na ! What does 
 she need to fast for a happy married life ? 
 She plagues me now, she will plague him after 
 she is married." 
 
 Turning upon me, she shook her fist in my 
 face. " I will lay you in the earth if you will 
 not behave after the wedding and will make 
 him ashamed. ' I will have an early wedding," 
 I said. I intended to make a short day for you. 
 1 Na ! ' I said to myself, ' she is young, I will 
 get through with the wedding early and she 
 will not have to fast so late at night.' But 
 now, a disease, a plague on you ! I will tell the 
 tukerke, and the shammeste to give you a wed- 
 ding day to-day that you will not forget as long 
 as you live." 
 
 She kept her word. 
 
 My black silk dress was large enough to fit 
 a woman at least a foot taller than I ; and she 
 might have been comfortable in it were she 
 double my weight. I was only a child after 
 all and protested. It dragged and hung on 
 
 me. 
 
 77
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Na ! What do you think of such a 
 trouble ?" exclaimed my mother to the other 
 women. " See ! See for yourself ! That is 
 the thanks I receive. I spared no expense. I 
 knew she will grow yet, so I made it to last her 
 lifetime. Na ! Gott ! I wish it was not so 
 late, I would break your bones, my kalo, that 
 I would have to wrap you in rags instead of a 
 silk dress." 
 
 Amid a torrent of such promises, I was 
 finally dressed and hurried to the wedding- 
 room. The room was large and stripped of 
 all furniture except a few chairs placed along 
 the walls. Only a few children had arrived, 
 who stood gaping at me and the two old wo- 
 men who accompanied me. Oh, how lonely 
 I felt ! How desolated the whole world 
 looked to me ! 
 
 The musicians had already arrived and be- 
 gun to play. I felt as though some Great 
 Judge had condemned me alive in a coffin and 
 a funeral march was whining an accompani- 
 ment for my progress into hell. My mother 
 had said I was wicked, and I was reconciled 
 
 to this change. 
 
 78
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 Through the whole inhuman performance, 
 even when my hair, the only decoration I 
 ever possessed, was clipped, I did not know, 
 I did not feel. Everything passed by me ; I 
 was as though in a trance. Finally they led 
 me to the synagogue. No innocent man or 
 desperate criminal ever x faced the gallows with 
 greater fright than I my wedding canopy. I 
 hated the yeshiva backers, I was lost ; the 
 wedding ring was on my ringer. 
 
 The whole procession returned, singing and 
 dancing, to the house. There, not the least of 
 my tortures was the wedding-present dance. 
 They pushed me, they whirled me and humil- 
 iated me, until some women, more compas- 
 sionate than the others, called out : " Enough, 
 enough ! Take the bride to the bridal cham- 
 ber, she is only a child after all." 
 
 A crowd of married women followed ; nor 
 did they leave me to rest until I had fallen in 
 a stupor in my bed, clipped and shorn, tor- 
 tured, plagued and torn. I lay for a time 
 listening to the insatiable wolves as they 
 plagued him in the next room. Him ? Who 
 
 is he ? God knew, but I did not. 
 
 79
 
 Minna. 
 
 Tired with weeping, I fell asleep. 
 
 At three o'clock in the morning after my 
 wedding, while my husband was sleeping 
 soundly, I opened the window carefully, 
 climbed out quietly and clambered over the 
 high fence into the postmaster's garden. I 
 gently tapped on the window, and to my sur- 
 prise, the postmaster himself opened it and 
 called out : 
 
 "Wait, Minna ; I will open the door for you 
 in a moment." 
 
 He came out and taking me by the hand led 
 me into his wife's apartment. " Here is 
 Minna ;" he said, " do all you can for her. I 
 will go out and quiet the dogs." 
 
 Like an affectionate sister, the woman em- 
 braced me and taking me in her arms, laid me 
 gently in her bed and covered me up, for I 
 was shivering from cold and fear. 
 
 " Why, Minna, what is that you have round 
 your neck ? " she asked. 
 
 " Nothing," I answered, " except a little 
 chain and locket that my mother put there 
 when I came from the bath." 
 
 11 Does it open ? " she asked. 
 80
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 " Really, I don't know," I answered. 
 
 "Perhaps it does, let me see. It may pos- 
 sibly contain something of value to you." 
 
 I unfastened the locket and handed it to her. 
 She examined it carefully and said, " It seems 
 to be solid, still, I think it may be opened. 
 Wait, we will see." 
 
 She tapped on the window and beckoned to 
 her husband. As he entered the room, she 
 exclaimed, " Don't you think this could be 
 opened ? Try it." 
 
 He took his pocket-knife and, after fumbling 
 with the locket a moment or so, got it open, 
 and to my surprise revealed a fine, silky, neatly 
 folded paper. Opening it, he handed it to 
 his wife. " It is written in Hebrew," he said, 
 "you had better read it." I sat up in bed and 
 looked at them, I could not comprehend what 
 was going on around me. 
 
 "Wait, child," said the postmistress. "We 
 must first find out what this sheet of paper 
 says, then I may be able to tell you some- 
 thing," and she read as follows : 
 
 My dear child ; Your birth is a secret. I, your mother, 
 6 81
 
 Minna. 
 
 am writing these lines while holding you in my arm, close to 
 my breast. My poor infant, you are the child of the man I 
 love dearly. Those fanatics, my religious parents, are going 
 to tear you away from me in a few moments. One more kiss, 
 and one more glance at your beautiful face. It is not you 
 alone, my child, that they are separating from me, it is the 
 very life they are tearing out of my poor sick body. I would 
 be willing to live among these peasants and raise you, my dar- 
 ling, as a mother should bring up her child, if only I might 
 keep you next my sore heart, as that alone is the only balm for 
 my wounded soul. But no ! no ! My pleadings are of no 
 avail, and they will soon take you away from me. So in the 
 greatest haste I must tell you that your father was of noble 
 birth and a Christian, while I am a Jewess. Love your mother, 
 my child, and have pity. It is not my fault that we are sepa- 
 rated. May God help and protect you, for I swear to you that 
 I shall never be the mother of another child, nor the wife of 
 another man," 
 
 The signature had been written in such 
 haste, that it was impossible to decipher it. 
 For a moment we looked at each other. The 
 postmistress came over and kissed me, while 
 her husband quietly left the room. 
 
 " My child," she said, " now will you listen 
 to me ? There has always been a rumor in 
 town that you were not of the people you 
 lived with. Since this is clear, do you propose 
 remaining with them ? Are you going to con- 
 tinue your life with the man to whom you were 
 
 married yesterday ? " 
 
 82
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 " It is too late, too late ! " I said. " God 
 knows it was not my wish to be married, and 
 to a yeshiva backer. It was my pretended 
 parents and the customs of their people that 
 forced me into it. Woe to me, woe to me, my 
 dear friend ! Would I had listened to you 
 sooner ! Now, now I am lost, and lost for- 
 ever ! " 
 
 " You are not lost. You must not talk so, 
 my child. The Lord knows your innocent 
 suffering and will help you. He will send 
 some kind people who will befriend you. 
 But first of all you must leave here as soon as 
 possible. It is not too late. You must go at 
 once." 
 
 "But what will the people say ?" I asked. 
 
 11 You have nothing to fear. You are law- 
 fully married and the whole town is witness to 
 that." 
 
 Sobbing, I could only reply, " I will do all 
 you tell me. God help me ! Oh, my poor 
 mother, how she must have suffered ! " 
 
 The postmistress took up a whistle and blew 
 several blasts. Leaning out of the window she 
 
 called, "John, John ! " 
 
 83
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Yes," her husband replied, " John is here, 
 we are ready." 
 
 His wife went to the wardrobe, took out 
 linen and clothes and dressed me, as if I had 
 been an infant. I was helpless, and realized 
 that I was alone in the world. What was I to 
 do, and where was I going ? I am married, 
 but I leave my husband behind a man to 
 whom I have never spoken. Perhaps he, poor 
 man, may have to suffer disgrace in the morn- 
 ing, when the ignorant Jews learn of my flight. 
 He alone must pay the penalty and bear the 
 shame. But I I must go ! If I can only find 
 my mother, or my father ! Who, indeed, are 
 they ? And who am I ? 
 
 " It is queer," the postmistress said while 
 she was dressing me, " that my husband can 
 go simply by his instinct and seldom make a 
 mistake. From the day you were engaged 
 until now, I could see that man suffer as if he 
 were your own father. I think it would have 
 taken only a word last night to make him call 
 all the surrounding peasants and take you by 
 force from that wedding room. He never 
 
 laid his head on a pillow. He sat here on this 
 
 84
 
 The Wedding. 
 
 chair by the window all night ; and when I 
 asked him why he did not retire, his answer 
 was, ' She will be here soon ; that is as far as 
 they can go with her.' He was not a bit sur- 
 prised when he heard the dogs bark. 
 
 "Those Jews hate him because he is a 
 Christian and married a Jewess " she went on ; 
 " but if they only knew it, my husband is the 
 best friend they have in town. When he is 
 cross with them it is only because he cannot 
 bear their old superstition and fanaticism. 
 But, my dear, don't worry. My husband is a 
 good man and he will help you out of this 
 place. Do everything just as he tells you and 
 you will be all right." 
 
 So, dressed in the postmistress' clothes, I 
 kissed her good-by and started with her hus- 
 band on my journey to Hamburg where her 
 sister lived, it being decided that I should go 
 as far as possible from my husband and his 
 family. The postmistress, having married a 
 Christian, was hated by the Jews in town ; nor, 
 indeed, had she been wholly forgiven by her 
 sister who had married a Hamburg citizen of 
 
 her own faith. 
 
 85
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 AT HAMBURG. 
 
 THE postmaster accompanied me all the way 
 to Hamburg and took me to the home of his 
 sister-in-law. A cold chill passed over me 
 when I saw how displeased she was at the 
 visit of her Christian relative. When she was 
 made aware of his errand she at first refused 
 absolutely to admit me to her house ; but 
 when the postmaster explained that there were 
 no parents who would seek me or bother her, 
 she consented to let me stay if I would do the 
 housework. 
 
 " Of course I cannot pay her anything," she 
 said, " but I will give her a home as long as 
 possible. You know the law in Hamburg, that 
 Russian Jews cannot live here." 
 
 Being assured that I would at least have a 
 home, and knowing he could do no better for 
 me, the postmaster finally left for his journey 
 
 home. When he had gone I could not speak 
 
 86
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 from crying. He was the only friend I had on 
 earth except his wife, but they in my estima- 
 tion were one. I could not bear the thought 
 of being separated from them and left alone. 
 
 Finally, Frau Nathanson led me to my room. 
 I froze to the ground when I entered. It was 
 absolutely without a v window and dark and 
 damp. It was filled with trunks and baskets. 
 In one corner lay a pile of soiled linen, and in 
 another was an old couch with a dirty mat- 
 tress on which lay a servant an ignorant, oily, 
 greasy Polak. My mistress informed me that 
 this servant was about to emigrate to America 
 and that I would take her place. 
 
 I slaved for this woman for months as a serv- 
 ant, working early and late, with only a damp 
 and dirty room to go to as a refuge after my 
 daily toil. Time dragged slowly until one day 
 a new dilemma presented itself / was about 
 to become a mother. 
 
 My mistress made the discovery and ex- 
 plained it to me. I could not comprehend all 
 she told me, but having no one else to turn to 
 in my difficulty I was compelled to rely upon 
 
 her for advice. She rose to the occasion with 
 
 87
 
 Minna. 
 
 a philosophic calm to which I had previously 
 thought her a stranger : and after a time suc- 
 ceeded in having me admitted as a charity 
 patient in one of the Hamburg hospitals. 
 
 And fortunate it was that she did. The 
 watchful care and kind attention bestowed 
 upon me made that place seem as an oasis 
 to a tired traveler, especially to me who had 
 suffered so much at the hands of my people 
 and slaved so long at domestic drudgery. An 
 American doctor who was "walking" the 
 Hamburg hospitals as a part of his foreign 
 medical education, heard the story of my en- 
 forced marriage and sudden flight and " ad- 
 mired my courage," no less than he pitied 
 my condition. He devoted his skill and 
 attention to the " Little Jewish Madonna " 
 and it was to him that I and my child owed 
 our lives. 
 
 Yet there seems to be some strange fatality 
 in the lives of some of us, that withholds the 
 full enjoyment of perfect peace ; and I was 
 destined soon to waken from my dream to 
 find that again I must go out into the world. 
 
 One morning I was seated before the win-
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 dow in an easy-chair, dressed in a pretty tea- 
 gown. The nurse was dressing my baby near 
 by, and turning to me rather abruptly, she 
 asked : 
 
 " What have you decided to do ? Are you 
 going to keep the little fellow, or do you in- 
 tend to give him away r " 
 
 " I am going to keep my child," I replied 
 quickly, " and if you will have the kindness 
 to write a few words to the woman for whom 
 I worked, and ask her to call for me, I would 
 be very grateful to you." 
 
 "You headstrong little vixen!" said the 
 nurse. " Aren't you going to take my advice ? 
 The doctor from America is in love with you. 
 He is a fine man and wants to send you to 
 his mother in America. He will have you 
 educated and will marry you, I am sure. 
 You could keep your boy then and he will be 
 well provided for." 
 
 " I cannot marry him because I am already 
 married." 
 
 The nurse turned away for a moment and 
 laughed : 
 
 11 Yes ; so the people say where you worked," 
 8 9
 
 Minna. 
 
 she said. " Dr. Leiter has been to see them 
 several times. You foolish woman ! I assure 
 you that many girls in Hamburg would be 
 proud of the offer. Those American doctors 
 are rich and good-hearted, too. I am afraid 
 you will be sorry some day. How beautifully 
 you could raise your boy in such circum- 
 stances. You are foolish. Take my advice 
 and go to America." 
 
 " Will you please write the letter ? " I asked. 
 
 " If it cannot be otherwise I will write it, 
 but to my greatest regret. I would like to see 
 you happy with the Doctor." 
 
 The letter was finally sent ; but when my 
 nurse returned, she again took up the subject. 
 
 " Don't you think you are acting ungrate- 
 fully in leaving before Doctor Leiter comes ? " 
 she asked. " I think you ought to wait until he 
 arrives. Just think what he has done for you ! 
 Why, he has provided the finest private room 
 in this hospital for you, and if it were not for 
 the very best of wines which he procured 
 specially for you, I am certain that you would 
 not now be on your feet. You've been very 
 
 ill. Those beautiful flowers that arrived for 
 
 90
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 you every day cost a great deal. And are you 
 not even going to thank him for all that ?" 
 
 " Why has Dr. Leiter done all this for 
 me ? " I asked. 
 
 " Do you suppose the hospital cares for all 
 their charity patients as you have been 
 treated ? " she replied*, " Do you think they 
 provide the lace dresses your baby wears ? " 
 
 " Why, I supposed the woman for whom I 
 have been working provided them for me." 
 
 11 The woman for whom you worked ? 
 Hmm, very likely. You would not have been 
 here so long had you been dependent upon 
 her. Dr. Leiter has done all this for you." 
 
 "Well, Dr. Leiter had no right to do it 
 without first speaking to me," I said warmly. 
 " I am a poor girl and unable to repay him for 
 all his kindness. I intend to go away, and 
 right now, too, and without seeing him ; so 
 please give me the old clothes I came in. I 
 shall not wait for my mistress to come for 
 me." 
 
 " You cannot leave this hospital without 
 your discharge, " the nurse informed me ; 
 
 " and you do not need to wear those old 
 
 9 1
 
 Minna. 
 
 clothes. You should see the beautiful dresses 
 Dr. Leiter has purchased for you." 
 
 " Did you not say you are my nurse and to 
 wait on me only ? " 
 
 ' Yes. I am to wait on you only for Dr. 
 Leiter pays for it all." 
 
 " Then do as I tell you. Go to the super- 
 intendent and ask for my discharge ; also 
 bring my clothes the old ones I arrived in. 
 Please don't stand there and look at me in 
 that manner, but go and do as I say. I wish 
 you would get ready also and accompany me 
 to the house." 
 
 Seeing that further remonstrance was use- 
 less, the nurse left me. I look my baby in my 
 arms and kissed him passionately. I talked 
 wildly to him as if he could understand. 
 
 " My darling," I sobbed, " if I refuse a 
 grand home it is because I am young and 
 strong and can work hard to provide a home 
 for you by honest labor. I am your mother 
 and ready to make any sacrifice for your sake. 
 Forgive me, forgive me, if I am doing wrong." 
 
 My boy gave me a little smile in response. 
 
 It was his first smile and I, his young mother, 
 
 92
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 imagined that he really understood all I had 
 said. Poor, ignorant girl though I was, I felt 
 I could face the whole world and conquer it in 
 the power of that smile. 
 
 It was hard to leave a place where so much 
 kindness had been shown me, such kindness 
 as I had never knowir in my life ; but there 
 was that within me which bade me go back to 
 my place and leave this doctor who rilled me 
 with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, but 
 whose love I felt I could not return. In a few 
 minutes the nurse came back with my dis- 
 charge. Dressing quickly, I pressed my dar- 
 ling boy to my breast and was soon threading 
 my way back to Frau Nathanson's to take up 
 my old labors. 
 
 As the months rolled by and I grew in wis- 
 dom and knowledge of the world, I came to 
 realize that I was not where I should be ; that 
 the life I was leading held no future for me or 
 my boy. He was growing rapidly and my 
 constant thought was for his future welfare ; 
 but when I saw how affectionately the family 
 treated him, including Frau Nathanson, I half 
 
 determined to continue my slavery for his 
 
 93
 
 Minna. 
 
 sake. I knew they loved him. He had a 
 home. To go away might be to fare worse. 
 
 So, torn between the desire to make things 
 better and the fear that they might be worse, I 
 worked on in my indecision until one morning 
 I came downstairs and confronted a constable 
 who had handed a paper to Frau Nathanson 
 and another to me. We knew only too well 
 what its purport was another summons to 
 court for her and more trouble for me. 
 
 " This is becoming serious, my child," said 
 Frau Nathanson, " and I am afraid you will 
 have to leave. I really do not know where I 
 can send you. We have avoided this as long 
 as possible, and Herr Nathanson has spent 
 much money to conceal your whereabouts 
 from the police. Some one has big eyes and 
 finds nothing else to do but make reports. I 
 am sure there is nothing dummer than the 
 police in Hamburg ; and you might have been 
 here for ten years, they would never have no- 
 ticed you. But there are all kinds of people, 
 and why they should report you, I am unable 
 to comprehend. 
 
 " At any rate," she went on, " don't worry ; 
 
 94
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 we won't set you out in the street. I will talk 
 it over with Herr Nathanson. I think that 
 London would be the most advisable place for 
 you to go. He has acquaintances there and 
 he will try to locate them for you. I am sure 
 that when he promises the court you will 
 leave, they will grant you a few days to pre- 
 pare for the journey. You had better go and 
 look up your child's clothes and get your own 
 in shape. You don't know how we will miss 
 the boy. We have learned to love him as our 
 own. Poor Dafit ! " 
 
 I could not speak. I went upstairs and 
 looked at my baby who lay asleep and little 
 dreamed how homeless he was. 
 
 " Yes, darling, we must go," I said aloud. 
 11 And why I don't know. What harm have 
 I done here in this city of Hamburg ? I 
 slaved that I might have a home for you. I 
 received no money I worked very hard. I 
 did not complain when I found no time dur- 
 ing the day to devote to you, my poor child. 
 I had a home such as it was. The people 
 were good to you ; now I must go. And why ? 
 
 / am a Jewess. Oh, my God, mother ! Is it 
 
 95
 
 Minna. 
 
 possible that this was all you could give me 
 the name Jewess ? Is that the only blessing 
 your motherly sympathy could bestow upon 
 me ? 
 
 'Yes, I am a Jewess, a hunted Jewess. 
 In Russia the Jews have no home. I have less 
 than any of them. They are persecuted and I 
 am abused and humiliated. Here in Ham- 
 burg, because I am a Jewess, I am not allowed 
 to stay. The law forbids a Russian Jewess to 
 reside in Hamburg ! Where shall I go ! I do 
 not know. 
 
 " Oh, mother ! " I cried. " You said in your 
 letter that my father was a Christian and of 
 noble birth. Where is he now when his child 
 is in great need ? Were I alone it might not 
 be so hard ; but with my dear boy ! Where 
 shall I turn ? Where shall I go and what 
 shall I do in the future ? Law ? Yes, law ! 
 What is the law ? And who has made it ? 
 And what kind of men can they be who 
 make such laws that drive a lonely girl with an 
 infant from her home ? Shame to such a 
 country that produces and enforces such 
 
 laws!" 
 
 9 6
 
 At Hamburg. 
 
 My boy opened his eyes ; and when he saw 
 me weeping, he arose in his bed, and putting 
 his chubby arms about my neck kissed me and 
 cried with me. 
 
 The next day, when Herr Nathanson re- 
 turned from court, he brought strict orders 
 that I must be gone within twenty-four hours, 
 or he would be heavily fined and I would be 
 sent back to Russia. So in the evening Frau 
 Nathanson took me to the steamer and bade 
 me farewell, giving me a letter of recommenda- 
 tion to a Jewish family in the Ghetto of 
 London. 
 
 After a stormy voyage, we landed safely on a 
 dark and foggy day. A stranger in a strange 
 land, a baby in my arms, I eventually reached 
 the house of the Jewish family in Petticoat 
 Lane to whom my letter of recommendation 
 was addressed. Although very poor they re- 
 ceived me with the friendly courtesy peculiar 
 to their race and bustled about to make a place 
 for the " veibele (little woman) and her baby." 
 
 In the evening we sat down to partake of a 
 frugal meal. Little by little their kindly ques- 
 tionings drew from me the story of my expe- 
 7 97
 
 Minna. 
 
 riences from the day when the man I had al- 
 ways called " father" came in with the never- 
 to-be forgotten words: "Masiltof, Minke ! 
 You are a kalo and to ayeshiva backer !" My 
 new found friends listened to the story and 
 cheered me with assurances that I would soon 
 be able to earn a guinea a week in the shops. 
 Under the influence of their friendly chatter, 
 I came to feel that the sun was at last begin- 
 ning to shine, and the clouds which had low- 
 ered about me all the days of my life were be- 
 ginning to lift. 
 
 Bed-time came at last and I lay down beside 
 my boy and fell asleep to dream of sunshine 
 and flowers and peace.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 FROM PILL V AR TO POST. 
 
 BUT the rude awakening from my dream of 
 sunshine and peace came almost with the 
 dawn ; for it is always the unexpected that 
 happens, and in my life at least that unexpected 
 seemed always to happen ahead of time. 
 Hardly had I descended from the tiny and illy- 
 ventilated room where my new-found friends 
 had made a place for me and my baby to sleep, 
 when the hard hand of Fate was again laid 
 heavily upon me. There before my very eyes 
 was the only mother I had ever known, rush- 
 ing toward me, waving her arms frantically 
 and screaming in Hebrew at the top of her 
 voice : 
 
 " Ah ! There you are ! So you're the nice 
 veibele with the dear little boy that everybody 
 
 saw come here yesterday ! Na ! If they only 
 
 99
 
 Minna. 
 
 knew you as well as I do, they would sing 
 another song in the Lane about you soon." 
 
 Her screaming brought the family from the 
 next room ; and turning to them, my pretended 
 mother continued, still screaming : 
 
 " This is the beautiful daughter I have been 
 telling you about, who ran away from us and 
 brought all the trouble that drove us out of 
 Russia. That's the one. What do you say to 
 that? 
 
 She apparently expected no reply to her 
 question, for she screamed on, hardly stop- 
 ping even to take breath. 
 
 " I advise you that the sooner you rid your- 
 selves of her, the better you will be off. You 
 know her husband. Isn't he a fine man ? You 
 know the young rabbi who comes to see me 
 sometimes ? " 
 
 Through all this tirade I could only stand 
 in speechless amazement with my back against 
 the wall, terror freezing my blood. Why was 
 this woman there ? Where had she come 
 from ? Was he there too ? These and a thousand 
 questions passed rapidly through my brain. 
 Before I had time to recover myself and speak
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 even a single word in self-defence, the mistress 
 of the house addressed me sternly and solemnly 
 in the Hebrew tongue. 
 
 " If this is the case," she said, " I am afraid 
 you will not be able to stay with us. We 
 thank God we are honest, respectable Jews 
 making ourselves a respectable living. We 
 are here already twelve years with a clean 
 name and everybody knows us. My husband 
 belongs to a couple of lodges and we are 
 members of the synagogue. We don't want 
 to be mixed up in such a business as this. 
 Ach ! Phew ! It ain't nice ! 
 
 "A young woman like you," she continued, 
 " should live with her husband. I can't under- 
 stand what you mean when you say you don't 
 like him. Every woman who is married 
 should like her husband and live with him as 
 God has ordained." 
 
 Having delivered herself of this pompous 
 speech, she left the room with the rest of the 
 family and the woman who had caused the 
 disturbance, all of them talking at once and 
 waving their arms excitedly. Left alone, I 
 pressed my baby closer and shrank into a cor-
 
 Minna. 
 
 ner of the room, overcome by this sudden 
 turn of affairs and trembling with apprehension. 
 It was but my second day in London, alone 
 and a stranger, and I had hardly seen daylight. 
 Where was I to go ? Which way should I 
 turn ? Where were the sunshine and peace 
 of my dream ? 
 
 "My God! What shall I do?" I cried. 
 " In service I will not go, I have settled my 
 mind on that. I must try to do something to 
 support my child. But where shall I go ? " 
 
 I knew the class of people with whom I had 
 to do only too well. In the Ghetto of London 
 nothing takes place that the neighbors do not 
 know of it. No one goes in or goes out with- 
 out the whole neighborhood knows just where 
 she is going and what for. And so it was that 
 my arrival as a stranger created a stir among 
 the people and caused the talk of the "veibele 
 and the pretty baby," which brought my 
 mother down on me so soon. 
 
 Nor was I by any means sure that my 
 troubles ended when I planned to leave these 
 people with whom I had spent the night. It 
 was very probable that the angry woman 
 
 1 02
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 would denounce me wherever she went ; and 
 that alone would prevent my securing employ- 
 ment. However, I resolved to put my misgiv- 
 ings to the test ; and leaving my baby with 
 the strangers who, I well knew, would have no 
 resentment for him since the Jews are uni- 
 versally kind to small children, I went out 
 into the street. 
 
 All day I walked down one narrow street of 
 Petticoat Lane and up another, hardly know- 
 ing where my feet were carrying me. I began 
 to realize more and more that I was alone in 
 the great city of London without a relative or 
 a friend. 
 
 Presently a woman came toward me, a 
 tailor's wife, whom I recognized as one of 
 the crowd present in the morning when my 
 mother denounced me to the Jewish family. 
 I recalled that this woman had taken no part 
 in the discussion which followed the disgust- 
 ing scene and, on the contrarj r , appeared to 
 sympathize with my unhappy plight, at least 
 as far as her nature and position among her 
 neighbors would allow. 
 
 Her attitude toward this and other things 
 103
 
 Minna. 
 
 was manifest in the emancipation of her dress. 
 She no longer wore a wig. Her own hair was 
 smoothly combed back from her forehead. A 
 black satin quilted petticoat, thickly lined 
 and silk-stitched all over with gaily colored 
 diamond-shaped checks, reached only to her 
 ankles. Her stockings hung in wrinkles, and 
 her carpet slippers, being large, clattered up 
 and down over her heels, displaying at every 
 step a good sized hole. A thick gold rope- 
 chain was wound several times about her neck, 
 the ends concealed in her bodice. 
 
 It was eleven o'clock Friday morning, and 
 she was just returning from market. Her 
 coarse white apron, tied with two long strings 
 about her waist, was gathered up at the cor- 
 ners so as to form a bag, in which she carried 
 a fish, some onions, potatoes, garlic and pickles, 
 each separated from the other by pieces of 
 newspaper ; some schmierkase (cream cheese), 
 and butter that smelt so oily and greasy I had 
 to turn my head away. A large bottle of oil 
 for frying the fish, and some half rotten pears 
 completed the contents of the apron. 
 
 As she talked she would now and again take 
 104
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 out one of the little pears and pop it into her 
 mouth. A large basket hung on her arm, con- 
 taining two loaves of bread, candles for the 
 Sabbath, (every Jewish woman must bless her 
 candles on Friday night), a chicken freshly 
 killed and plucked, coffee, tea, sugar, two or 
 three kinds of spices, and eggs all in the 
 basket. While she was talking she must have 
 upset a pot of molasses near the bottom, for it 
 was dripping upon the ground apparently with- 
 out her knowledge. 
 
 My heart throbbed with joy ; for somehow 
 I felt that here was one woman less bigoted 
 than the rest, one to whom I could turn in my 
 hour of need and find some sympathy and 
 help. 
 
 " Missus," I said, " when I saw you this 
 morning I understood from your conversation 
 that your husband is a tailor. Would you 
 please teach me how to make button-holes on 
 your husband's coats ? He employs many 
 hands in his shop and if you would teach me 
 to make button-holes, I could pay you after- 
 wards from my wages." 
 
 " No," she replied, " I have just met your
 
 Minna. 
 
 mother again and I think it isn't right that you 
 don't want to live with your husband. You 
 should remember that he is a rabbi and will 
 some day have a place. You are a young 
 woman. After your parents have taken care 
 of your husband so long, how can you blame 
 them for being angry ? That's no way to do 
 things. No one will help you. 
 
 " You see," she went on, " it is impossible 
 for me to take you into my house. I'm not 
 afraid of my husband leaving me ; still, you 
 know, it is London. Every day you hear of 
 such zorus (trouble). We need a hand, we 
 could use you, but I can't help you. I don't 
 want to quarrel with your mother by taking 
 you. You have made a mistake." 
 
 While she was talking to me another woman 
 came up with her basket and bundles, and 
 then another and another, until there was a 
 group of four or five, all from the some neigh- 
 borhood, all talking loudly and analyzing my 
 criminal behavior. 
 
 11 It is dreadful," said one. 
 
 " It is shameful," said another. 
 
 " I suppose," said a third, " she must have 
 1 06
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 some other fellow in view, or she wouldn't run 
 about the streets as she does, and not want to 
 live with such a nice man, a rabbi, a learned 
 man. A decent girl wouldn't do such things. 
 Oh, no, thank you. I ? I wouldn't talk to her. 
 She thinks with her red cheeks she will get 
 Lord Mayor for her husband. Any woman 
 who takes her into her shop is a big fool, and 
 will regret it afterwards. A girl who can do 
 what she has done will run away with any man 
 she likes herself as quickly as she will run 
 away from one she doesn't like herself. Oh 
 no ! It's not the man's fault. It's such women 
 as she who make trouble for us." 
 
 She turned sharply upon me. " What are 
 you loafing around here for ? Why don't you 
 go to Whitechapel ? That's the place for you." 
 And again addressing herself to the crowd, 
 which had been steadily growing larger, she 
 continued with assumed importance : 
 
 " Her husband ! Oi ! Vy ! Such a fine 
 man ! I tell you she will not see him any 
 more. Na ! Na ! I guess not ! He told me 
 himself he would not live with her. You ought 
 
 to see the fine girl he is getting ! Why a man 
 
 107
 
 Minna. 
 
 like him ! He is such a fine man ; such a 
 learned man. Myyunkel says he will be one of 
 the greatest learned men in London. Why, 
 Dr. Adler sent for him twice and I think he is go- 
 ing to be assistant for Dr. Alder. The schinne 
 (halo) rests upon him. He doesn't want her ! 
 Why should he ? She has a child. Ach ! 
 Nebich ! Such a fine child ! " 
 
 " Did you see him ? " asked one of the 
 crowd. 
 
 " No, I didn't. But I know. She cares lots 
 for him. Here she loafs around and leaves 
 him with strangers. Ach ! A mother ? Phew ! 
 Thank you." She spat on the stones and 
 walked off with a sneer. The crowd dispersed 
 and left me standing there speechless. 
 
 " Do I really belong to Whitechapel ? " I 
 wondered. Heaven knew I had no thought in 
 that direction, nor had I any desire. All I 
 wanted was work and an honest living. I 
 could not understand what wrong I had com- 
 mitted in disliking that man. The very thought 
 of him was repugnant to me. I was willing to 
 sign any contract, to be a slave the rest of my 
 
 life rather than be obliged to live with him. 
 
 1 08
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 Then the thought came to me : " I do not have 
 to go to Whitechapel because those women say 
 so. I will find some tailor who will give me 
 work." 
 
 But my search was not an easy one, and when 
 evening came I was still without employment. 
 The shops were closed ^nd the men were go- 
 ing to shool (Sabbath eve prayer). The women 
 sat around on chairs, wearing clean aprons, 
 their hair freshly combed, for their work was 
 done. Through the windows I could see the 
 tables set for supper ; two twisted loaves of 
 bread covered with a crocheted napkin. Can- 
 dles were lighted to signify that the Sabbath 
 had been received, and that the week's work 
 was finished. 
 
 The sight of these tables reminded me that 
 I had had nothing to eat all day. Several times 
 I had approached the door of some neighbor's 
 house in the hope that they would give me and 
 my baby shelter over the Sabbath ; but when 
 they saw me coming they turned away, and I 
 could plainly see in their faces the horror they 
 had of me. Everybody seemed to know my 
 
 story, and would not open their doors to such 
 
 109
 
 Minna. 
 
 an outcast. It grew very dark and I was still 
 wandering up and down the streets. Oh, how 
 hungry I was ! 
 
 At last I reached the house where I had 
 spent the night ; and knowing they would not 
 permit me to sleep again under their roof, and 
 yet not willing to be separated from my boy, 
 I stole softly up to the room where he lay 
 sleeping, lifted him tenderly in my arms and 
 returned to the street. Up and down I wan- 
 dered, trying here and trying there to find a 
 place where the work of my hands might 
 bring the wherewithal for a meal. But every- 
 where I went my pretended mother had told 
 the story of the runaway girl throughout the 
 Ghetto, and apparently took a fiendish delight 
 in making the " cursed witch " suffer for be- 
 ing the cause of the trouble which she vowed 
 and declared was the reason for her expulsion 
 from Russia. 
 
 The fact of the matter was, as I afterward 
 learned, that my pretended mother had so 
 conducted herself in denouncing me and de- 
 claring to the Russian authorities that she was 
 in no way responsible for my disappearance, 
 
 no
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 that she roused their suspicions ; and they, 
 always ready to prosecute a Jew on the slightest 
 provocation, demanded an explanation from 
 her. Beside, it was now known in the town 
 that the yeshiva bocher's wife was not altogether 
 kosher because she had Christian blood in her ; 
 and, as it had happened on more than one oc- 
 casion, that Jews have been accused of using 
 Christian blood for the Feast of the Passover and 
 have been brought to trial for it, the yeshiva 
 bocherandmy pretended parents, knowing they 
 would be unable to account for me, determined 
 to forestall the authorities and depart for foreign 
 lands. In consequence, they disposed of their 
 small belongings and came to London, where, 
 once in England, they were safe. And so it was 
 that my pretended mother took it upon her- 
 self to "pay " me for the trouble of her own 
 making and in turn became the cause of my 
 trouble and homeless wanderings in the streets 
 of the Ghetto. 
 
 I spent the night in a yard, huddled with 
 my baby behind a pile of barrels, and awoke 
 to find that the sun had risen upon the Jewish 
 Sabbath and the shops were still closed. The
 
 Minna. 
 
 Jews were out on the streets in full force, 
 dressed in their best ; and all who knew me 
 turned away with contempt. Had I been the 
 worst woman on earth, they could not have 
 insulted me more. 
 
 I wandered about until it was almost even- 
 ing. I had eaten nothing for two days, except 
 a cup of coffee and a slice of bread which a 
 woman gave me out of pity for my child. 
 Weak and hungry I finally came to the house 
 of a widow, whose hunchback daughter was a 
 button-hole maker and worked at home. I 
 promised to carry the work back and forth for 
 her if she would teach me how to make but- 
 ton-holes and let me sleep in the house. " Any 
 place, even the floor will do," I said, " until I 
 can procure work of some kind from one of 
 the factories." 
 
 Without waiting for an invitation I passed 
 from the hall into the kitchen, threw myself on 
 a chair and cried bitterly while the widow and 
 her daughter looked on in pity. 
 
 " You see," said the mother in a choking 
 voice, " I am very poor and I can give you 
 nothing to eat. But sleep ? Of course you 
 
 112
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 and your boy can sleep on the floor until you 
 can find something better. That's all I can 
 do for you." 
 
 Weary as I was, I was indeed grateful for 
 even that and I soon fell asleep with my baby 
 clasped in my arms. 
 
 The evening passed on into the night ; 
 and worn out with wandering I slept on until 
 awakened by my baby who was crying from 
 hunger. Once awake, I too felt its pangs and 
 realized the sufferings of my little one. I lay 
 there for a moment quarreling with God and 
 wondering why I was called upon to suffer so 
 much.' I knew I had committed no great wrong. 
 I knew I had always tried to do right. 
 
 As I lay there thinking and quarreling, my 
 troubles were forgotten in the consciousness of 
 hunger pains and, driven to desperation, I re- 
 solved upon a plan of action that, in younger 
 years, would have seemed impossible. 
 
 Just above my head was a cupboard, and I 
 could smell the bread behind its unlocked 
 doors. I arose slowly, trembling with fright. 
 It was my first attempt at thieving. I opened 
 the door of the cupboard. There lay half a 
 
 8 113
 
 Minna. 
 
 loaf of bread with a knife conveniently beside 
 it. I cut off a thin slice and crouched back 
 upon the floor. In an instant my baby had 
 devoured it and I took another one for myself. 
 Slice after slice disappeared until the bread 
 was nearly all gone. 
 
 At last I lay down. My hunger was some- 
 what satisfied, but I was dreadfully frightened. 
 I knew the woman would discover that some- 
 one had been at the loaf ; so I lay there in fear 
 and did not dare to stir, nor could I sleep the 
 rest of the night. Toward morning the widow's 
 son, a boy of fourteen, went to the cupboard. 
 
 " Ma," he called, " there isn't enough bread 
 for me to take along." How my heart sank ! 
 
 Fortunately the mother only answered : 
 " You will find some coppers there. Take 
 tuppence and buy a loaf. I thought there 
 was quite a piece left." The boy grumbled a 
 bit but went out and returned shortly with a 
 loaf of bread, cut half of it and went to work. 
 
 The hunchback daughter came to ,me and 
 announced that it was time to go to the factory 
 for the coats ; so I went along to help carry 
 
 them. When we returned I took my boy and 
 
 114
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 left the house, ostensibly to buy something to 
 eat, for I wanted these people to think I would 
 have breakfast and would not tax their charity. 
 We strolled about long enough to give the 
 widow and her daughter time to finish their 
 meal and then started back to the house. 
 
 On the way there w^ came suddenly upon 
 my pretended mother returning from the gro- 
 cer's. With a scream of rage, she flew at me 
 and struck me so forcibly with her basket that 
 my nose began to bleed. Not content with the 
 severity of this chastisement she grabbed me 
 by the hair and pulled it with all her might. 
 
 " Here's my good-for-nothing daughter," she 
 screamed. " I am an unfortunate mother of 
 this drab, who is disgracing me on the streets 
 of London ! Have pity on me and drive her 
 out. She'll take your husbands away. You 
 don't know how bad she is." 
 
 Her screams soon attracted a crowd that kept 
 growing larger and larger all the time. I stood 
 in the center of this excited, gesticulating mob, 
 wiping my bleeding face with my apron. I 
 could move neither one way nor the other, for 
 whichever way I turned the crowd would fol-
 
 Minna. 
 
 low. A policeman appeared and some of the 
 women jabbered an explanation of the tumult 
 in broken English. " We'll keep an eye on her, 
 we'll keep an eye on her," said the majestic 
 guardian of the law as he drove the crowd away 
 and left me standing there, thankful to be 
 alone. 
 
 An English woman living near-by opened 
 her door and called me in. She gave me a 
 towel and sent me into the yard to wash my 
 face. I could hear her talking to some other 
 women, and though the sound of several voices 
 reached me clear and distinct, I could not un- 
 derstand what they said. When I had washed 
 my face, they gave me something to eat ; but I 
 could only choke and cry until they all cried 
 with me. They tried to talk to me, but beyond 
 interpreting by their manner that they were 
 uttering kindly words of friendship and advice, 
 I could not understand a word they said. 
 
 Only a few days in London, hounded by my 
 foster-mother at every step, events had proved 
 to me that the Ghetto was not large enough to 
 hold us both ; that the religious fanaticism of 
 
 these benighted people smothered their finer 
 
 116
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 sensibilities and turned them from friends to 
 fiends. Yet my pretended mother was not 
 wholly to blame, for the marriage bond is held 
 in such veneration by the Jews that she but 
 followed the light of her understanding in de- 
 nouncing me, who had refused to observe its 
 sanctity. And so, wnen she took it upon her- 
 self to turn everybody against me, she only 
 played upon the innate characteristics of these 
 people, who followed blindly the dictates of 
 their religion, rather than the promptings of the 
 heart. 
 
 Nevertheless, though Fortune had cast me 
 among them from the days of my infancy, yet 
 I felt I was not of them ; and as the conviction 
 dawned upon me that employment in the 
 Ghetto was virtually impossible so long as my 
 foster-mother lived there, a ray of hope came 
 that some other section might hold forth better 
 things. But where was that section and how 
 was I to get there ? 
 
 The woman of the house hunted up an old 
 bonnet which she tied on my head, and with- 
 out a word, beckoned me to follow. We wound 
 
 our way through crooked streets to White- 
 
 117
 
 Minna. 
 
 chapel, where we boarded a tramway for the 
 West End. Arrived there, my new-found 
 friend entered a tailor-shop kept by a Russian 
 Jew, whose wife was an Englishwoman. After 
 some parley in the back of the shop which I 
 could neither hear nor understand, the tailor 
 came forward and announced that he would 
 try me at making button-holes. 
 
 Here was the long -sought opportunity ; and 
 I could only cry and stammer my gratitude al- 
 ternately to the tailor and to the kind woman 
 who had brought me there. Hope for the 
 future mingled with dread lest my foster- 
 mother should again find me out and hunt me 
 from the place ; but I determined to work 
 with a will while the opportunity lasted and 
 rely on the hope that my pretended mother's 
 influence was confined to the limits of the 
 Ghetto. 
 
 I worked hard and applied myself with dili- 
 gence. Everything seemed rosy, and again I 
 had reason to feel that the way had opened up 
 for me. But it was not to be so. After three 
 days the tailor began to annoy me with his at- 
 tentions, so much so that it became very un- 
 
 118
 
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 comfortable. As I could not speak English, I 
 was unable to complain to his wife ; so I had 
 to suffer in silence and try to keep him away 
 as best I could. Finally he became so bold 
 that his wife noticed that wherever I was he 
 would manage to have something to do, and 
 she watched him. They permitted me to sleep 
 in the kitchen ; but when I went to bed I could 
 hardly sleep for fear he would come in, and I 
 was obliged to put chairs in front of the door, 
 since there was no lock. 
 
 One night, not knowing this, he pushed the 
 doer open and the chairs fell over with a great 
 clatter. His wife, who had been lying awake 
 and listening, hurriedly ran downstairs and 
 confronted us at the door. She understood at 
 a glance that I was not to blame, but fully re- 
 alized it was better for herself and for me that 
 I should not remain in her house any longer. 
 So in the morning, she gave me to understand 
 I was to follow her, and she took me to another 
 Jewish tailor. She told him I was already 
 making a very good button-hole, and that if 
 he would give me work she would take me to 
 
 a place where I could sleep. 
 
 119
 
 Minna. 
 
 So it was arranged. He gave me a coat to 
 put button-holes in and I took it home. Of 
 course in three days I could not have learned 
 very much about button-hole making, and fur- 
 thermore I did not know a thing about them 
 when I began. In the coat which the tailor 
 gave me to work on, the button-holes had 
 been merely punched in with a puncher de- 
 signed for that purpose and, as is generally 
 the case, the small one in the lapel was 
 punched a little corner-wise. Not knowing 
 any better, I had an idea that a mistake had 
 been made and tried to straighten it out. By 
 straightening it and pulling it, the button-hole, 
 when I had finished, was certainly crooked, 
 but I imagined I was helping the tailor. I 
 took the coat over and gave it to him, fully 
 satisfied that he would realize how clever I 
 was when he saw I was capable of finding out 
 a mistake and rectifying it. No sooner, how- 
 ever, had he looked at it, than he exclaimed : 
 
 " You fool ! The hole is crooked. Well, 
 you are a button-hole maker, you are. You 
 have got a loch (hole). Well, take your hole 
 to some other department. It certainly won't 
 
 I2O
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 do here." He thrust the coat in my face. 
 " Take it out," he shouted. " Go over with it 
 to the button-hole maker over there." 
 
 All the hands laughed at the crooked button- 
 hole of which I had been so proud, and the 
 tailor himself remarked that if I was going to 
 be so smart in the future, I could prepare to 
 eat bread with a spoon, as that would be about 
 all I could get of it. I sat down and carefully 
 tried to renovate the button-hole. 
 
 " I say, missus, don't cut that coat now," 
 the tailor yelled. " Next thing you will have 
 to pay for it and you would have to make a 
 great many crooked holes to do that." Every- 
 body laughed at this sally. 
 
 Finally I finished, and one of the hands 
 showed me how the lapel button-hole should 
 be made, proffering her assistance at any time 
 I was in need of it. I was indeed grateful to 
 her. I asked the tailor if he would kindly give 
 me another coat. 
 
 " Eh, want another coat ? Go to that man 
 over there at the other end of the table, he'll 
 give it to you." 
 
 I saw a man standing there with a large press- 
 
 121
 
 Minna. 
 
 ing iron in his hand. I went over to him and 
 stood silently beside his table, for I knew he 
 had heard what the boss had said. Quite fifteen 
 minutes passed by and it finally dawned upon 
 me that I was in the way ; for coats and sleeves 
 came flying from all directions and seemed to 
 follow me whichever way I moved. At last I 
 ventured to ask the man if he had any coat for 
 me. Pointing at me with his pressing iron, he 
 called to another man seated at a near-by 
 machine : 
 
 " Oh, Schleimele ; give her a coat. Don't 
 you see she is waiting ? Go over there," he 
 directed, " he'll give you a coat. He's got 'em." 
 
 The whole crowd of shop-hands laughed 
 boisterously, while I stood there, dimly con- 
 scious that they were making fun of me. I 
 could not see the joke, nor could I understand 
 why they should tease me so. To me it was 
 too serious a matter for teasing. As I stood 
 there, uncertain what to do, the tailor's wife 
 came in with a large tray filled with cups of 
 tea. She took in the situation at a glance, and, 
 comprehending my position, bade me come 
 downstairs with her. 
 
 122
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 There was something about this woman that 
 placed her a little above her class. It may 
 have been a keener perception ; or it may have 
 been a natural sympathy. Whatever it was I 
 felt drawn toward her and before I knew it I 
 had told her everything about myself. She 
 listened in silence, her eyes constantly search- 
 ing my face ; and when I had finished she 
 looked down at the floor for a moment, ap- 
 parently absorbed in thought. Finally she 
 looked up again and I could see that the story 
 of my difficulties had won her sympathy. 
 
 " It will be very difficult," she said, " for 
 you to get along in these shops. They are a 
 common, vulgar set and my husband is like 
 the rest." 
 
 Again she looked down at the floor as if she 
 were thinking what could be done. I waited 
 in suspense until she should speak again. 
 
 "I'll tell you what I will do for you, my 
 girl," she continued at last. "There is a Jewish 
 theatre here and the second operator upstairs 
 is the leading actor and president of the 
 Dramatic Club. I will call him down later, not 
 
 just now, for I don't want the others to know. If 
 
 123
 
 Minna. 
 
 they're all so smart I'll just fix them." Her 
 black eyes snapped with evident relish at the 
 thought of getting even with somebody, from 
 which I felt that things were none too smooth 
 even for her, a boss's wife. 
 
 " You are just the kind of woman they want 
 in that theatre," she went on. " Have you ever 
 acted?" 
 
 11 No," I replied, " I never have." 
 
 "Well, that doesn't matter," she said en- 
 couragingly, " you don't need experience to 
 act in that kind of a theatre. None of them 
 know very much about it anyway. All you 
 need is to look pretty and wear corsets to make 
 your figure look nice. So you go home and 
 I'll send that operator around to see you to- 
 night. I'm sure he'll want to put you on the 
 stage and make a great actress of you." 
 
 " Suppose he does not come, or will not take 
 me," I said doubtfully. " Perhaps it would be 
 better for me to look for another tailor who 
 might give me some cheap coats to make." 
 
 " No," she replied. " You don't need to. 
 When I tell you I surely know what I am talk- 
 ing about. Schleimele, the president of the 
 
 124
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 Dramatic Club, will pay you at least ten shil- 
 lings a week. You can live grandly on that. 
 You can't tell a thing like that may mean your 
 whole future. When you once get on the 
 stage, you may get a boss for a husband." 
 
 A boss in that part of London, means a 
 master tailor, shoemalcer, carpenter, etc. I 
 assured her I was not looking for a boss but 
 that I would be glad to avail myself of the ten 
 shillings. But how I was to go on the stage 
 and be an actress, I could not understand. I 
 had never in my life seen a theatre, but I had 
 heard people say that actresses were very bad 
 women. Of course I was not going to be bad, 
 I was sure ; but I wondered what I would have 
 to do. 
 
 Absorbed with the thoughts of this new ca- 
 reer I went home to prepare for the visit of 
 my prospective employer. Would he take me ? 
 That was the question. Ten shillings a week 
 and no knowledge of the profession necessary ! 
 It really seemed absurd to think for a moment 
 that he would take me, I and half resolved to 
 waste no time in waiting for him. But then 
 
 the tailor's wife was so positive ; and besides 
 
 125
 
 Minna. 
 
 it was really too late to go about among the 
 shops looking for employment. So I decided 
 to wait the visit of the dramatic president and 
 occupy the time in improving my personal ap- 
 pearance, to make up for my lack of knowledge 
 and training. 
 
 I little understood then how small a part that 
 knowledge and training play in the theatres of 
 the class to which this one belonged. A pretty 
 face, a good figure and a little self-assurance 
 are about all the qualifications necessary ; for 
 neither the manager of the theatre nor the 
 actors themselves know what talent is, nor do 
 they care so long as there are those on the 
 stage who will attract the audiences. Beside, 
 the place to which I was going was more or 
 less of an amateurish affair, as I afterward dis- 
 covered. 
 
 All these things I had yet to learn ; and be- 
 ing ignorant of them I went to work with a 
 will to make myself attractive, in the hope that 
 the president of the theatre would lose sight of 
 my ignorance in the charm of my personal ap- 
 pearance if I had any. Since I had an idea 
 
 that all actresses wore short skirts, I raised 
 
 126
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 mine a trifle. I was quite satisfied with my 
 appearance, but, gracious, how shabby my 
 shoes were ! It would be impossible to go on 
 the stage in such shoes. I was certain that 
 every actress wore a pretty pair of red or blue 
 shoes and nice silk ribbon bows ; and that the 
 theatrical people furnished the fine dress. I 
 realized that when the waist is drawn in, the 
 hips protrude and the short skirt will stand 
 out full ; so I took a little towel from my room, 
 placed it around my waist and drew it in tight, 
 to see how I would look were I to wear a cor- 
 set. Oh, what a fine figure ! With nice blue 
 slippers tied with red ribbons, and my bodice 
 with the neck cut out, certainly I would look 
 charming ! I opened one or two buttons at 
 the neck and looked at myself in the glass. 
 What a clear white neck I had ! It was so full 
 and plump that I really thought myself very 
 pretty. I took off the bodice altogether and 
 looked at my arms. They were very pretty 
 too, but the vaccination marks were there and 
 made little spots. I made up my mind that I 
 would put large silk bows over them to match 
 
 my shoe ribbons. 
 
 127
 
 Minna. 
 
 When I had everything planned as to how 
 I ought to look, I was flushed and very happy. 
 I washed my face, neck and ears over and over 
 again, for I expected to receive the president 
 of the Dramatic Club and wanted to look my 
 very best. I combed my hair, parted it on one 
 side, and tied it up tightly at the back in a 
 little English knot. I washed my apron in the 
 same water, rinsed the garment well, borrowed 
 from the Missus a bit of blueing, and then hung 
 the apron in the yard in the sun. I asked the 
 Missus if I might put an iron on the fireplace 
 and she very kindly consented. By the time it 
 was hot, the apron was half dried, so I brought 
 it in, rolled it well in my hands, and ironed it 
 until it looked like new. I put it on and 
 waited patiently. I did not then realize that 
 my hunger was a part of my training for the 
 stage ; but now I am sure that there was no 
 actor or actress in London that day who was 
 quite as hungry as I was. Not only was I with- 
 out food, but I had no hopes of obtaining any ; 
 but as hunger is a part of the profession, I 
 started out well. 
 
 Finally, satisfied that my appearance was the 
 128
 
 From Pillar to Post. 
 
 very best I could make it under the circum- 
 stances, I sat down to wait the visit of my pro- 
 spective employer and gave myself up to the 
 conflict between hope and anxiety. 
 
 129
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE STAR ACTRESS. 
 
 SCHLEIMELE arrived, prompt and dressed 
 in his best. The Missus heard his three sharp 
 knocks and showed him in. Aware of the 
 great preparations I had made to receive him, 
 and noting that he too was all " dressed up," 
 she watched us suspiciously. I was confused 
 and by my very embarrassment stumbled into 
 good manners. Finally I managed to ask : 
 
 " Are you the gentleman the ' boss's ' wife 
 sent to me ? " 
 
 " I am the president of the Dramatic Club," 
 he replied grandly and threw himself dra- 
 matically into a chair. He looked at me for a 
 moment, rather peculiarly I thought, while I 
 stood before him, modestly and with downcast 
 eyes, waiting for him to proceed. 
 
 11 I need a woman for the stage," he said 
 presently, "and I'm sure it will be a good thing 
 
 for you. I can see you will make a great and 
 
 130
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 dear actress." He looked me over from head 
 to foot as though studying my " points." 
 
 " I give you my word," he continued enthu- 
 siastically, " when they hear in London and 
 Petticoat Lane that we've got such a handsome 
 girl as you on the stage, why next Saturday 
 night it'll be packed. It'll be crowded ! I'll 
 bet we'll have five hundred people. They 
 won't be able to get into the theatre ! We'll 
 raise the price ! Even the members of the 
 club will have to pay. And then, I'm sure, if 
 you play once or twice, you'll be able to play 
 in the biggest theatre in London ! " 
 
 His enthusiasm quite overcame me ; and the 
 rosy future he presented raised my hopes so 
 high that already I began to picture a little 
 home for me and my Dady built with my 
 earnings on the stage. This man was the 
 president of the Dramatic Club, manager of 
 the theatre, and head actor ; surely he must 
 know what he was talking about ! 
 
 11 Ah !" he continued with the same peculiar 
 look at me, " you're bright and pretty. We've 
 always had to dress a man up for the women's 
 parts, but now we'll have a real woman to
 
 Minna. 
 
 play them and a handsome one too. When I 
 saw you in the shop to-day I said to myself 
 right away ; ' There's a girl who will make a 
 great actress.' You looked so forlorn I really 
 pitied you." 
 
 I thanked him for his kindness and ventured 
 to ask what I would have to do to become a 
 great actress. 
 
 " You will have to play only twice a week," 
 he replied, " or perhaps three times, and you 
 will have a whole week to study. Of course 
 you can read Yiddish ! You can study your 
 part yourself ; and next Saturday night you 
 can play. Oh, yes ! " he went on, rising dra- 
 matically from his seat, " Next Saturday night 
 we will play ' Die Kaprisne Tochter.' There's 
 a part you will play beautifully. You will 
 make a grand success, I know, for you will 
 play almost the whole piece." 
 
 His enthusiasm seemed to run away with 
 him, for he took out five shillings which he 
 laid grandly upon the table. " Here's five 
 shillings," he said, " and Saturday night, after 
 the play, we'll have a meeting and arrange how 
 
 much to pay you a week. You will play by 
 
 132
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 us all the time and we will pay you regular 
 wages." 
 
 I thanked him again for his kindess ; but 
 conscious of my ignorance of things theatrical 
 I timidly asked if he would give me a few in- 
 structions in the duties of an actress. 
 
 "To-morrow evening;," he replied, " I want 
 you to be in Mensall Street Hall ; there we 
 will make rehearsal. When you go off the 
 stage, don't go down with your back to the 
 audience, but always go off backward with 
 your face to the public. And when you first 
 come on, make a little bow and smile to them, 
 so ; and the same when you go off." And he 
 proceeded to illustrate very majestically how 
 the bow and the smile should be made. I 
 watched with rapt attention, flushed with the 
 thought of the people clapping their hands 
 when / made that bow and smile, for I believed 
 I could do it better than he. 
 
 " Will you paint ? " he asked abruptly. 
 
 4 Yes," I answered somewhat hesitatingly, 
 "if it is necessary." 
 
 ' Well, you needn't put on much ; your 
 
 cheeks are naturally red." 
 
 133
 
 Minna. 
 
 He remained quite some time explaining all 
 about the theatre and giving instructions in 
 the art of acting. It was very late when he 
 finally left and I sat down to reflect on all 
 that had happened. I was an actress with 
 five shillings ! My joy knew no bounds. 
 
 The next morning I went out to buy a loaf 
 of bread, a hap'orth of tea and half a pound of 
 sugar. The Missus said I might use her tea- 
 pot, cups and saucers, and anything I wanted. 
 Evidently she too regarded me as already the 
 star actress of the Dramatic Club, and probably 
 pictured herself walking into the theatre at all 
 hours and without paying an admission fee. 
 She even went so far as to say she would not 
 mind if I bought half a pound of meat to cook 
 with her dinner and took a plate of her soup. 
 A plate of soup and a little meat ! It certainly 
 would be a grand dinner. 
 
 I cut off my hair in front so as to form a flat 
 " bang." I bought a bit of red flannel and 
 wound it around my neck, as this was consid- 
 ered very stylish at that time in Petticoat Lane. 
 I bought new shoestrings and two handker- 
 chiefs; a white one for my pocket and a large 
 
 134
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 yellow one to throw over my shoulders. I 
 was very proud ; and I imagined as I passed 
 from one shop to another that every one was 
 looking at me and whispering : " There goes 
 the great actress of the Yiddish theatre." 
 
 In the evening the president called and said 
 I looked ten times better. No wonder ! I had 
 had thiee meals. He took me and Dady to 
 the theatre for the rehearsal. Arrived at the 
 place I could not see any difference between 
 the theatre itself and the houses which sur- 
 rounded it. It was an ordinary dwelling ; but 
 when we passed through the hall to the rear, 
 we came to a large room which was occupied 
 during the day as a tailor's workshop, but 
 served as a theatre on Saturday and Sunday 
 nights, and sometimes one other during the 
 week. On these occasions the work-benches 
 were turned about to face a low stage with a 
 curtain and one or two screens painted to rep- 
 resent trees, which served as the scenery for 
 any play that might be given. 
 
 The room was bare of other furnishings ex- 
 cept some unfinished garments on which the 
 
 tailors had been working ; which reminded the 
 
 135
 
 Minna. 
 
 audience that they were in a shop and not a 
 theatre, and therefore peanuts and pop-bottles 
 of ginger ale were permitted. As the play pro- 
 gressed a bottle would pop now and then and 
 the audience would call out : " Sh-sh-sh ! ! ! " 
 
 When we entered the room several young 
 men had already arrived and one of them was 
 trying to blow music out of a long pipe. We 
 advanced toward the stage and someone called 
 for me to go up and sing. Sing ? I did not 
 know how to sing. How could I ? At home 
 my conditions were such that I never felt like 
 singing as other children did ; yet I realized that 
 here was the first test of my ability as an actress 
 and I was frightened. Happily the president 
 came to my rescue, and, reminded them that 
 this was a dramatic society. Drama meant 
 acting, not singing, he informed them, and, 
 even if I could sing, he, the president, was 
 not going to make a laughing-stock of the dra- 
 matic society, his honor and his name. " Only 
 drama is going to be played here," he an- 
 nounced firmly, " and this is our dramatist." 
 
 This point settled we proceeded to the re- 
 hearsal of "Die Kaprisene Tochter" (The 
 
 136
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 Wayward Daughter) ; and by the time it was 
 over I had mastered my part so well that but 
 little further rehearsal was necessary. 
 
 Saturday night came at last and my appear- 
 ance upon the stage was greeted with loud 
 clapping of hands and stamping of feet and 
 murmurs of " Ah ! "V'Ain't she pretty ! "- 
 " See, they have got a real woman." They 
 made so much noise it was several minutes 
 before I could make myself heard sufficiently 
 to go on with my part. 
 
 Finally the tumult ceased and the play pro- 
 gressed to the end amid the occasional pop- 
 ping of corks and stamping of feet. The hall 
 was crowded to the doors and my success was 
 immense. Bouquets of tissue paper flowers 
 were showered upon me from all parts of the 
 room ; and I was so proud and happy and ex- 
 cited that I hardly noticed how badly the wire 
 fastenings were scratching my hands. After 
 the performance the president came over and 
 congratulated me. 
 
 1 You will soon be known in the whole 
 Ghetto ! " he exclaimed. " You played a very 
 
 heavy piece all alone. Ah ! I knew, I knew 
 
 137
 
 Minna. 
 
 right away when I saw you that you would 
 make a great actress ! " 
 
 He handed me a guinea and told me I need 
 not bother about paying back the five shillings, 
 and that he would see that I received a guinea 
 each week. He said I needed some clothes 
 and must order a dress. He would advance 
 me a few pounds, or as much as I needed, and 
 deduct ten shillings each w r eek as repayment. 
 I thanked him again and again, and, with my 
 baby on my arm, returned home the proudest 
 woman in London. I was so happy oh so 
 happy ! I knew I was a great actress, because 
 I could already see the mistakes the others had 
 made ; and besides I was to receive a guinea 
 a week ! 
 
 That night I rested peacefully, with my baby 
 by my side ; and being an actress, naturally 
 did not get up until noon the next day. While 
 I was dressing, I heard loud talking in the 
 kitchen, and going out to investigate, I saw 
 the Missus talking to a little woman. "Don't 
 be foolish," I heard her say. "I'm sure it is 
 nothing. I promise you I will keep my eye on 
 
 the matter." But the little woman still stood 
 
 138
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 there, refusing to take the hint to go. Then, 
 suddenly spying me, she called out : 
 
 " Say, you're the actress in the Yiddish thea- 
 tre, aren't you ? Did you know I was secretly 
 married in court to the president of the 
 theatre?" 
 
 I had been long enough in London to know 
 just what her question meant. When a Jewish 
 girl goes with a young man there and they 
 make a mistake, she usually calls in the assist- 
 ance of friends or relatives to drag him to 
 court, where he is forced to marry her. The 
 affair is kept as a secret that everybody knows, 
 but they do not live together as man and wife 
 until they have accumulated sufficient money 
 for a public wedding. It is often the case that 
 neither party is very much in a hurry, so it 
 sometimes takes from five to ten years before 
 the religious ceremony is celebrated. Mean- 
 while the girl keeps an eye on him, and if she 
 becomes jealous of some woman, she will re- 
 veal the secret of her marriage, as a warning to 
 other women to keep away from her private 
 property! 
 
 When this woman told me that she had been 
 139
 
 Minna. 
 
 married in court to the president, I thought 
 the affair had just taken place, and I being the 
 only and leading actress, she had come to 
 pay me honor by telling me of it first. So I 
 stretched out my hand and said: " Masiltof ! 
 I wish you all the happiness in the world. I 
 am sure he is a very nice gentleman because 
 he has been very good to me. He told me I 
 could get a dress made, or anything I needed 
 as an actress, and that he would advance me a 
 few pounds, which I could pay back ten shil- 
 lings a week." 
 
 While I spoke, her eyes opened wider and 
 wider, until I thought they would pop out of 
 her head ; and when I had finished she gave 
 a yell and bounded toward me. 
 
 "Is that it?" she shrieked. "So he has 
 the money to lend you ; but for me, when I 
 ask him to take me to a real theatre, he has no 
 money ! I'm no greenhorn like you ! I've 
 been in London ten years, and I know a green 
 mod (girl) like you isn't going to take my hus- 
 band away from me. I'll go over to the shop 
 right now and I'll fix him ! /'// show him, if 
 
 he can give money to other women and have 
 
 140
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 none to marry me with ! /'// play theatre for 
 him. /'// be his actress to-day. 
 
 "What chu tink o' dat?" she continued, 
 turning to the Missus, "What chu tink o' dat ? 
 Isn't it terrible ? I tell you," she screamed at 
 me, " if I find out there is anything going on 
 between you there'll not be a hair left in your 
 head." With that, she flew out of the house. 
 
 She was a little woman compared to me, 
 but I was trembling like a leaf. When she 
 had gone, the Missus placed a cup of coffee on 
 the table. " Don't worry," she said, " I've 
 known Bailie for a long time, only I didn't 
 know the president was her husband. I knew 
 she was secretly married in court to some one, 
 but I had no idea she had such a nice man as 
 the president for her husband. To tell you 
 the truth, he would suit you better than he 
 does her." 
 
 She said this with a cunning glance, as much 
 as to say that she was ready to help us if we 
 wanted her to. " I can't think of such a thing," 
 I said impatiently. " My thoughts are only on 
 becoming a great actress." 
 
 A few moments later the president came 
 141
 
 Minna. 
 
 in. It was noontime, and, having finished his 
 dinner early, he had come to visit me. He 
 brought a large copying book, as he had learned 
 that I could neither read nor write, even He- 
 brew. He wrote the alphabet in a book and 
 told me to study it until the evening, and that 
 every evening he would come and teach me 
 an hour or so, so that in a short time I would 
 be able to read my parts foi the plays. 
 
 Suddenly I saw him turn oale and tremble. 
 Glancing in the direction of his stare, I saw the 
 little woman again. She had seen him sitting 
 at the table close by me, and rushed in scream- 
 ing, "You liar!" 
 
 Her husband rose excitedly. " See here," 
 he said, " if you are going to make a noise 
 wherever I am, I tell you I'll go away, and 
 you'll never see me again. So you had better 
 be more careful as to what you say. Do you 
 understand me ? " 
 
 She began to cry and tried to strike me ; but 
 the president threw himself between us and 
 warned her that if her noise and abusive lan- 
 guage did not cease immediately, he would 
 
 never speak to her again. He said he would 
 
 142
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 tell her friends a few things about her that 
 would shut her mouth. My poor baby became 
 frightened and screamed, and I tried to get 
 away with him to my room ; but the presi- 
 dent's wife clutched my hair and, screaming 
 loudly, dragged me around the room. The 
 Missus and the president separated us. 
 
 Finally the president was obliged to return 
 to his work ; and, as his wife was a button-hole 
 maker, she too had to go away. They left the 
 house together; while I, frightened and dis- 
 gusted, determined to have nothing more to 
 do with the theatre. I told the Missus I would 
 go to look for work among the tailors again, as 
 I had made my last appearance on the stage 
 and feared the president's wife. The Missus 
 laughed and told me it would be very foolish 
 for me to look for work at a tailor's, as they 
 would never give work to any one who had 
 once been an actress. Overwrought by the 
 excitement I sat down and cried, that having 
 my child to support, I was again unable to 
 provide for its wants. 
 
 In the evening, to my great surprise, the 
 
 president and his wife came to see me to- 
 
 143
 
 Minna. 
 
 gether. She was smiling and wore a new gold 
 ring which her hu'sband had purchased for 
 her. She spoke to me of my studies as if 
 nothing had happened. 
 
 " If you like," she said pleasantly, " I will 
 take you to my dressmaker. Ach ! She's 
 such a fine dressmaker and she's cheap, too. 
 She'll make a dress for you so that you will 
 have it for next Saturday. In this dress you 
 are wearing you cannot play again. I tell 
 you, when she will make you a dress, you will 
 bloom on the stage. You ought to hear already 
 how they talk about you all over London. 
 They'll have to have a larger hall. Come with 
 me right now. I know a Jewish shoemaker 
 who will take your measure for a pair of shoes." 
 
 Amazed, I stood and looked at the woman 
 who but a few hours before had pulled my 
 hair and was now so attentive to me. I won- 
 dered if this was a part of the theatrical busi- 
 ness, as I could not understand how she could 
 speak to me in such a gentle tone, after having 
 given me such a tongue-lashing in the morning. 
 
 11 Yes, you go with Bailie," said the presi- 
 dent, " she will show you everything." 
 
 144
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 Reluctantly, I took up my boy and followed 
 her out of the house. I distrusted her ; still 
 there was no choice. I had lost all hope of 
 ever finding work with the tailors, so I was 
 obliged to accept this, the only alternative. 
 We went to the shoemaker and then to the 
 dressmaker, where we made an appointment 
 for the next day at noon, when I was to bring 
 the material for my dress. For two or three 
 days I was busy with my studies and my cos- 
 tume and so interested in my work that I for- 
 got the troubles of the early part of the week 
 and once more built air- castles of my future as 
 a STAR. 
 
 Saturday night again arrived and I bowed to 
 an even larger audience than before. I looked 
 well in my new costume, and I was doing so 
 nicely that the president stayed behind the 
 scenes, telling me constantly how well I looked 
 and what a great future there was for me, as the 
 English papers would certainly bring me out 
 before long as a great star. 
 
 Again the paper flowers were showered upon 
 me when I walked off the stage as an accom- 
 plished actress should, backwards ; but before
 
 Minna. 
 
 the last act was finished, my voice was drowned 
 by the noise of another quarrel behind the 
 scenes, between the president and his wife, 
 and the audience could not hear a word I was 
 saying. She was in one of her jealous moods 
 again, for some friends of my foster-mother, 
 who had of course heard of my success, had 
 not missed the opportunity of further denounc- 
 ing me and opening the eyes of the little 
 woman to the dangerous ground upon w r hich 
 she was standing. I was a terrible woman 
 they told her, and a man like the president 
 could not help being led away by me ; so she 
 had come to the theatre with the intention of 
 proclaiming to the audience my life and char- 
 acter, according to her views, which were sup- 
 ported by my mother and her friends. 
 
 The president and the other actors feared a 
 scandal ; so they managed to pacify her by 
 promising that if she w r ould wait until the per- 
 formance was over she could act as she liked 
 with me, without interference from them. 
 She was apparently satisfied with their promise, 
 and employed her time in reading off to the pres- 
 ident a few pages of her wifely rights ; but as 
 
 146
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 soon as I stepped to the back of the stage she 
 shook her fist at me, until they made her leave 
 the stage, and she joined my mother who was 
 waiting at the back door with another squad of 
 women. They cursed and swore at me, and 
 caused such an uproar that the president sent 
 one of the actors to see if it was safe for us to 
 venture out and go home ; but this man re- 
 turned to tell us that we must not attempt to 
 leave the place as the mob was in such a rage 
 it would be impossible for us to pass through 
 without being attacked. 
 
 The president knew of a little window that 
 looked out from the stage into a friendly 
 woman's yard. As the theatre was nothing 
 more than a tailor's shop, and as it was on the 
 ground floor, I found little difficulty in making 
 an exit through it. My Dady and I remained 
 with the woman of the next yard, and the pres- 
 ident went out with his silk hat on the back 
 of his head, his chest out, and addressed his 
 wife : 
 
 " Bailie, one thing or the other," he com- 
 manded. " You keep quiet or I'll tell all the 
 
 people what you are." 
 
 147
 
 Minna. 
 
 " I don't care," she replied, " I'll tell the 
 whole world myself. Last night you carried 
 her child home after rehearsal, and our own 
 child you were ashamed to acknowledge before 
 the world. We had to give it away to board 
 with strangers, and he received such poor care 
 that he died. I don't care I married you in 
 court, and you are my husband, just the same." 
 Then she began to cry loudly, and all the 
 women about her expressed their sympathy ; 
 for, in their estimation, I was the worst of 
 women and she was such a nice girl ! 
 
 This scandal concluded my theatrical career. 
 It was told to the patrons of the theatre that 
 the star was a bad character who had run away 
 from her own lord and master, and had now 
 robbed another woman of her husband. Every- 
 body promised the little woman that they 
 would go to the theatre no more unless I was 
 removed. 
 
 The actors and the president held a meet- 
 ing, which lasted until four o'clock in the 
 morning, and the result was, that, while he 
 wished me to remain with his company, the 
 
 others refused to have me. I could not blame 
 
 148
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 them, for the theatre would have failed had I 
 remained with them. The president an- 
 nounced the company dissolved. He said he 
 had no further use for them, but would open 
 a new theatre with new tailors, since there 
 were many smart young men whom he could 
 get. The consequence was that not only were 
 the few shillings I had received the week be- 
 fore spent in clothes, but I also owed money 
 to the president. Though he assured me the 
 very next day that he would soon open a new 
 theatre for me, I knew that no good would 
 come of it, as his wife would make more trouble 
 and I would again be the sufferer. 
 
 Once more I was without money and had 
 my baby to care for ; and with the stain of 
 being an actress, I was worse off than before, 
 for no tailor would permit me to work for him. 
 I struggled on in the city of London, wretchedly 
 enough, for several months. Now and then 
 some tailor, being very busy, would give me a 
 few coats, but most of them refused even to 
 speak to me. Women pointed their fingers at 
 me, my child and I walked about, miserable, 
 
 and I was accused of leading a wicked life. 
 
 149
 
 Minna. 
 
 The woman with whom I lived very kindly 
 told me not to worry about my rent, as she 
 was sure the theatre would open again, and 
 when I got my position, I could pay her. 
 During the day she was good enough to give 
 my little boy bread and tea ; and enviously I 
 would watch him partake of it. The president 
 made several good offers and often asked me 
 to accept money of him. One day he an- 
 nounced very gleefully, that his wife had eloped 
 with a presser to America. 
 
 " My dear Mr. President," I said, "it makes 
 no difference at all to me whether your wife is 
 here or in America. You must not count on 
 me to appear on the stage again. I am sorry 
 I cannot pay you what I owe you now ; but it 
 was your fault, not mine, if you are the loser. 
 When you understood the kind of woman 
 your wife was, you should not have given me 
 money." He looked rather sheepish and I con- 
 tinued : 
 
 " I have no use for the dress or the other 
 things I bought, so take them with you. I 
 shall be glad if you will take them, for I shall 
 then be relieved of the debt. Do not trouble
 
 The Star Actress. 
 
 me any more ; you have been very kind to me 
 and I appreciate it, but do not visit me again 
 nor speak of the stage to me. If I ever get 
 money, I will pay you the sum I owe you." 
 
 He went away and that was the last I heard 
 of him. The old story was renewed, and I 
 walked the streets seeking work, with fruitless 
 results. I became desperate from hunger, for 
 I had not tasted food for three days, and I 
 felt as if I would go insane.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE LAND OF THE FREE. 
 
 THE hours when I could not walk the streets 
 in search of work gave ample opportunity for 
 bitter reflection and bitter indeed it was. 
 My rosy future as an actress had come to a 
 sudden end. The little home I had fancied 
 seemed far away and I trembled at the thought 
 of what might happen to Dady and me. I 
 pictured all kinds of calamities in the future, 
 but the present one of starvation was too real 
 to need picturing. What was I to do ? The 
 Ghetto was closed to me, now that the woman 
 who called herself my mother had roused the 
 sympathy of the people and effectually turned 
 them against me. The West-end, too, would 
 henceforth hold no place for me since I could 
 no longer earn a living in the theatre and the 
 tailors would give no work to an actress. Em- 
 ployment in other parts of London was im- 
 possible, for I could not speak the language.
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 They only, who have felt the whole world 
 unjustly against them, can realize the gloom, 
 the despair that seized me and made me ready 
 to grasp at any opportunity to earn even a few 
 pence. 
 
 One day, while I was walking the streets in 
 my fruitless search for work, I caught the 
 odor of newly-baked bread that came from 
 the doors of a baker shop. I rushed madly 
 toward it and passed within. All about were 
 loaves of bread, fresh-baked rolls and cakes of 
 many kinds. To me it was a ravishing sight; 
 and in my frenzied state 1 began to lay plans 
 to take a loaf when no one was looking. Sud- 
 denly realizing what was passing through my 
 brain, I checked myself. " Can it be possible," 
 I thought, " that my first theft in the widow's 
 house has made the second one easier ? " 
 Then I stood there, wondering how I could 
 get one, a fierce battle between hunger and 
 conscience raging within me. 
 
 Suddenly my attention was attracted to a 
 nicely dressed German woman whose hair was 
 just turning gray. She was asking the baker's 
 
 wife if she knew of any young girls who would 
 
 '53
 
 Minna. 
 
 like to go to America and learn to be nurses 
 in a hospital. I heard the words " young 
 girls " and "go to America," and that was 
 enough. 
 
 " America ! America ! Away from my fos- 
 ter-mother ; away from these people who are 
 persecuting me ! " was all I thought. 
 
 I rushed excitedly up to her. " Take me ! 
 Oh, take me ! " I cried. " I am ready to go. 
 I am all alone in the world and I can go any 
 time. Take me ! Oh, please take me ! " 
 
 The woman turned upon me in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " So you want to go to America, do you ? 
 Would you like to be a nurse in a hospital ?" 
 
 "Anything," I cried, " anything, so long as I 
 can get out of this cursed place." 
 
 "Very well," she replied, "come with me." 
 
 We walked to a hotel ; and the woman 
 spoke to me in such motherly tones of America, 
 and how much money young girls earn there, 
 that I thanked God for bringing me to her. 
 I could hardly wait for the time to start. My 
 new formed friend asked me if I had had any 
 
 dinner. At the mere mention of food, I burst 
 
 154
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 out crying and told her I had had nothing to 
 eat for three days. 
 
 " You poor child ! " she said. " How you 
 must have suffered ! " 
 
 She rang the bell and the waiter served me 
 with dinner, which I devoured ravenously, 
 while the motherly Woman smoothed my hair 
 and told me I must not worry, that my worst 
 days were over. She said she had some other 
 girls, and that they were all going to sail in a 
 few days. She gave me money to pay off my 
 debt to the president of the theatre and the 
 woman with whom I had been living. Under 
 the influence of her genial manner I told her 
 all about myself and my baby. She listened 
 attentively and with evident sympathy, and 
 bade me fetch the boy to the hotel the very 
 next day. We stayed a week with the old 
 lady and then sailed for America. 
 
 Oh, America, blessed America ! True 
 mother who opened thine arms to receive a 
 lonely girl and her infant child ! 
 
 The only fortune I carried with me was per- 
 fect health and a radiant joy, which shone in 
 my face and eventually made many friends
 
 Minna. 
 
 for me on the steamer. I was very happy. 
 I was floating toward America, an unknown 
 world to be sure, but what did I care ? I had 
 never known any but strangers, so it made little 
 difference where I went. Beside, no place 
 on earth could hold forth worse than I had 
 already experienced. I was ignorant, yes, 
 ignorant of the treachery of the world ; but, 
 dreaming of the future possibilities which 
 might be for me, and relying upon the prom- 
 ises of the motherly old German lady, I was 
 happy and contented. 
 
 The first few days of the voyage were 
 stormy and the passengers kept closely to 
 their rooms ; but the sea finally quieted down 
 and everybody went on deck. For some rea- 
 son which I could not understand, the old 
 lady with whom we were traveling forbade the 
 other girls to go on deck ; but she accorded a 
 special privilege to me on account of my child, 
 though she cautioned me not to talk to any one. 
 
 " Don't tell anybody where you are going," 
 she said, " nor how many girls are going with 
 you." 
 
 She gave no reasons for her instructions, 
 156
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 but, though they seemed strange to me, I did 
 not question them. I was too ignorant of the 
 world's treachery, and beside, the queer old 
 lady had been very kind to me, and I felt 
 deeply indebted to her. Though I tried to 
 follow her instructions and avoid the other 
 passengers, my Dady made it impossible. 
 The little fellow's broken words and Petticoat 
 Lane slang gave his prattle a gypsy grace, that 
 attracted the passengers to him and kept me 
 almost constantly on deck. They kissed him, 
 they swung him in the air and carried him 
 about ; and my protests that they were spoil- 
 ing my boy were of no avail. 
 
 One day I missed him from the deck. I 
 searched about until my attention was attracted 
 to a noisy group in the smoking room, 
 and looking through the window, I saw my 
 Dady, the center of a crowd of men, who were 
 asking him all sorts of questions and laughing 
 at his quaint replies. They made so much 
 noise they attracted the attention of a man far 
 down the deck, who arose from his chair and 
 came forward to join in the jollity. I turned 
 about to see if he might not prove to be of
 
 Minna. 
 
 some assistance in rescuing my boy, when, to 
 my great surprise, I confronted Dr. Leiter of 
 the Hamburg hospital. 
 
 " Well ! " he exclaimed as his face lighted up 
 with a smile of recognition, " this is a delight- 
 ful surprise. I certainly never expected to 
 find you here. Where have you been all this 
 time?" 
 
 " How do you mean ?" I asked. " Since 
 we left London, or since I left Hamburg ? " 
 
 " Both," he replied. " I want to hear all 
 about you and how you have fared since we 
 separated in Hamburg. Let's sit down while 
 you tell me all about it." 
 
 We walked over to some vacant chairs and 
 were soon engrossed with our mutual reminis- 
 cences. Little by little I told him some of 
 my experiences in London including the tailor 
 shop and the theatre ; but I omitted the parts 
 in which hunger and my pretended mother 
 had figured, for their very coarseness made 
 all reference to them repulsive to me. He 
 listened attentively, with a question now and 
 then, but when I told him about the crooked 
 
 button-hole he laughed heartily and seemed to 
 
 '58
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 think it a monstrous joke. Finally, when I had 
 told him all I cared to tell, he asked : 
 
 " And where are you going to now ? " 
 
 " To America," I replied ; " with an elderly 
 German lady who is taking me there to be a 
 nurse in a hospital." 
 
 " Where is the old lady " he asked in his im- 
 petuous way. " Is she on deck ?" 
 
 " No, she's in her stateroom with the other 
 girls. She never comes on deck nor does she 
 permit any of her party to come here except me. 
 She cautioned me not to speak to any one and 
 I'm afraid she will be very angry when she 
 finds out that I have spoken to you about it ; 
 but the excitement of meeting you so unex- 
 pectedly made me forget her instructions. 
 Please, Doctor, don't say anything to any one 
 about it." 
 
 " I'll do nothing of the kind," he said 
 sharply. " Who is this woman and what is 
 her name ? Is she a doctor ? Has she a private 
 hospital in New York ? " 
 
 I resented his questions somewhat, for to me 
 they seemed unwarranted ; so I reminded him 
 
 how kind she had been to me in taking me 
 
 159
 
 Minna. 
 
 out of London where I had experienced so 
 much difficulty. In my enthusiastic defense 
 of her I went farther and told him all I knew 
 about my benefactress, how I had met her in 
 the baker shop and what she had told me of 
 America and its opportunities for young girls 
 to earn money. He listened silently to all I 
 had to say, and when I finished he smiled in- 
 credulously. 
 
 " Now, my dear girl," he said, " you leave 
 this matter to me. It needs investigating. It 
 looks to me as if it was a more powerful hand 
 than we realize that led me to return to America 
 by way of London and on the same steamer 
 with you. You think your troubles end with 
 this old lady, but I think they are only be- 
 ginning. It is certainly very suspicious that 
 she keeps herself hidden from everybody and 
 travels first-class with several young girls whom 
 she will not permit to speak to the other pas- 
 sengers. It's my opinion that she's a bad 
 woman with a bad purpose ; so you stay right 
 here until I come back." 
 
 He walked away and left me in a fever of 
 
 suspense. In the excitement of meeting him 
 
 160
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 and the discussion which followed, I had for- 
 gotten all about Dady, who, tired of his fun in 
 the smoking-room, came running out to me. 
 A horror overcame me and chilled me through 
 and through. I bit my finger to see if I was 
 alive. " Oh ! My God ! " I thought, " Is there 
 no end to my sorrow, x no end to my trouble ? 
 Must I always find, whichever way I turn, 
 treachery and some one ready to take advan- 
 tage of me ? Can it be possible that this 
 motherly old lady who has been so kind to me 
 is all the Doctor says she is ? It can't be. It 
 must be a mistake," I said aloud. 
 
 By and by, Dr. Leiter returned and brought 
 with him the captain of the vessel. They sat 
 down on either side of me both looking very 
 solemn and serious. 
 
 ' Who is this old woman you are traveling 
 with ? " the captain asked. 
 " I don't know," I replied. 
 11 What is her name ? " 
 " Really, I don't know, Captain." 
 11 Is she a doctor ? Has she a hospital ?" 
 " If she's a doctor, 1 don't know ; but she 
 
 has a hospital, she says so." 
 ii 161
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Well, where is her hospital ? " 
 
 " I don't know," I replied. Then correcting 
 myself, "Why in America of course, where we 
 are going," I said. " She's really a dear old 
 lady, Captain, and I wish Dr. Leiter wouldn't 
 make such a fuss about her : she's been so 
 kind to me." 
 
 " I'm afraid, my dear girl," said the captain 
 kindly, " that this ' dear old lady ' is a very bad 
 woman. I'll look into this matter." And he 
 arose to go. 
 
 Several times during the conversation I saw 
 them exchange knowing glances when my an- 
 swers apparently confirmed their thoughts, and 
 I tried again to prove how kind the old lady 
 had been to me, but my efforts were useless. 
 The captain impressed upon me the fact that I 
 was lacking in knowledge of the world, and 
 bade me leave the affair in his and Doctor 
 Leiter's hands. The conclusion of the matter 
 was that a separate stateroom was made ready 
 for me with a private stewardess for guardian, 
 who took me aside and fully explained the 
 danger I had so narrowly escaped. I was 
 
 frightened and heart-broken. Once mOre my 
 
 162
 
 The Land of the Free. 
 
 plans had come to nothing and I was con- 
 fronted with that eternal question " What shall 
 I do?" 
 
 I remained in my stateroom during the rest 
 of the voyage and scarcely ventured on deck. 
 I suspected everybody, trusted nobody and 
 feared them all. Dr. Leiter came several times 
 to see me and insisted on my proceeding with 
 him to his home in Chicago, "Where," he said, 
 " your troubles will be over ; no more crooked 
 button-holes for you." But I could not do it 
 and I told him so. His kindness had served 
 me well on two occasions but I always felt 
 that same desire to get away when he began to 
 show by his manner that his interest was more 
 than platonic. Perhaps I should have jumped 
 at the opportunity, as no doubt many girls 
 would have done, but there are those whose 
 actions are governed by the heart, not the 
 head, and such people are seemingly illogical 
 and inconsistent. 
 
 So, reluctantly and with many protests, Dr. 
 Leiter agreed to go on to Chicago alone and 
 leave me behind to work out my own salvation, 
 
 after he had arranged with a Jewish family he 
 
 163
 
 Minna. 
 
 knew of on the East Side of New York to take 
 me in. Accordingly, when the steamer warped 
 into her dock, the passengers left with " good- 
 byes " and " best wishes " to Dady, and Dr. 
 Leiter left me in charge of the stewardess to 
 wait the coming of the Jewish people with 
 whom I was to live. The other girls of the 
 party were turned over to the authorities for, 
 so the stewardess informed me, the motherly 
 old German lady had managed to escape in the 
 crowd and leave them to look after themselves. 
 Some were turned over to friends in New 
 York, but most of them were sent back on the 
 same steamer to London. 
 
 164
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE JEWISH QUARTER. 
 
 I had not long to wait after Dr. Leiter left 
 me, for presently, as I stood watching the noise 
 and bustle of the freight handlers on the dock, 
 I saw a little woman come bustling up the 
 gangplank and heard her ask in a shrill voice 
 of some one I could not see : 
 
 " Hey ! I say ! Vere iss dot yunge veibchen 
 mit de leedle paby vot I cum here by ? Iss she 
 nicht here already yet ? " 
 
 Some one brought her on deck where I was 
 waiting and I turned to greet her. She was 
 short and wore a black skirt with a red waist 
 and a green hat with many colored flowers. I 
 saw to my delight that she was a German 
 Jewess and I would not be friendless in a 
 strange land. She carried a bundle several 
 sizes too large for her, but her animated and 
 jerky manner showed that she did not mind 
 
 the burden in the least. She looked sharply 
 
 165
 
 Minna. 
 
 at me for a moment and then approached, 
 with the same jerky steps which had brought 
 her up the gangway, and addressed me in 
 German. 
 
 " Are you the yunge-frau the American 
 Doctor told me to call for ? " she asked. 
 
 " I believe I am, if you mean Docter Leiter," 
 I replied. 
 
 "Good," she said. "And if you will be 
 ready we will go now. My husband will be 
 waiting for me." 
 
 " I'll be ready in just a minute," I said, " as 
 soon as I can get my few belongings and my 
 baby." 
 
 I went to my stateroom, gathered up my Dady 
 and my bundles, and, bidding the stewardess 
 a grateful goodbye, I left the steamer with my 
 jerky little guide, and was soon threading the 
 streets of a great, strange city. I followed 
 the woman up one dirty street and down an- 
 other, until we reached a section which my 
 companion informed me was the Jewish 
 quarter ; and so close was the air and so 
 squalid the surroundings, that I thought it was 
 
 even worse than Petticoat Lane. Suddenly, as 
 
 166
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 we were passing down what appeared to be a 
 side street, something flew into my face with 
 great force, and sliding down my dress, fell to 
 the sidewalk. Heavens ! It was a herring ! 
 Some woman had evidently bought it for her 
 husband, but, because it did not suit him, he had 
 thrown it out of the window and I was destined 
 to come all the way from London to receive 
 it. My companion, true to her sense of Jewish 
 hospitality, laid her bundle on the sidewalk and 
 proceeded to wipe the stain from my dress 
 with a wisp of straw which she grabbed from 
 a near-by packing case. Then without further 
 adventure, we walked down another street and 
 entered her house, where we mounted three 
 flights of stairs and passed into her kitchen. 
 She bade me sit down in her characteristically 
 jerky fashion and then left me. I could hear 
 her explaining to some one in the next room, 
 evidently her husband, the cause of her delay 
 in getting home ; and while she was gone I 
 took the opportunity to look about me and see 
 how the Jews lived in America. 
 
 There were apparently but three rooms ; for 
 
 there was a dark opening on the left side of the 
 
 167
 
 Minna. 
 
 one in which I sat, that evidently led to the 
 bedroom, while to the right was a door opening 
 into the parlor. Beside these and the door to 
 the hall there were no other outlets. I could 
 see part way into the parlor, which contained a 
 suit of cheap furniture with a large mirror at 
 one end and a very fancy lamp suspended from 
 the ceiling ; and looking a little closer I could 
 see that the " parlor " and the " factory " were 
 one and the same, for a sewing machine stood 
 in a far corner and the floor was strewn with 
 fur capes and muffs, some lined, some partly 
 lined and others still untouched. Evidently 
 these people were workers on fur garments ; 
 and I began to manufacture visions of a new 
 career for myself. 
 
 Presently, the woman returned to the kitchen 
 bringing her husband, who advanced toward 
 me with somewhat bulky steps. 
 
 " You come from London ? " he asked. 
 " The old story ; your husband ran away from 
 you to America and left you behind, eh ? What 
 a fool, eh ? Such a nice veibele like you ! " 
 
 I protested that my husband did not run 
 
 away from me, but he would not listen. " Ah ! 
 
 1 68
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 we know," he persisted, " You don't have to 
 be ashamed." 
 
 His wife put an end to further discussion. 
 "Ach! Mein Gott, lieber Man ! What is the 
 matter with you to-day ? " she said. " What 
 are you going into politicians for ? Leave her 
 alone. When she sa^s her husband is not run 
 away he is not run away. Perhaps he's died. 
 Go wash your hands " she said to me, " and 
 we'll have something to eat. The little fellow 
 must be hungry." 
 
 Her husband jumped off the corner of the 
 table where he had perched, and proceeded to 
 wash his hands in a bucket that was standing 
 near by. I was then told to take a place at the 
 table and I did so without any coaxing. As I 
 seated myself I said to the missus, " I have 
 three shillings left. If you can give me work, 
 I will eat ; but if you think you are unable to 
 give me any, I will feed the little boy, but I 
 will take only a cup of hot water and a slice of 
 bread for myself." 
 
 11 Don't you worry, but eat," she replied. 
 "You can have all the work you want here, 
 
 and all you want to eat. There's plenty of 
 
 169
 
 Minna. 
 
 both. It's only the lazy unions that don't 
 want to see people working. We can't get 
 hands enough on account of them. Would 
 you like to learn how to line furs ?" she asked. 
 
 I replied that I would be only too grateful 
 if she would teach me. 
 
 " I'll show you how," she said assuringly, 
 " but if any man sees you working here and 
 asks if you belong to the union you tell him 
 you get work from the factory and you're a 
 boss." 
 
 As I was only too delighted at the prospect 
 of securing employment so soon, I promised to 
 follow her instructions, though I did not un- 
 derstand them ; so she took me into the com- 
 bination parlor and factory where a pile of 
 rabbit skins were waiting to be lined. She 
 showed me how to sew the hooks and eyes on 
 the capes without pulling the hair through to 
 the other side of the skin, and while I was try- 
 ing my hand at it, she brought in a mattress 
 and a dirty old blanket, which she laid on the 
 floor behind the door. Then she called her 
 husband into the kitchen and told me to go to 
 
 bed with my child. 
 
 170
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 After I had lain down, they brought in a 
 lamp and began to work ; but I soon fell a- 
 sleep and knew no more, until I became con- 
 scious of a bright light shining in my face and 
 awoke to find that the sun had risen. The 
 hands of the clock were pointing at five ; so I 
 rose quickly, washed my face and hands and 
 dressed, and then sat down to work beside my 
 boy who lay sleeping peacefully. When the 
 woman arose it was seven o'clock, and she was 
 greatly surprised to see the pile of capes in 
 front of me. 
 
 " You must have got up very early," she 
 said. To which I replied that I was up at 
 five o'clock. "You needn't worry," she said 
 knowingly, "you won't go hungry in New York 
 if you can work like that." Her assurance 
 stimulated me to even greater energy ; for the 
 prospect of work and an honest living was like 
 sunshine after gloom. 
 
 Breakfast that morning, and every morn- 
 ing, too, for that matter, consisted of some 
 frische baigel (little hard rolls like doughnuts), 
 some milk and sweet butter ; and when the 
 
 meal was finished, my new friends showed me 
 
 171
 
 Minna. 
 
 how to use the sewing machine, and how to 
 attach the shoulders to the capes. From there 
 I was advanced to lining them the highest art 
 of all ; and it was but natural that pride should 
 begin it's puffing process, when my commer- 
 cial education and my progress in it kept such 
 flattering pace with each other. 
 
 However, the memory of that button-hole 
 prevented pride from interfering with the pace, 
 and my mistress was so delighted with my prog- 
 ress that she promised me work as long as I 
 would stay with her. She went further in the 
 enthusiastic expression of her pleasure and 
 offered to pay me five dollars a week, in addi- 
 tion to board for myself and Dady. Five Dol- 
 lars a Week ! I would soon be rich on that ! 
 I had never earned so much in so short a time 
 except the guinea in the London theatre that 
 solitary guinea. " Surely, America is ' the land 
 of the free ; ' ' I thought. 
 
 The days rolled by, each bringing its work 
 and consequently its pleasures, for the muffs 
 and capes poured in as fast as we turned them 
 out, and I was very happy. One day, while 
 
 we sat working diligently in the combination 
 
 172
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 parlor and factory, a sharp rap at the door made 
 us start suddenly. I opened the door and two 
 burly men entered without ceremony. 
 
 " Working here, eh ?" said the larger one in 
 German, who was evidently the spokesman. 
 
 "Yes," I replied, " we're working. What of 
 it?" 
 
 "What of it?" he repeated. "Don't you 
 know there's a strike on and I'm the Walking 
 Delegate ?" 
 
 " Glad to see you, Mr. Delegate," I said with 
 mock courtesy. " Please come in and sit 
 down." 
 
 "Say, you're a little devil, ain't you? Do 
 you belong to the Union ? " he asked. 
 
 His question reminded me at once of the in- 
 junctions laid upon me when I first became a 
 member of the household ; and, as I glanced 
 at the mistress, I could see that she was quak- 
 ing with fear lest I had forgotten them. The 
 situation had its novelty and I could not resist 
 the temptation to enjoy it ; accordingly I an- 
 nounced somewhat defiantly, that I did not 
 belong to the Union. The Walking Delegate 
 
 looked at the mistress, then at me and back to 
 
 173
 
 Minna. 
 
 the mistress again. He straightened himself 
 up very grandly and said, " Then I guess I'll 
 have to book you for ten dollars." 
 
 " I guess you won't," I replied saucily, and I 
 too assumed the grand air, as I seated myself 
 beside the machine where I had been work- 
 ing. 
 
 " And why not, my pretty one ? " asked the 
 Walking Delegate as he came over and took 
 up his position in front of me. 
 
 "Why not?" I repeated. "Why, because 
 I'm a boss." 
 
 11 You a boss ! " he exclaimed. "And where 
 were you a boss before ? " 
 
 " In Chicago," I replied, confident that if he 
 pressed me hard I could recall some of the 
 things Dr. Leiter had told me of that place. 
 
 " Oh ! You came from Chicago did you ? 
 Well your husband was the boss, not you," he 
 announced emphatically. 
 
 Just then little Dady, attracted by the loud 
 talking, came in from the kitchen, and seeing 
 a man standing before me, rushed to my side. 
 He threw his little arms across my lap and, 
 
 looking up at the man, he said defiantly. 
 
 174
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 " You leave my mamma alone or I fix you. 
 My mamma boss." 
 
 "So, you'll fix me, will you?" Said the 
 Walking Delegate as he pinched his cheek. 
 " Say, you're the kind we want in the Union, 
 comrades that can fight. Are you a Union 
 man ? " he asked good-naturedly. 
 
 " You go way, I don't want to talk to you," 
 Dady replied. " Go way and leave my mamma 
 alone." 
 
 The delegate looked at him for a moment as if 
 turning something over in his mind. " Where's 
 your papa, sonny," he asked suddenly. 
 
 " Popper's dead," he replied. 
 
 " Ah ! Na ! That's it, is it ! " he exclaimed. 
 " So you're a widow, and that's why you're your 
 own boss ! You continued the business after 
 he died ! " 
 
 "Yep," I answered unconcernedly, and my 
 reply seemed to satisfy him, for only a boss 
 would dare answer him in that fashion. Be- 
 side, my Dady's innocent testimony was of the 
 most convincing nature and prompted the man 
 to form his own conclusions, which I did not 
 
 deny. So I carried my part to a successful 
 
 '75
 
 Minna. 
 
 end and the two delegates left, closing the 
 door behind them quite deferentially. When 
 they were gone my mistress jumped up and 
 down with joy at my success. Had I blun- 
 dered, she would have been obliged to pay a 
 fine for employing non-union labor, and I 
 would have been driven from my work. 
 
 The strike lasted nearly a month, and by the 
 time it ended, the fur season was over and I 
 was again without work. By dint of hard 
 labor I had managed to save a small sum from 
 my earnings, to which I added a smaller 
 amount by turning again to the old standby 
 of button-hole making. But the work in that 
 line was slack ; and finding myself with too 
 much leisure I decided to see if there was not 
 something else I could do. I was tired of 
 having plenty of work for a short time and 
 then no work for a long time, and I longed for 
 something better to do for Dady's sake. 
 
 Glancing through a German paper one day, 
 I read the advertisement of a school for mid- 
 wifery. I thought it over and finally decided 
 it must be a very good business ; so the next 
 
 day I answered the advertisement, and being 
 
 176
 
 " You leave my mama alone or I fix you. My mama boss."
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 told I could enter the school by paying ten 
 dollars, I paid the money and began my studies. 
 They gave me books to read at home, and with 
 the assistance of a German woman next door, 
 who helped me with the larger words, I found 
 that I could make considerable progress. All 
 the time I could spare from my work of mak- 
 ing button-holes, I spent in reading and study- 
 ing those books ; and, as there was little 
 to do at the school, I did all the studying at 
 home. 
 
 One day, a baby that lived not far from us 
 was taken ill, and the mother declared that 
 some one had looked at it with " the evil eye." 
 The superstitious Jews believe that if any one 
 looks at a baby without saying " Kanen hore" 
 and the child happens to fall sick, it is a victim 
 of " the evil eye " ; and either the mother or 
 some relative will run with the baby's cap to a 
 Rabbi, or to some woman believed to be gifted, 
 that a prayer may be said over the cap and the 
 child restored to health. I was aware of this 
 superstition when I met the mother of the sick 
 baby rushing through the street, moaning and 
 
 wailing that her child would die if she did not 
 12 177
 
 Minna. 
 
 have a prayer said over it's cap, so I stopped 
 her, and taking the cap from her hand, I bowed 
 my head very solemnly over it and muttered to 
 myself : " Your mother is a fool and your 
 father must be a bigger one and I hope you 
 will have more sense than both of them and 
 when you grow up you will not believe in 
 these superstitions." 
 
 To make a greater impression I wrinkled 
 my forehead, raised my eyes skyward and 
 pressed my lips tightly together ; then, sud- 
 denly handing the cap back to the woman I 
 commanded her to hurry home, place the cap 
 on the baby's head without speaking a word to 
 any one, lick its forehead three times and put 
 it to bed. She did so ; and a few hours later 
 the child awoke, bright eyed and well as ever. 
 I had cured my first case a tired baby. 
 
 It was soon known throughout the Jewish 
 quarter that I could "Sprechen nahores" (re- 
 move an evil spell) ; and, as some had heard 
 that I was studying midwifery, I was looked 
 upon as a highly educated, refined and religious 
 woman. I continued to study, and my increas- 
 ing reputation served to support us through 
 
 178
 
 The Jewish Quarter. 
 
 the entire winter and pay my fees at the 
 school. 
 
 I was delighted that the distasteful work on 
 button-holes and furs was now behind me, 
 and I was permitted to look forward to better 
 things. There had been other times when the 
 future looked bright only to darken again, 
 but I felt that now I was truly in a better way, 
 for progress seemed to depend more on my- 
 self than on some one else's fancy. 
 
 My past experiences with these people, the 
 only class I had ever known, had proved con- 
 clusively to me that to live always with them 
 was an impossibility ; that somehow there was 
 that within me which made them seem different. 
 Oh, so different ! Though their religion calls 
 for supreme cleanliness, they are far removed 
 from it ; though they are naturally faithful and 
 honorable toward each other, they know 
 not how to display it in any but their own 
 coarse ways. Their habits of life in general 
 their jokes and their quarrels, had been offen- 
 sive to me from my very childhood ; and the 
 thought of raising my boy among such sur- 
 roundings filled me with apprehension. 
 
 179
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Away ! Away from these people then for 
 my baby's sake ! " And with such thoughts I 
 bent to my studies with a will a will that 
 conquers a will that wins. 
 
 180
 
 BOOK THE SECOND. 
 
 HOPE.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 DR. MINNA. 
 
 " MY dear girl ; I congratulate you on your 
 success. I am proud of you." Harry's face 
 beamed with pleasure and satisfaction. " There 
 were some women in the sitting-room and they 
 think you are a marvel. I'm blest if the old 
 lady doesn't believe the baby is pretty because 
 you are." 
 
 " Careful, Herr Dokter," I replied. " You 
 mustn't let enthusiasm for your protege run 
 away with your good sense." 
 
 "Oh, I know all about that. But really 
 your professional conduct with the patient was 
 all that anybody could want. They told me 
 they were very much pleased ; you showed 
 such delicacy and tact. You are a born 
 doctor." 
 
 " Well, if the bank account is any criterion, 
 
 Harry, I am a success. It is growing to 
 
 183
 
 Minna. 
 
 undreamed proportions. But I have you to 
 thank for that." 
 
 " Nothing of the kind. That bank account 
 is the result of brains and talent and appli- 
 cation. If all the others in that night-school 
 make as good doctors as you have, the experi- 
 ment will be a success. But you go to bed 
 now, you must be tired after your long vigil 
 in the sick-room. Besides, it is late and there 
 is nothing so wearing on a doctor as this night 
 service. Lebensie wohlFrau Dokter, see you in 
 the morning." 
 
 He left me in his usual breezy way, and I 
 sat down to rest for a moment. 
 
 It is good to know Dr. Leiter. His gener- 
 ous nature and vigorous way of doing things 
 are irresistible. Ever since I resigned myself 
 to his direction, things have changed. So 
 much has happened in the space of three short 
 years, and all because the old stubborn resist- 
 ance is laid aside. Can it be possible that I 
 am the same ignorant person who, three years 
 ago treated a dirty patient in the Jewish 
 Quarter of New York for " Grippe " when he 
 
 had the small-pox ? After all, that was a fortu- 
 
 184
 
 Dr. Minna. 
 
 nate mistake ; for, though it did get me into 
 trouble with the city medical authorities and 
 nearly put me in prison, it forced me out of 
 New York and made me listen to Harry's ad- 
 vice. It is true that the very things which 
 cause trouble and anxiety often turn out for the 
 best. But that small-pox case is a standing 
 joke with Harry, though I owe my escape to his 
 influence and timely presence in New York. 
 
 What a lot beside, I owe him and his love 
 for me ! And I would be so happy if he hadn't 
 told me he had ordered that engagement ring. 
 I cannot accept it. I cannot. Even if I were 
 ready to marry without love, he deserves a 
 better fate a woman who can love him as he 
 deserves. Such a noble soul ! Gratitude for 
 what he has done for me is not enough. Why 
 can't I love him ! He would make any woman 
 happy. Such a protector ! So quick to see 
 things and decide. So clear in his judgment, 
 even if he is impetuous. 
 
 Harry was right after all, for everything has 
 proved that a doctor's style of living has much 
 to do with his success. How I rebelled at his 
 
 extravagance in furnishing this apartment so 
 
 '85
 
 Minna. 
 
 lavishly at taking an apartment at all ! What 
 a fool I was to think that a doctor in a great 
 city like Chicago could build up a decent 
 practice and live in cheap quarters where she 
 did her own housework ! Harry was right 
 when he said it would be useless for me to at- 
 tempt to engage in the medical profession un- 
 less I was ready to locate in a proper neighbor- 
 hood in my own apartment. " When you are 
 better acquainted with the profession, you will 
 learn that appearances count a great deal," he 
 said, and I can see now that I certainly did 
 know very little about it about anything in 
 fact. It is always the unconscious ignorant 
 who knows more than anybody else especially 
 a woman. She fights for her independence, 
 that great treasure to some women and fails 
 to realize that fighting is the very thing which 
 keeps her dependent, or at leasts retards her 
 progress. I know a good deal more now, and 
 I can see that resistance spells stagnation. 
 
 But that servant ! What a piece of ex- 
 travagance it seemed to the green girl of three 
 years ago ! Now, Lena is wholly indispen- 
 sable to me, for how could I attend to my pro- 
 
 186
 
 Dr. Minna. 
 
 fessional visits without a housekeeper and 
 some one to look after Dady ? Dear little 
 fellow ; how he does grow while his mother is 
 so busy ! How proud he is when Harry calls 
 him " General ! " Harry must have foreseen 
 all that too, for he made me take his uncleY 
 old housekeeper. " She will take an interest 
 in you," he said, and he was right. 
 
 It is wonderful when I look back at the 
 night we arrived in Chicago, and think of all 
 that has happened since the marvelous depot 
 and the crowd of people; I was so tired after 
 the long journey. What a cheery welcome 
 Harry's mother gave me and how she laughed 
 when he introduced me as the " famous small- 
 pox doctor of New York ! " I was so ashamed ; 
 but she, dear old lady, kissed me as a mother 
 would a daughter and made me feel so re- 
 lieved. It was perfectly clear that she was 
 uncertain about me, whether I was such a 
 woman as she would choose for her son ; but 
 she accepted me for his sake. Then that 
 wonderful dinner at the hotel when Harry 
 made me drink my first cocktail and intro- 
 duced me to that undreamed delicacy blue 
 
 187
 
 Minna. 
 
 points. How hungry I was, and how marvel- 
 ous it all seemed ! 
 
 But the pleasantest memory of all is that 
 shopping tour in Harry's buggy his " plain- 
 looking turn-out.' How he whisked me about 
 in his breezy way and wouldn't listen to my 
 protests ! How recklessly extravagant it 
 seemed to go about in the big store and select 
 all these things for my apartment! The ma- 
 hogany furniture for the dining-room the 
 fixings for my bedroom everything seemed 
 so costly and I was so dazed at the thought of 
 paying back my debt. " You leave all that to 
 me," Harry said, and I can see him now when 
 he said, " I was in the same position once with 
 my uncle who paid my way through college 
 and then established me in my profession. I 
 was only fifteen when he took me up; and 
 when I graduated from college he sent me to 
 study medicine and then paid all my expenses 
 during the first year of practice." 
 
 How well I remember that first dinner in 
 my own little home such a marvel of fairy- 
 land it was when Harry told me all these 
 
 things! " He was a stranger to me," I remem- 
 
 188
 
 Dr. Minna. 
 
 her he said, "but I always called him uncle. 
 If it hadn't been for him I wouldn't be in a 
 position to help you now. Look at me ! " he 
 said, and I can see him now, so serious ; 
 " Look at me! Do you think you ought to be 
 more independent than I? I am a man; and 
 do you think it hurt me to accept his help ? 
 No, not in the least. I am better for it ; for 
 now that he is dead the remembrance of my 
 own case has made me glad to help others. 
 You are a woman and alone in the world. Are 
 you going to tell me that you want to fight the 
 world unassisted and accept no help in the 
 start ? Don't worry, my dear girl ; you'll have 
 enough to contend with." 
 
 How his argument impressed me ! After 
 that I was helpless and let him work out my 
 problems as he thought best. But I made 
 him promise he would let me pay him back 
 when the income from my practice warranted 
 it. That was my last faint struggle for inde- 
 pendence and he won't let me pay him yet. 
 
 Then there was the night school. How 
 lucky the Chicago authorities decided to open 
 
 that school just when I was ready to go there ! 
 
 189
 
 Minna. 
 
 To be sure some of the students are carpen- 
 ters, tailors and clerks, all expecting to be 
 great doctors; but then the training was good 
 and my success proves it. Dear Harry ! 
 Such a noble soul ! I must learn to love him. 
 I must. He deserves it. Everything I have, 
 everything I am, is due to him. 
 
 Then there's Ella ; she's had a large hand 
 in it too. I can see her now when Harry pre- 
 sented me to her, too, as the " famous small- 
 pox physician of New York." Will he never 
 get done plaguing me about that ! How she 
 laughed ! And how sweetly she said, " I hope 
 you didn't bring any of the small-pox with 
 you." And then Harry assured her that she 
 needn't worry, that if I had, I would cure 
 them all. But she was so good and helped me 
 select all the little things for housekeeping that 
 only a woman knows about ; and when I pro- 
 tested against buying so many things she said 
 she was under Harry's orders and had to do it. 
 Poor girl ! She had already learned to obey 
 him. She already knew that it made no differ- 
 ence what we thought or felt, he did what he 
 
 thought best and it was useless to resist. 
 
 190
 
 Dr. Minna. 
 
 And then that first night in my parlor 
 when she played the piano ! I thought it 
 strange that her playing had so much sadness 
 in it ; but now I know, for I have seen many 
 proofs that she loves him. Poor girl! It 
 must have been a trial to see the man she loves 
 show a preference for some one else. And 
 he shows it so plainly even in her presence. 
 I must rebuke him for that. Ella is good, she 
 is tender and she has the soul of an artist. 
 No wonder her pictures are a success ! She 
 has so much sympathy and feeling. But 
 Harry says she doesn't paint as she did. He 
 says that lately she won't touch the brush. 
 Poor fellow ! He little imagines that she is 
 eating her heart out for him and I am the 
 cause of it. I wish I had known all these 
 things when I sent that letter of gratitude to 
 Harry. I'm afraid my feelings ran away with 
 me and I gave him too much encouragement. 
 If I had only known! But then all he had 
 done for me overwhelmed me with such grati- 
 tude. And I only thought to repay him with 
 appreciation. If I had only known ! 
 
 Perhaps all this has something to do with 
 191
 
 Minna. 
 
 Ella's anarchistic tendencies. She's taught 
 me a great deal about their noble hopes for 
 the working man. Poor things ! They are so 
 oppressed ! Their meetings are certainly very 
 interesting. The first one was a shock, but 
 now I wholly sympathize with them even if 
 they are Anarchists. And she has promised 
 to take me to another meeting to-morrow 
 night. To-morrow night ! Why it's to-mor- 
 row now ! 
 
 I must go to bed ; I've so_much to do to- 
 morrow. 
 
 192
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 RED FLAG ELOQUENCE. 
 
 " FELLOW workmen of Chicago, it is time 
 we open our eyes and see for ourselves how 
 these brutal capitalists are slaughtering our 
 sons and ruining our daughters ! " 
 
 The speaker's voice rang strong and clear 
 through the hall and thrilled me to rapt at- 
 tention. 
 
 " They are only young girls," he went on, 
 11 and they are not properly fed ; while those 
 men do nothing and live high by our hard 
 labor. Many of you have come here to-night 
 without overcoats and it's cold. You've 
 worked in the shops all day, making coats for 
 the rich to wear, while they pay you starvation 
 wages and you come here without enough 
 clothes to keep you warm. Are you going to 
 stand this any longer ? Are you going to let 
 these people drive your wives to take in wash- 
 ing and help you keep your children from 
 
 going naked in the street ? You, shoemakers, 
 13 193
 
 Minna. 
 
 you work in the factories to make shoes for 
 others to wear ; but look at your own ! You, 
 tailors, you work at the bench to make clothes 
 for others to wear ; but look at your own ! You, 
 bakers, you work at the ovens to feed the rich ; 
 but look at your own children, half starved ! 
 The law of this country says that every man is 
 equal in the eyes of the law. Are we equal ? 
 Can you ask for better wages and get them ? 
 Every man of you has the right to provide for 
 his children by the sweat of his brow, but are 
 you doing it ? The boss who owns the busi- 
 ness pays you small wages for long hours. 
 The landlord who owns the house robs your 
 earnings for big rents for small lodgings. The 
 merchants who own the goods make you pay 
 big profits on cheap articles. What can you 
 do ? Can you refuse to pay ? No, you are 
 put out ! Can you do without the goods ? 
 No, you'll freeze, you'll starve ! Can you ask 
 for more wages ? No, they'll discharge you ! 
 Comrades, it is time for us to make these 
 people fear us fear to starve us fear to cheat 
 us ! We are a strong body if we stand to- 
 gether ! Are you ready ? " 
 
 194
 
 Red Flag Eloquence. 
 
 The speaker was a young man with that 
 power of voice and gesture to move a multi- 
 tude ; and as he shouted his threats and his 
 questions, he walked up and down the plat- 
 form addressing his audience with that fiery 
 eloquence that stirs the hearer to action whether 
 he will or not. His last question brought' the 
 audience to their feet ; and with yells and 
 cheers and waving of hats they shouted, "Yes, 
 we are ! " 
 
 A second speaker arose on the platform and 
 addressed them in even more fiery language. 
 He closed his speech with " Shoot the tyrants ! 
 Down with the police ! " I could stand it no 
 longer. I rose in my seat with Harry pulling 
 at my skirt and calling to me to sit down, but 
 I would not listen. 
 
 " Fellow workers ! " I began ; but the tu- 
 mult drowned my voice. " Fellow workers ! " 
 I shouted ; and some few who heard me cried 
 " Sh ! Sh ! Hear the comrade ! Hear the 
 comrade ! " 
 
 After a time the noise ceased and hardly 
 knowing what I was saying, my cheeks burn- 
 ing as if they were on fire, I spoke. 
 
 195
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Fellow workers ; I am only just come 
 among you and the speakers here to-night 
 have touched my heart." 
 
 " Hurrah !" the audience shouted. "Hur- 
 rah ! Go on ! Go on ! " 
 
 The sea of faces turned toward me and I felt 
 encouraged. 
 
 "I have not been in this country very long, 
 I am from another land where the people 
 are down-trodden ; but I've been here long 
 enough to know that you are the best paid 
 workers on earth." 
 
 " Put her out ! Put her out ! " yelled the rab- 
 ble Anarchists. 
 
 " Go on ! Go on ! " the leaders shouted. 
 
 " Listen," I continued when the uproar 
 subsided. " I say these things not to belittle 
 you, but to turn your sympathy toward your 
 more unfortunate brothers. In Russia, where 
 I come from, the wages you get would make 
 the average worker feel like a prince. You, 
 shoemakers, you get in a week what your fel- 
 low workers in Russia get in six months ! You, 
 bakers, you receive in a month more than 
 
 your brothers get in a year in Russia ! And 
 
 196
 
 Red Flag Eloquence. 
 
 if they complain what do they get ? They are 
 beaten and cast into prison ! When they 
 rise to fight for their rights the soldiers of the 
 government shoot them down like dogs 1 Here, 
 you have the capitalists to fight, but the law is 
 with you. There, they have the government 
 to fight and there is no law with them. They 
 ask for a voice in making the laws and they 
 are beaten and cast into prison ! They rise in 
 defense of their rights and are shot down like 
 dogs ! They cry for bread and get the knout ! 
 Fellow workers, I want your help to assist 
 those people. Help me to help them and I 
 will help you to help yourselves ! " 
 
 I sat down amidst loud cries of " Shoot the 
 tyrants ! ". " Down with the Czar ! " "Viva for 
 Anarchy! " " Viva for Anarchy ! " 
 
 A man approached me and, as I looked up at 
 his towering figure, I saw to my astonishment 
 that he was a Russian and a nobleman. Young 
 and handsome, his bright, intellectual eyes 
 looked me through and through, as though he 
 would search my soul. 
 
 " Madame," he said in German, " I trust you 
 
 will pardon my intrusion, but your words 
 
 197
 
 Minna. 
 
 have stirred me to a desire to know you better. 
 I am a stranger here, and glad to meet a coun- 
 trywomen. But, tell me, pray, what part of 
 Russia do you come from, and who is it be- 
 longing to you that suffers in Siberia ?" 
 
 " I know of no one belonging to me who 
 suffers in Siberia. But does it matter ? Is not 
 the whole land full of horrors ? Are not the 
 people slain in the streets ? Can one help feel- 
 ing for them though they are not brothers or 
 sisters ? " 
 
 "And what do you propose to do?" 
 
 " All that in good time. But tell me what 
 part of Russia do you come from and what 
 brings you here ? " 
 
 " All that in good time," he replied with a 
 smile. " I come from Moscow and St. Peters- 
 burg. I rule in both cities and divide my time 
 between them. Since we are both from Rus- 
 sia, I pray your further acquaintance. My 
 card," he said, bowing graciously, " I have the 
 pleasure." 
 
 I took the card and glancing at it, read the 
 
 name 
 
 Count <&$tat Jiarapot. 
 
 198
 
 Red Flag Eloquence. 
 
 In the lower left-hand corner was his family 
 crest ; and the initials of his titles, which fol- 
 lowed the name, showed him to be a prince 
 and connected with the royal house. 
 
 Harry stepped forward and taking the card 
 officiously from my hand presented his own 
 to the Count. " I am Dr. Leiter," he said, 
 " and this lady's guardian. I shall be happy to 
 see you at my residence to-morrow evening, if 
 convenient." 
 
 No one could look at the man and his card 
 and doubt him. I extended my hand, which 
 he grasped warmly. "I shall ask Dr. Leiter 
 to bring you to my apartment to-morrow even- 
 ing," I said, and withdrew my hand from his 
 lingering clasp. 
 
 Outside the night was cold and crisp ; and 
 the snow crunched beneath our feet as it used 
 to do in the old, old days in Russia. The 
 events of the evening had fired me to a fever 
 of excitement and I failed to feel the cold. 
 Somehow that man lingered in my mind ; and 
 I was conscious that he had created in me a 
 feeling that his coming into my life meant 
 
 more than a passing acquaintance. " What is 
 
 199
 
 Minna. 
 
 this feeling that has come over me ? What 
 does it mean ?" 
 
 Harry broke the silence. " Well, you have 
 put your foot in it. You're an Anarchist now, 
 full-fledged. You'll have the whole pack of 
 them down on you to make you keep your 
 word." 
 
 " She did just right," said Ella, " I just felt 
 every word she said. The working classes of 
 to-day suffer great hardships and their con- 
 dition is growing worse. I believe just as they 
 do, that the working man will never have a 
 chance until the capitalists realize that they 
 are an outraged class to be feared. It's a 
 shame the way these poor hard-working men 
 are made to suffer ! " 
 
 " Ella is right," I said. " The capitalists are 
 in danger, but it is their own fault. They are 
 pressing the working men too hard and cutting 
 their wage, while they give large sums to chari- 
 ties and build cathedrals and big churches. 
 I'm afraid this affair is going to turn out to be 
 very serious, and pretty soon, for the working 
 men are getting excited. I fully sympathize 
 with them and I shall go to more of their 
 
 200
 
 Red Flag Eloquence. 
 
 meetings. I want to do something for them and 
 for their brothers in Russia. I've been study- 
 ing this subject for some time ! " 
 
 " You sly girl," said Harry. " Here I've 
 been watching your success as a physician and 
 never dreamed you were thinking of anything 
 else. I'll see you don't get ahead of me again." 
 And he laughed in his good-natured way. 
 Nothing is worth treating seriously in Harry's 
 estimation. 
 
 " Please don't call me a girl, Harry. I may 
 have been once, but things have changed me 
 since I came here. Three years in Chicago 
 can teach a person a great deal, especially if 
 that person has already suffered much. Here 
 we are at Ella's street," I added, by way of 
 changing the subject. 
 
 When we had seen her safely home we 
 went on toward my apartment. 
 
 " If the Count comes to see you to-morrow 
 night, don't forget to bring him around, will 
 you, Harry ? I want to get better acquainted 
 with him." 
 
 "Ah, ha! So you've fallen in love, have 
 you ! This is going to be nice. Why do you 
 
 2OI
 
 Minna. 
 
 want to invite the poor man to see you ? 
 You'll only freeze him after you know him." 
 
 " Why do you think I'll freeze him after I 
 know him ? " 
 
 " I'll tell you, Minna ; you'll get the young 
 man to come, he will fall in love with you, and 
 then you'll tell him that you cannot love him. 
 I'm afraid, my dear girl, when it comes to real 
 love, you don't know what it is." 
 
 " Are you speaking of love, Harry ? Then 
 let me tell you something. The muscle in that 
 heart which you are boasting of, is well de- 
 veloped in me. Those funny strings which 
 construct its four chambers are in the best 
 order. Three of these chambers are already 
 inhabited ; one by my unknown mother and 
 one by my boy. In the third I have packed 
 you and Ella ; and the fourth is still vacant. 
 While you are speaking of love, I want to as- 
 sure you that I do know what love is. To fill 
 that one vacant chamber, it would take wagon 
 loads, car loads, oceans and worlds of love. 
 Love, so powerful and strong that before it 
 the whole world trembles in fear. Love so 
 glorious and bright that the sun in comparison 
 
 202
 
 Red Flag Eloquence. 
 
 is but a candle light. A love pleading, soft, 
 and innocent as a child ; intoxicating, noble 
 and great. A love that asks no questions ; 
 that trusts and does not fear. A love that will 
 sacrifice everything parents, wealth, title and 
 country and, facing all, bravely say, 'Yes, I 
 love and do not care.' Such a love would 
 make of a dwarf and craven, a giant and hero. 
 Oh, Harry ! To love^as my mother loved 
 once and forever ! I am craving and starving 
 for one spark of its fire. Do you think you 
 can give it ? Ah no, my boy, you can only be 
 my brother. Take my advice and marry 
 Ella. When such a woman loves, there is 
 none other to compare with her." 
 
 " Except the girl who loves the whole 
 world too much to select a single object for 
 her affection. When is your next meeting ? " 
 
 " Friday night. But why do you always 
 change that subject ?" 
 
 " Never mind about that. I'll be at the 
 meeting. Leben sie wohl" he said cheerily 
 and left me at my door. 
 
 203
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 COUNT KARAPOT. 
 
 "WELL, Minna, I've consulted your wishes 
 this time and brought the Count ; but I can 
 tell you I didn't have to coax very hard. He 
 was restless enough until I suggested that we 
 come over here." 
 
 Harry proceeded to make himself comfort- 
 able. 
 
 " Well, you've taken a long time to get here, 
 but I'm glad you came. Count Karapot, this 
 is my friend Miss Stevens. We are a happy 
 family here and I hope you will make yourself 
 at home." 
 
 The Count bowed to Ella with courtly 
 grace. 
 
 " I see you survived your Anarchist experi- 
 ence of last evening," he said, grasping my 
 hand warmly, " you look as fresh as though you 
 were accustomed to stirring audiences with 
 
 fiery speeches every night." 
 
 204
 
 Count Karapot. 
 
 11 Perhaps I am," I replied ; " but I do feel 
 the effects of it, though apparently I am for- 
 tunate enough not to show it. Won't you be 
 seated ? " 
 
 "They say physicians ought to know best 
 how to care for themselves," said the Count as 
 he seated himself in a big leather chair ; " but 
 my experience has fyeen that they give pills 
 and advice freely to Bothers, but take little 
 themselves. How long have you been prac- 
 ticing, may I ask ? " 
 
 44 Three years in Chicago ; but I had a little 
 professional experience in New York before I 
 came here." 
 
 " I should say she did," laughed Harry. 
 " She nearly killed a man. Why, she treated a 
 patient for Grippe when he had the small-pox, 
 and then got into trouble with the Health 
 Board." 
 
 " Now don't tease her any more about that," 
 Ella pleaded. " Aren't you ever going to let 
 her forget it ? " 
 
 " Never mind, Ella, that was the best thing 
 that ever happened to me. I must inform you, 
 
 Count, that I owe my escape and subsequent 
 
 205
 
 Minna. 
 
 success to this teasing friend of mine. But 
 you mustn't mind him, he's only an overgrown 
 boy." 
 
 " Pray, tell me," asked the Count, " is it only 
 four years since you left Russia ? If that is 
 not asking too much ? " 
 
 " No, indeed, Count Karapot, we are accus- 
 tomed to speak freely here ; and it is my favor- 
 ite theory that the only way to be understood, 
 the only way to keep people from making a 
 mistake about you, is to tell the truth about 
 yourself always. It is now eight years since 
 I left Russia. I was in Hamburg three years, 
 in London eight months, a year in New York 
 and three years here." 
 
 " You must have been very young when you 
 left Russia, then. It is surprising to me that 
 you are such an advanced revolutionist." 
 
 " I've carried enough of my childhood with 
 me to last the rest of my life, and to make me 
 teach my boy never to set foot on Russian soil." 
 
 " You have a child ? " asked the Count in 
 surprise. " Why you are only a child yourself." 
 
 11 Yes, I have a son. He was born to me in 
 
 Hamburg when I was but a mere girl ; and the 
 
 206
 
 Count Karapot. 
 
 suffering my child and I went through could 
 only happen to those unfortunate enough to be 
 born a Russian Jew." 
 
 " Why, last night I heard you pleading for 
 your country. I am eager to know what it can 
 be that has embittered you so against your 
 fatherland." 
 
 " No, Count, excuse me ; it was not my coun- 
 try but the unfortunate people of black Russia 
 that I pleaded for. My country is America 
 and it shall be the home of my child. You 
 ask what has embittered me so ? Here, read 
 this silken sheet, written by a suffering Jewess 
 in your country many years ago. It was given 
 to me in a locket that was hung about my neck 
 on my wedding day, when I was thirteen and 
 married against my will to a hopeless looking 
 Yeshiva Bocher. Harry, don't leave the room. 
 Ella please stay here, you both know all about 
 it." 
 
 " Oh, we're only going to the dining-room 
 after some fruit ! " 
 
 " This is sad," said the Count, handing back 
 the letter. "The signature is blurred. Has it 
 
 always been so?" 
 
 207
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Yes. It has always been blurred and I 
 have never been able to decipher it." 
 
 " It is too bad, that you must be kept in ig- 
 norance of your mother's identity. How she 
 must have suffered ! " 
 
 " I have always planned that some day I 
 would go to Russia and locate my parents if 
 possible. That day has arrived ; for now that 
 my profession has placed me in a position to 
 carry out my plans, I am arranging to start for 
 Russia immediately." 
 
 "That is fortunate, indeed ; for I expect to 
 return there myself very shortly. Perhaps I 
 can be of service to you." 
 
 " If you could give me any aid, Count Kara- 
 pot, I would be only too grateful." 
 
 " I shall place myself at your service gladly ; 
 and I am sure I can help you a great deal. 
 The mission for my government which has 
 kept me in this country for nearly two years, is 
 now almost ended. When you are ready to 
 start for Russia, pray, let me know. I shall be 
 only too happy to provide you with all neces- 
 sary letters." 
 
 " I thank you, Count Karapot, I shall indeed 
 
 208
 
 Count Karapot 
 
 be glad to avail myself of them. You speak of 
 a mission for your government. Did they 
 send you amongst the Anarchists here to look 
 for firebrands ? " 
 
 " Firebrands, my dear Madame, are not to be 
 found among the Anarchists. I sought some 
 one in the interest of my government ; and I 
 had reason to believe that the person I sought 
 might be found among ihem. But permit me 
 to say that when you know more about the 
 Anarchists, you will find they are an ignorant 
 set, unworthy of serious consideration." 
 
 " Oh, Count ! Don't you think you are too 
 severe on them ? " 
 
 " No, I'm not. There are, no doubt, a few 
 sincere people among them, but very few, 
 especially here in America. Your Anarchists 
 are composed of two classes ; the leaders who 
 make a great noise with their fiery speeches, 
 and the honest working men who are led as- 
 tray by them. The first are a lazy set who live 
 on the earnings of the second. Believe me, 
 my dear Madame, they are a lot of cowards. 
 Just shoot beans and you will see them run." 
 
 " I thank you, Count Karapot, for your warn- 
 14 209
 
 Minna. 
 
 ing and the kindly interest you have shown in 
 my affairs." 
 
 " Not at all. Not at all. I consider it a duty 
 to do all I can to recompense that wrong of 
 my fatherland. I shall ask you, however, to 
 defer your departure until the arrival of a letter 
 which I expect from Russia in three weeks. I 
 shall then be able to accompany you, at least 
 as far as New York, and see you safely on 
 board the steamer." 
 
 " Oh, Count Karapot, I am afraid that will 
 put you to too much trouble. Please don't 
 inconvenience yourself on my account." 
 
 " Pray, don't speak of it. I shall be only too 
 happy to see you safely started on your mission 
 to the fatherland, your great wish at last ful- 
 filled." 
 
 " Your pardon, Count Karapot. You mean 
 a part of my great wish. The other, the 
 more difficult of fulfilment, may never be 
 realized." 
 
 " I beg of you not to look at it in that light. 
 Surely, if the wishes of your friends can in- 
 fluence it, the fulfilment will be far beyond 
 your expectation. I bid you good-night." 
 
 210
 
 Count Karapot. 
 
 " Wait a moment," Harry called, " I'm 
 coming too. Good-night, girls." And they left 
 together. 
 
 " Minna," Ella asked when they had gone, 
 " don't you think you were a bit too unreserved 
 with the Count?" 
 
 " No indeed. You know I always like to tell 
 people the truth about myself as soon as pos- 
 sible ; and besides, I feel an impulse, stronger 
 than I can resist, to have the Count think well 
 of me. He seems like a long-lost brother." 
 
 " Well ! I always liked you, Minna, but now, 
 I love you." 
 
 " And why do you especially love me to- 
 night ? " 
 
 " Because I see that you like the Count better 
 than you do Harry." 
 
 " I should think you would be angry with 
 me instead of glad. But where did you get 
 that ring ? " 
 
 *' I found it on your dresser this evening and, 
 as you didn't seem to want it, I slipped it on 
 my finger. Was it very wrong in me to do 
 it?" 
 
 "Did Harry see it there?"
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Yes. He noticed it when we went to the 
 dining-room while the Count was reading your 
 mother's letter." 
 
 " And what did he say ? " 
 
 " Oh, Minna ! How can I ever tell you ! 
 I'm so happy ! He asked me where I got it 
 and I told him how I found it and that I 
 didn't mean him to see it. He looked very 
 serious for a moment and then he said Oh, 
 Minna ! How can I tell you ! " 
 
 " Go on, dear heart, go on. Tell me all 
 about it." 
 
 " Well, he said he had tried in every way to 
 make you love him, but he thought it was 
 about time to give it up. He said he could 
 see that you would never care for him in the 
 way he wanted, and now that the Count had 
 made such an impression, there was no chance 
 for him. Then he turned to me and said, so 
 seriously, ' Ella, I've always had a fancy for 
 Minna, but I guess it was a mistake. I'm 
 afraid we are not meant for each other. If 
 you'll take her place I'll do my best to be to 
 you what I expected to be to her.' And then 
 I broke down and cried before he could say 
 
 212
 
 Count Karapot. 
 
 any more. I would rather see him dead than 
 married to another woman." 
 
 " My dear, dear girl. I congratulate you. 
 Harry is a noble fellow and I am deeply grate- 
 ful for all he has done for me ; but it is impos- 
 sible for me to love him, noble as he is. Per- 
 haps I ought to feel differently but I can't, I 
 can't. When will the wedding take place, be- 
 for I go to Russia ? " 
 
 " Harry says he leaves all that to me. When 
 do you expect to start ? " 
 
 " Within a month ; and it grieves me so to 
 think of leaving my Dady behind. But I 
 don't know where I'm going nor where I'll 
 end ; so I think the wisest plan will be to leave 
 him with you. I shall know then that he is in 
 good hands. But don't take too good care of 
 him, he might forget his mother." 
 
 " That needn't bother you. Remember, you 
 are leaving me a big boy to take care of, too. 
 Go ahead and follow your plans. We will 
 take good care of Dady and remind him often 
 of you." 
 
 " Dear Ella, I have looked forward to it for 
 
 a long time ; and now that I can well afford to 
 
 213
 
 Minna. 
 
 go I can hardly wait for the time to start. Can 
 you blame me for making the desire to find 
 my parents the one great passion of my life ? " 
 
 " No indeed. I would do the same, Minna, 
 were I in your place." 
 
 "I have dreamed of it, Ella, I have longed 
 for it. I have pictured myself starting on 
 my lonely search. I have fancied myself lay- 
 ing my head on my mother's breast and crying 
 with her ; forgiving her for any fancied wrong 
 she may have done me. I long to find her, and 
 throwing my arms about her neck, to tell her 
 I, too, am a mother and can understand her 
 suffering. Oh, mother ! My mother ! Where 
 are you ? Where can I find you to lay my 
 bleeding heart at your feet ? They tore your 
 infant from your arms, but her heart they can- 
 not tear from you. My father was a Christian 
 and you a Jewess ; but your child was the off- 
 spring of love. Oh, mother, come to me ! 
 Come to me ! " 
 
 Ella, weeping too, led me gently to my bed. 
 
 214
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE FATHERLAND. 
 
 A MONTH of anxious preparation, and I am 
 on my way to find my mother. How sweet 
 that name sounds to me now that she is draw- 
 ing nearer ! Is it all a dream ? 
 
 Three weeks of weary travel, and the spires 
 of St. Petersburg glisten in the sun. Two 
 hours more, and I stand face to face with 
 Count Karapot and his mother. 
 
 " Why, Count Karapot ! How is it you are 
 here before me ? " 
 
 " Your steamer was delayed two days, and 
 as I traveled by a faster line, naturally I arrived 
 before you. Mother, this is the young lady we 
 are expecting from America ; she speaks 
 German. Madame, this is my mother, Madame 
 Karapot." 
 
 " My son was worried because your steamer 
 was so late. I hope your delay was not caused 
 
 "5
 
 Minna. 
 
 by stormy weather. The Count claims that 
 the ocean was very smooth." 
 
 " We had no storm, Madame, but the ocean 
 was very rough. I presume that was the cause 
 of our late arrival." 
 
 11 Apartments are arranged for you and you 
 are welcome at the castle. Oscar, I think we 
 may start now for home." 
 
 A half hour's ride behind four well groomed 
 horses, with as many footmen in livery, and 
 we alight at the entrance to a stately palace in 
 the center of beautiful gardens. Servants in 
 livery move majestically about and all is pomp 
 and splendor befitting the home of a prince. 
 I feel like crying aloud, "Shame on a world 
 where so few can live in luxury and so many 
 live in want ! " and the splendor of my apart- 
 ments serves only to confirm the thought. 
 
 Everything has been done for my comfort, 
 and the welcome, though formal, was all that 
 I could wish ; yet I am not happy. To be a 
 guest in a great castle, where everything is so 
 costly and rich, only serves to strengthen the 
 contrast with all that is lowly and poor. To 
 
 sit in state at dinner, while liveried servants 
 
 216
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 move noiselessly about, was not meant for such 
 as I, I who have seen so much suffering, so 
 much oppression. 
 
 Alone, after dinner in my apartments, I can 
 only sit and think ; until a light tap at the door 
 of my salon, interrupts my train of thought. 
 I open it and admit the Count. 
 
 " I ventured to intrude, Madame, to inform 
 myself that everything has been done for your 
 comfort. My mother bids me assure you that 
 her wish is for the same." 
 
 " You are very kind, Count Karapot, and 
 your mother too. I assure you there is nothing 
 I can think of that I need. I would be glad, 
 though, if you would teach me the proper 
 etiquette for a guest in such a castle." 
 
 "When people behave as you do, naturally, 
 they always act correctly. I am sure you have 
 but to carry yourself as you did in your apart- 
 ments in Chicago." 
 
 Again the Count bowed with courtly grace. 
 
 11 You quite captivated my mother at dinner 
 this evening, and there is no question about 
 myself. I shall have the honor, I hope, to 
 
 present you to His Majesty the Czar, before 
 
 217
 
 Minua. 
 
 long. At present he is absent on one of his 
 military inspections and it may be some 
 months before he returns. However, there 
 will be no lack of entertainment for you and 1 
 trust you will have no cause to complain of 
 our hospitality." 
 
 "You seem to forget the mission which has 
 brought me to Russia, Count Karapot." 
 
 " It is my hope, Madame, that we shall be 
 able to surround your presence here with a 
 charm that will make you forget it, or at 
 least its sadness. But I shall proceed at once 
 to place the matter in the hands of secret agents, 
 with instructions to leave no stone unturned 
 in the search for your mother." 
 
 "Oh, Count ! How can I ever thank you 
 enough for all your kindness to me ! " 
 
 " Pray, don't speak of it. My mother desires 
 me to say, that, in the absence of His Majesty, 
 she plans to give a small reception in your 
 honor one week from to-night. I trust her 
 plan will meet with your approval ? " 
 
 " Certainly, Count Karapot. Be good enough 
 to say to Madame Karapot for me that I am 
 
 deeply sensible of the honor." 
 
 218
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 11 1 thank you, Madame. Good-night." 
 
 A few days of rest, a few more days of prep- 
 aration and the guests at my reception begin 
 to arrive. A pompous, gold-laced flunky calls 
 their names and titles and Madame presents 
 them, one by one, with stately grace. Lords 
 and ladies, princes, dukes and peers move on 
 with courtly ceremony, until all have been 
 presented and we mingle with our guests. 
 Presently a hand is laid on my shoulder and a 
 soft voice whispers, " Follow me." 
 
 Out in the garden the moon was shining 
 brightly and the night was clear and calm. A 
 white dress in an arbor, far removed from the 
 castle, told me where to go ; and I found there 
 a Countess whose gaze I had seen following 
 me as I moved about the room. 
 
 " Madame," she said, " I trust you will par- 
 don my unceremonious summons, but I ear- 
 nestly desire a few moments of privacy with 
 you. I have been studying your face for some 
 time and I think I see there a love for hu- 
 manity and a sympathy for its sufferings. Am 
 I right ? " 
 
 " Indeed you are, Madame. I have seen 
 219
 
 Minna. 
 
 much, suffered much and thought much ; and 
 the more I learn the keener grows my sym- 
 pathy." 
 
 " I thought so. And am I right in believing 
 that you are filled with a desire to relieve their 
 condition if only the means can be found ? " 
 
 " Indeed you are. Quite right." 
 
 " In Russia, perhaps more than anywhere, 
 this condition is due to a cause, easily removed 
 when the proper time arrives. Caution and 
 organized effort are needed, as well as earnest 
 workers ; and I am led to believe from my 
 observation of you that you would be glad in- 
 deed to be an earnest worker in such a cause, 
 if the opportunity were but present." 
 
 "Your observations are correct. Nothing 
 could give me greater pleasure. I am a Rus- 
 sian by birth and I have suffered much at her 
 hands. Tell me, I beg, how can I help to 
 relieve the sufferings of others ?" 
 
 " We have an organization here in Russia, 
 known by the name of Nihilists. Perhaps 
 you have heard of them ; but, for fear that 
 rumor may have given you a false impression, 
 allow me to say that it is composed of noble 
 
 220
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 men and women, people of wealth and birth, 
 with whom the principles they stand for are 
 matters of life and death. If you care to join 
 in the noble work they are planning, I shall be 
 happy to take you to the next meeting and 
 stand sponsor for you there. Will you come ? '' 
 
 " Indeed I shall. When is the next meet- 
 ing ? " 
 
 "To-morrow night ; and if you will meet 
 me here about nine in the evening, I shall be 
 glad to accompany you there. But let me 
 caution you against speaking of the matter to 
 Count Karapot. No doubt he is in sympathy 
 with us, but he is extremely honest in all his 
 dealings and a confidential friend of the Czar, 
 whom he visits almost daily at the palace. It 
 would be better for him not to know of your 
 going to the meetings ; it might distress him 
 and possibly cause him trouble." 
 
 " My dear Countess, your words imply that 
 you imagine the relations between me and the 
 Count are closer than they really are. I am 
 not engaged to him, as you seem to imagine, 
 nor am I in any way bound to render him an 
 accounting of my private affairs." 
 
 221
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Good ! But are you proof against his 
 questioning ? You know if he should happen 
 to discover that you are an earnest member of 
 our society, or that you have secret meetings 
 in the garden, he will question you very 
 closely." 
 
 " I assure you I am proof against any such 
 attacks." 
 
 " Very good ! Will you swear to keep 
 secret the transactions at our meetings and 
 never divulge the secrets you will learn 
 there ? " 
 
 11 Here is my hand ; and I swear that the 
 fear of death itself will never frighten me into 
 revealing any of those secrets. I think I have 
 shown by my earnestness that I am wholly in 
 sympathy with your cause, and that you can 
 depend upon me to protect it, with my life if 
 need be." 
 
 " Bravo ! " Like a phantom she disappeared 
 at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was 
 the Count. 
 
 " Have I disturbed you, Madame ? " 
 
 " Oh, no indeed ! I just came out her for a 
 breath of fresh air. It is so warm in the room." 
 
 222
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 " Was there not some one with you ? " 
 
 " Only my maid. She left when she heard 
 you coming." 
 
 " That is good. I was worried about you, 
 Madame, fearing that perhaps you might fall 
 under the influence of some of the people who 
 are members of a secret society here. There 
 are several present to-night who are under 
 suspicion and closely watched. I beg of you 
 to avoid them because they might get you into 
 serious trouble. Beside they are rebelling 
 without grounds." 
 
 " Rebelling without grounds ?" 
 
 " Yes. They are protesting against the 
 kindest ruler Russia ever had ; and, should 
 anything happen to him, the kindest they 
 ever will have." 
 
 " You call Alexander the Second of Russia 
 kind when he permits such conditions of in- 
 equality to exist ? " 
 
 " To what conditions of inequality do you 
 refer, Madame ? " 
 
 " To several. The discrimination of your 
 government in favor of the nobles, for instance. 
 
 What are they? What do they do? They 
 
 223
 
 Minna. 
 
 hold offices by favor of the government and 
 draw their pay ; but the duties of those offices 
 they neglect from day to day. From the 
 cradle to the grave, every breath they draw, 
 every fancy they fulfil is paid for by the gov- 
 ernmentby the people who support this idle 
 aristocracy." 
 
 "What you say, Madame, is partly true. 
 But you forget that many of them have estates 
 inherited from their fathers." 
 
 " And where did those estates come from ? 
 How came they by them ? By the favor of 
 some Czar, who thought to reward a faithful 
 subject for some service willingly performed. 
 It may have been some deed of heroism, it 
 may have been some deed of treachery against 
 an innocent, helpless suffering soul. They 
 were great people no matter what ras- 
 cality they were ready to perform ; and you 
 know as well as I, Count Karapot, that the 
 price of a wife's young beauty was none too 
 great to pay for the favors of the Czar. The 
 grandfathers and great-grandfathers of your 
 titled nobility earned their riches by some such 
 
 means as these ; but they gambled away their 
 
 224
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 fortunes and left what ? mostly debts. No 
 matter how many generations have passed, 
 nor how many are yet to come, your titled no- 
 bility is paid for by the government at the 
 expense of the people. Do you call that 
 equality?" 
 
 " My dear Madame ; how do you know 
 these things ? " 
 
 11 My common sense teaches me to ask these 
 questions and observation supplies the rest. 
 Go to the rear of some dark alley ! You will 
 find there a tumbled-down shanty where a 
 widow lives with her children, working hard 
 to support them by the sweat of her brow. 
 There are six of them ; and their emaciated 
 bodies are clothed in a coarse chemise. They 
 know not the taste of meat, and skimmed milk 
 they get but twice a week. This woman who 
 starves herself for her children is a cigarette 
 maker, or perhaps a dressmaker, and must 
 have a license for which she pays the fortune 
 of three or five rubles a year. And should she 
 fail to pay her tribute yearly, she is cast into 
 prison where her trial is delayed, or she is sent 
 
 to Siberia to stay there for three, four or six 
 '5 225
 
 Minna. 
 
 months, to be used by the soldiers as they 
 please. What for ? To satisfy the greed of 
 the government. Do you call that equality ? 
 Can you blame these children when they grow 
 up and turn Nihilists ? 
 
 "Goto another quarter a room in a misera- 
 ble garret. There sits an old man of eighty, gray 
 and bent. For seventy years he has patched 
 shoes in this very neighborhood and raised a 
 family in hardship. He is honest and indus- 
 trious ; but his labor of seventy years has not 
 been productive enough to give him support 
 for his old age. Yet he must pay a govern- 
 ment license, be he eighty or a hundred years 
 old ; and, should sickness or other misfortune 
 prevent it, he too would be cast into prison, to 
 be chained to murderers and thieves. Do you 
 call that equality ? " 
 
 " My dear Madame ; what you tell me is 
 truly very sad. We who live in luxury are 
 only too apt to forget the others who are less 
 fortunate. You speak feelingly, Madame ; and 
 one can readily see that you have given much 
 study to this subject. Permit me ; my arm 
 
 to the castle." 
 
 226
 
 The Fatherland. 
 
 " I speak feelingly, Count Karapot, because 
 I was born in darkest Russia and raised in 
 some of her misery. I am a citizen of the 
 United States now ; and having once seen the 
 conditions of the masses there, I can only 
 long for the time when Russia will do like- 
 wise." 
 
 " Poor child ! You are distrustful of your 
 surroundings ; the past has offered you so 
 little pleasure. But let us hope that the future 
 will be more kind. I shall try to make you so 
 happy here that you will grow to look upon 
 this castle as your home. I bid you good- 
 night." He left me at the foot of the grand- 
 stairway. 
 
 * * * * * # 
 
 The Count kept his word. Balls, parties 
 and receptions delay the search for my mother, 
 and time sweeps on in a whirl of splendor and 
 ceremony. But the more I see of them, the 
 more I feel the shame of it all. Spring passes 
 on into summer and the court life comes and 
 goes ; while I drink at the fountain of Nihilism 
 and find it sweet to my taste. 
 
 Oh, to do something for humanity ! To 
 227
 
 Minna. 
 
 serve the world as a ministering angel sent to 
 relieve its suffering ! Everywhere I go there 
 are thousands in want and only a few in luxury. 
 I see on every hand people downtrodden and 
 oppressed ; and Nihilism the only salvation 
 for Russia. To help them I must help the 
 cause. Up with the good cause, then ! Life 
 and liberty for the people ! 
 
 Consumed with the fire of such thoughts, 
 the American Socialist opened her arms with 
 a welcome and took the Nihilists in. 
 
 228
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MY LITTLE FIRE-BRAND. 
 
 IT is warm this evening. How pleasant it 
 is to sit here in the quiet of the garden and 
 think of all that has happened since I came to 
 Russia ! How little I thought that such a life 
 of gaiety and excitement awaited me ! Mercy ! 
 I am off from the right road altogether ! I 
 came here to search for my parents and instead 
 I swing in castles and luxuries, in silks and 
 laces, and associate, against my will, with my 
 enemies. What a mistake it was for me to ac- 
 cept Madame Karapot's invitation to stay at the 
 castle. It was very kind of the Count to in- 
 fluence his mother, but I should have known 
 myself better. But then I was so surprised 
 at seeing him in Russia when I thought him 
 still in America, or at least on the ocean, that 
 I didn't realize what it meant. 
 
 And now I'm in the thick of it. I mingle with 
 229
 
 Minna. 
 
 dukes and duchesses I shake hands with them 
 and smile graciously when I always criticised 
 such people. I don't really care for them. 
 Then why do I do it ? Why ? Because I am 
 forced to. I can see that very plainly. And 
 what forces me ? Is it Oscar ? No, it can't be 
 Oscar. Is it Madame Karapot ? No, it can't 
 be she, for I don't care for her or her opinions. 
 How strange it is that this life comes so nat- 
 urally to me ! It seems as though this castle 
 and these gardens have been mine for years 
 as though I have been born and raised here. 
 It doesn't seem new to me, and if I bring my 
 past life into comparison, it seems like some 
 horrid story I have read in a book. 
 
 These dukes and duchesses don't seem at 
 all like strangers whom I've never met before. 
 I feel as though I have known them all my 
 life. Even Madame Karapot couldn't help 
 noticing that, for she said only the other day : 
 " How is it, Madame, you are so self-possessed ? 
 When we introduce our friends to you, you 
 stand there so proud. Were you the Czar him- 
 self you could not receive them more coolly." 
 
 Still my nature is not proud. I am not a 
 
 230
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 proud person. I am sure of that. Yet Oscar 
 often says I am a born princess. Only the 
 other day he said that I would carry the title 
 with grace. I wonder if he meant anything 
 by that ! 
 
 Sometimes I wish it were so. Not because 
 I like the life. It doesn't appeal to me I am 
 sure of that. But wealth and influence are 
 good things to have ihone makes right use of 
 them, and I am sure if I were a princess I 
 would make right use of them. There is 
 power in wealth if the rich only knew how to 
 use it. Perhaps they'll learn some day. If 
 they don't learn pretty soon they'll find to their 
 sorrow that they are making mistakes. It 
 makes my blood boil when I think of some of 
 the things they are doing. 
 
 It is hard to live in poverty I've tried that. 
 Yet I don't want wealth for the position it 
 brings. On the contrary, I was far happier 
 when I was lining capes in New York than I 
 am here in St. Petersburg, on exhibition ex- 
 posing myself for the criticisms of the very 
 people who are criticised as the lowest of the 
 
 low. Why should I dress to please others 
 
 231
 
 Minna. 
 
 when it doesn't appeal to me ? I am an 
 American citizen and have a right to do as I 
 please. 
 
 Oh ! How I long to get back to America ! 
 Ella said in her letter this morning that she 
 and Harry were married last month and would 
 go to New York on their honeymoon. How 
 happy she must be ! Why can't I be happy 
 too ! Is it possible that Harry was right and 
 I don't know what love is ? No, I do know 
 what it is I am sure of it. I sometimes wonder 
 if I am not in love with Count Karapot. He 
 attracts me very strongly. More than that he 
 exercises an influence over me I find it 
 difficult to resist ; and I admit I am pleased 
 when he is near me. I cannot comprehend 
 why it is that I am controlled by him. I seem 
 to obey him as a sister would a brother ; yet 
 I hate the other men of his class. But then 
 he is different. He is so noble and kind. His 
 generousness and high-mindedness place him 
 far above the other princes. He is a man ac- 
 cording to my views and he has been very good 
 to me. 
 
 I must write and tell Ella how generous he 
 232
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 has been and what great receptions have been 
 given for me. Dear me ! How long it is since 
 I have written. Why it is nearly a month ! 
 Shame on me ! No wonder Ella complains 
 that I have forgotten them ! Dear soul ! She 
 threatens to adopt my Dady. What was it 
 she said about that ? No, it is too dark, I can't 
 read her writing out here ; but I'll read that 
 part of her letter again #s soon as I get back to 
 the castle. Poor Dady ! How I have neglected 
 him ! But then I've been kept so busy exposing 
 myself that when I did get a chance to rest I 
 had to do it. Beside, I have thought of him a 
 great deal. Of course I have. How could I 
 help it ! Dear little fellow ! I am uncertain 
 whether to send for him or let him stay with 
 Ella my plans are so uncertain. 
 
 I've been here five months now and I've 
 learned a great deal ; but I haven't found my 
 parents, yet. Ella will be disappointed when 
 I tell her I am no nearer to them than I was 
 when I started. Still, I have accomplished a 
 great deal in another way, for the Nihilists say 
 they couldn't succeed without me. Should I 
 
 be the means of freeing Russia from her bond- 
 
 233
 
 Minna. 
 
 age, it would be a great deed well done ; even 
 if I do delay the search for my parents. The 
 greatness of a nation ought to be higher than 
 any personal craving. I swore to them that I 
 would place my fealty above everything and I 
 have kept my word ; even to making use of 
 Count Karapot's knowledge of the movements 
 at the palace. What does a little sin like that 
 amount to when it serves as a means to bring 
 greatness to a nation ! Besides it is absolutely 
 necessary to know these things and we have 
 no other means. It must be done. I must be 
 faithful to my vow. 
 
 That was a wise plan for me to keep away 
 from the meetings. But, look what the Coun- 
 tess risks in coming here to the gardens for the 
 information ! Yes, she is brave. Yes, she is 
 ready to sacrifice her life if need be. I must 
 not forget to ask the Count when the Czar is 
 expected to return. Our plans are nearing 
 completion and a few months more will settle 
 the matter. I wish I could know how it will 
 all end ! They say that Russia will never be 
 relieved from bondage until Alexander the 
 
 Second is removed from the throne. They 
 
 234
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 must know, for they are all noble people and 
 deep thinkers ; and I must be guided by their 
 wisdom. They are so pure ; they hate the 
 evils of the court as much as they hate the 
 wrongs of the government. How unselfish 
 their great purpose is ! And I shall do my 
 share ! But it certainly is a risk to meet the 
 Countess in the arbor. We've met several 
 times and nobody seems to suspect not even 
 Oscar who always misses me. 
 
 Dear fellow! He is too noble to entertain 
 suspicious thoughts. What is the reason that 
 he is so different from other nobles here ? 
 Why is he so kind ? Does he do all these 
 things for me because he knows what I have 
 suffered and wants to give me a few months 
 pleasure ? I remember he said, right here in 
 the garden, the night of my reception last 
 spring, that he hoped to make my stay so 
 pleasant I would come to look upon the castle 
 as my home. I wonder if he meant anything 
 by that ! He has certainly been very attentive 
 and he takes such pains to explain everything 
 for me. How careful he is of me ! Even to 
 
 selecting books for me ,itf read. Still his 
 
 235
 
 Minna. 
 
 behavior is always reserved and dignified. He 
 is always the same; graceful, courtly, con- 
 siderate. 
 
 Still I think he only does these things to 
 keep me occupied while the search for my 
 mother is being conducted. My poor mother ! 
 How she suffered ! Is it any wonder I hate a 
 country that discriminates against the Jews ? 
 Had she been a Christian they would not have 
 torn her child away; for she was the daughter 
 of rich parents and the equal of my father, 
 whoever he was. That's it; to be born a Jew 
 in Russia means sorrow. But perhaps it will 
 all be right some day. If I ever find her I 
 will right it. I shall see that the wrong which 
 has been done her and her child shall be 
 righted ; and if a gentle tap will bring no 
 answer, we shall use the knout. Yes, I must 
 be active and not neglect. 
 
 Mercy! It must be late; the lights in the 
 castle are. nearly all out! I wonder how long 
 I've been sitting here ! I must hasten ! 
 
 How still everything is ! Even my footsteps 
 resound on the gravel. No, those are not 
 
 my footsteps ! It is some one else ! Mercy ! 
 
 236
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 Can it be the Countess at this hour ? How 
 does she know I am here ? Ah! It is Oscar ! 
 How he frightened me ! 
 
 " Why, Count Karapot ! How come you 
 here at this hour ? " 
 
 " That is the very thing I would like to ask 
 you, Madame. I thought you had retired." 
 
 " I thought so too ; but I came to my senses 
 in the arbor just now to find I had been 
 musing there a long time. Is it late ? " 
 
 " Not so very late. Must you go in ? " 
 
 " No, I feel restless to-night, and it is so 
 beautiful out here, I hate to go in." 
 
 11 1 can appreciate your feeling, for I myself 
 am restless and came out here for the very 
 same reason. Suppose we take a little row on 
 the lake. It looks so beautiful." 
 
 " Just the thing, Count Karapot. I should 
 enjoy it very much. Is the boat far away ? " 
 
 " No, there is one close by. Permit me to 
 offer my arm." 
 
 " Thank you. Tell me, Count Karapot, were 
 you musing too ? " 
 
 "Yes. I must plead guilty. Be careful, 
 
 Madame. Step in the center of the boat. 
 
 237
 
 Minna. 
 
 Just a moment until I get hold of it. There ; 
 now step in." 
 
 11 Thank you. Now I'm all right. Do you 
 sit in the middle and I in the end ? " 
 
 " Yes, that is just right and very appropri- 
 ate. Once again the Knight is stealing the 
 Princess. Now, tell me what was the subject 
 of your musing in the arbor just now ? It 
 must have been something beautiful, that kept 
 My Highness in the garden at this hour and 
 alone. What is it that disturbs your peace ? " 
 
 " Oh, many things. I was far away in my 
 thoughts ; yet some of them were near-by 
 too." 
 
 " May I venture to hope that the near-by 
 thoughts were pleasant ones ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. That is, some of them were. 
 How could I think otherwise than pleasantly 
 of you, Count Karapot ? " 
 
 "You honor me, Madame. I had not dared 
 to hope that I could be so fortunate as to be 
 the subject of your thoughts." 
 
 " Oh, I think of you often, Count Karapot. 
 But you haven't told me yet what you were 
 
 thinking about. Is it too secret to tell ?" 
 
 238
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 " I was thinking of you, Madame. I was 
 thinking how different you are from the other 
 women I have met. I cannot but wonder how 
 one so young can have such thoughts." 
 
 " Oh, Count Karapot ! You overwhelm me ! 
 Is that why you are so kind ?" 
 
 " Perhaps my 'kindness,' as you call it has 
 something of selfishness in it." 
 
 " Why, Count Karapot ! What selfish motive 
 could you have ? " 
 
 " Perhaps it is a desire to find favor in your 
 eyes and then to kindle the flame of a finer 
 feeling with that little spark of grace." 
 
 " You lay your plans like a diplomat rather 
 than a soldier storming the citadel." 
 
 "I am not one to make love in fine phrases, 
 Madame ; but if it were a citadel to be taken 
 by storm I would throw myself into the siege 
 with all the energy I possess. I love you, 
 Madame. I worship you. To me you are as 
 far above other women as the stars above the 
 earth. Ever since you came here I have been 
 conscious of but one thought, that this castle 
 has never seemed so dear to me as now that 
 
 it shelters you. Even in America, I was con- 
 
 239
 
 Minna. 
 
 scious of a subtle feeling, for I used to please 
 myself in secret by calling you my little fire- 
 brand; and I have been watching for this op- 
 portunity to tell you that I love you and want 
 you for my wife." 
 
 " Oscar ! " 
 
 " Minna ! My Minna ! Can it be that you 
 love me ? " 
 
 11 1 don't know, Oscar. I've been wonder- 
 ing if I do. When you are near me I am 
 happy. I think more of you than any man 
 I've ever met. When I am alone I long for 
 you. I must confess that I've often asked my- 
 self the question. 'Am I in love with the 
 Count ? ' At that, everything grows dark be- 
 fore me; I shiver and grow cold. I grow 
 frightened and the castle fills with horrors. 
 Is that love, Oscar? Do people feel that way 
 when they love ? " 
 
 " Yes, my darling, you love me. You have 
 suffered so much, poor child, you are appre- 
 hensive. But do not worry, my love, I shall 
 always be with you. Be of good cheer; you 
 shall be happy from now on." 
 
 Silence. The silence that speaks more than 
 
 240
 
 "At that, everything grows dark before me; I shiver and grow cold."
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 words. The silence of Man and Nature, when 
 Beauty wraps both in a dream. 
 
 11 Minna." 
 
 "What is it, Oscar?" 
 
 " Take down your braids, sweetheart. I 
 like to see you so. I wish you could appear 
 at court like that when I present you as my 
 bride. How jealous all the court ladies would 
 be at my sweet maiden ! " 
 
 "Why, Oscar! I didn't think you noticed 
 such nonsense. Come, we must return to the 
 castle." 
 
 11 As you wish. I don't usually notice such 
 things ; but I saw you once in the garden, 
 when you thought you were alone. I am 
 jealous of my Minna, and I want everybody to 
 see how beautiful she is. Be careful, dear. 
 Don't step in the water. Your hand. There ; 
 Now we are safe on land. Just a moment 
 while I tie the boat. Now, take my arm to 
 the castle." 
 
 " I had a letter from home this morning, 
 Oscar dear, and Ella writes that she and 
 Harry have gone to New York on their honey- 
 moon." 
 
 16 241
 
 Minna. 
 
 11 Indeed ! They must be very happy. Dr. 
 Leiter is a fine fellow. How is Dady ? " 
 
 " He is well. But Ella threatens to adopt 
 him because I have been so negligent about 
 writing. That reminds me, Oscar dear, that I 
 am not yet free to marry. What can we do 
 about it ? We must not forget that I am a 
 Yeshiva Backers' wife." 
 
 " Don't worry about that, sweetheart. We 
 can easily obtain a divorce from a Rabbi before 
 we are married. After that we will send for 
 the boy and bring him up as he should be, in 
 the castle." 
 
 "Thank you, Oscar dear, you are so noble and 
 good. How different you are from the rest ! " 
 
 " I am not different, you imagine it. Every 
 man must wish for the happiness of his bride. 
 It is but natural that I should do the same. 
 Oh, yes ! I have something very pleasing to 
 tell you ! Your presentation at Court is set 
 for next March. How happy I shall be when 
 I present you to his Majesty the Czar ! Mother 
 will be glad to hear of our engagement and 
 that my wish has been fulfilled. Good-night, 
 
 sweetheart, good-night." 
 
 242
 
 My Little Fire-Brand. 
 
 He left me at the foot of the grand stairway. 
 " Good-night," he called again, as I reached the 
 top. 
 
 * * # * # 
 
 What have I done ! I have accepted him ! 
 I am engaged ! Engaged to a prince ! Wealth, 
 castles, royalty are at my feet ; yet I am not 
 happy ! He says I v am in love ; but I fear 
 not. That throbbing 6f the heart that women 
 feel toward the man they love, I miss. It 
 is not there ! I fear I have wronged you, 
 Oscar ! But you are a noble man you shall 
 never know ! I, alone, am born to surfer ! 
 
 The clock strikes two, 
 
 243
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE ROYAL BALL. 
 
 " Now, Madame, don't partake of too many 
 courses ; you know this is your fast week and 
 you must train your figure for the ball. Wait, 
 Kirsheno, don't serve the poultry to Madame, 
 she eats only fish this week." 
 
 " But, Madame Karapot, if I fast for a week 
 I shall lose the pink cheeks you are so anxious 
 about." 
 
 " Not at all. Beside, there are wines. You 
 must take plenty of them all the week ; they 
 are good for the color." 
 
 " But I don't care for wines, Madame, nor 
 do I care to 'train my figure' as you call it." 
 
 " Nonsense ! Why, when I was presented 
 to His Majesty I did not remove my corset for 
 two days and two nights ; and my maid came 
 in every two or three hours to draw it in a half 
 
 inch." 
 
 244
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 " Yes, mother, and I've heard you say that 
 when you returned from your presentation, 
 you fainted when the corset was removed." 
 
 " That will do, Oscar ; such things do not 
 concern the men. Besides, you should be 
 very proud of your mother, for His Majesty 
 was so pleased he gave Count Karapot, your 
 father, a high mission in India as a reward for 
 his great marriage." 
 
 " Indeed ! " 
 
 " Yes, and I desire that your bride shall 
 make as brilliant an impression as your mother 
 did. You must remember, Minna, that you've 
 only a week to prepare for your presentation 
 and your court dress is not yet made." 
 
 "Court dress, Madame ! Why, I've plenty 
 of dresses to wear ! " 
 
 " They won't do, at all. Your gowns are all 
 cut too high. A court dress must be cut as 
 low as possible." 
 
 " Madame ! You don't expect me to appear 
 in such a dress as that, do you ? My modesty 
 forbids." 
 
 " Modesty indeed ! Who ever heard of a 
 
 girl thinking of modesty when she is to be 
 
 245
 
 Minna. 
 
 presented to a Czar ! When a woman has 
 beauty, she should show it." 
 
 " Indeed, Madame ! So that is the reason 
 men look for secrecy in other women ; their 
 own wives are too much exposed. Truly, the 
 Talmud is right, for it teaches that women 
 should not dress to find grace in other men's 
 eyes." 
 
 "The Talmud is very well for such persons ; 
 but it won't do for court ladies. It is their 
 duty to dress for the men." 
 
 " If I am obliged to appear in such a 
 costume, Madame Karapot, I shall not go at 
 all." 
 
 " Minna ! You forget that His Majesty's in- 
 vitation is a command. You cannot refuse. 
 Besides, as my son's future bride, it is your 
 duty to him to be presented at court, and prop- 
 erly gowned. Kirsheno, serve more Bordeaux 
 to Madame." 
 
 " Must I go, Oscar ? Why can't you say I 
 am ill?" 
 
 "That won't do, dear. I'm afraid you will 
 have to go to this one, for you know I must 
 
 present my future Countess to His Majesty 
 
 246
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 the Czar. It is his wish and I must obey. 
 After that you may do as you please." 
 
 " Well, I'll go if I may wear sleeves and a 
 high bodice." 
 
 " Nothing of the kind, daughter. Your 
 bodice must be cut according to custom and 
 there must be no sleeves." 
 
 " Can she not have sleeves, mother ? I am 
 sure I've seen some 61 the court ladies appear 
 in sleeves." 
 
 "Yes. Those appear in sleeves who have 
 no pretty arms to show. However, if Minna 
 will consent to the bodice, I will resign the 
 sleeves." 
 
 " You will consent to that, dear. Won't 
 you ? You win your point on the sleeves." 
 
 " Oh, well, if I must, Oscar, I suppose I 
 must ; but I don't like it at all." 
 
 " Never mind, daughter, I am sure I dislike 
 to resign the sleeves, for the court ladies will 
 probably laugh at you and I do not relish the 
 thought of my son's future bride being pointed 
 out at the ball. Have you cautioned your 
 maid to look after everything ?" 
 
 " No, Madame, not yet." 
 247
 
 Minna. 
 
 11 You must do so at once. And don't for- 
 get to have her see to your necklace the one 
 with the diamonds and pearls. As for the 
 gown, I have ordered a dark red velvet and 
 you are to be fitted to-day. It will have a box 
 pleat from the shoulders to the train, which 
 must be regulation length. The bust must be 
 cut pointed and set with jewels sapphires 
 rubies and yellow diamonds the national 
 colors. You must have the bottom gold bor- 
 dered, eighteen inches deep, and trimmed with 
 heavy rope lace of the same width, with the 
 points up. I have ordered slippers to match ; 
 and don't forget to see that they fit as tightly 
 as possible." 
 
 " How about the crown, mother ?" 
 
 " I think, Oscar, that a single pointed crown 
 with round corners would be proper." 
 
 " Oh, no, mother ! You forget that I bear 
 the title of prince ; and as Minna will appear 
 as my future Countess, I think she is entitled 
 to a five point crown." 
 
 " But, Oscar, you are not married yet ; and 
 I question whether a future Countess is en- 
 titled to more than a single pointed crown." 
 
 248
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 11 1 think there can be no question about it, 
 mother ; besides, His Majesty commands that 
 Minna shall appear in a five pointed crown." 
 
 " Oh, if that is so, His Majesty's commands 
 must be obeyed. Now it means hurry and 
 there is no time to lose, Minna. Only a week 
 from to-night and there is much to do. You 
 had better not wait for the other courses but 
 go to your room and begin preparations at 
 once. I shall drive with you to have your 
 gown fitted." 
 
 ***** 
 
 The busy week soon passes; and "pre- 
 pared," according to custom, I am presented 
 at Court. The palace is ablaze with a thou- 
 sand candles that reflect the light from hang- 
 ings of glass and gold. The floor is polished 
 like a mirror and the great ball-room is one 
 blaze of glory. Gay and brilliant, the throng 
 has already arrived. Everybody is there, 
 dukes, counts and officers, all in full dress uni- 
 form and resplendent with gold lace and dec- 
 orations; while old and middle-aged ladies, 
 with their yellow-brown and dried up skins, 
 
 are everywhere in evidence, gay in their court 
 
 249
 
 Minna. 
 
 gowns and sparkling with jewels. Even the 
 Grand Duke is there ; and when I am pre- 
 sented to him, the cynosure of all eyes, the 
 subject of much petty talk, the ball is inform- 
 ally opened and the small dancing begins. 
 All is gaiety and frivolity ; and the guests, 
 moving in and out of the dance, make one 
 grand kaleidoscopic picture of color, bril- 
 liant, dazzling, resplendent. 
 
 A messenger arrives with word from the 
 Czar that His Majesty is detained and will not 
 arrive until late. Men pass in and out among 
 the dancers and hold a whispered conversa- 
 tion. Presently the master of ceremonies an- 
 nounces that, as a special compliment to the 
 " future Countess Karapot," and with the per- 
 mission of the guests, who have consented to 
 admit a dance not on the programme, two 
 courtiers have offered to dance the Kosatzke. 
 
 A murmur of approval travels through the 
 room ; and, with clapping of hands and 
 laughter, the two men take their positions in 
 the center of the floor, and, facing each other, 
 proceed with the dance. The dancers wave 
 
 first one arm and then the other, all the while 
 
 250
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 tapping the floor with their heels. They fling 
 their legs about and hop first on one foot, then 
 on the other. They crouch on both heels and 
 spring lightly to the toes, repeating the motion 
 again and again, all the while warming up to 
 their task until, with one wild, hilarious, dizzy- 
 ing whirl, the dance comes to an end amid 
 shouts of "Brava!" "Brava!" and laughter 
 and clapping of hands. 
 
 Then the regular dances are resumed, and 
 I am whirled about the room by one courtier 
 and then another, until, tired and warm, I beg 
 to be led to the anteroom for a rest and a 
 breath of fresh air. 
 
 " Madame," says my partner, " you are the 
 belle of the evening. I congratulate your 
 country on the possession of such women. 
 Are there any more in America like you ? If 
 there are I must go there and get one for my- 
 self." 
 
 "You flatter me, sir. And allow me to tell 
 you that there are plenty far more beautiful 
 than your words indicate me to be." 
 
 " How could that be, Your Highness ? Why, 
 
 you have won every man here ! Even the 
 
 25 1
 
 Minna. 
 
 Grand Duke is smitten ; he is going to ask 
 you for the next dance." 
 
 " Indeed ! And does the Grand Duke 
 always send a valet ahead to break the ice for 
 him ? Please be so kind as to escort me to the 
 window ; it is cooler there. Thank you." 
 
 " I fear, Madame will take cold. Here, 
 pretty one, my arm will protect you." 
 
 11 Sir ! How dare you ! Mercy ! What's 
 that ! Remove your arm at once, sir, and 
 take me back into the room ! Where is 
 Oscar ? " 
 
 " I I beg a thousand er will Madame 
 have the the kindness to er return my mon- 
 ocle ? It has fallen in er er her bodice. I 
 really must have it ; I am so used to it." 
 
 " Leave me, sir, at once ! Oh, Oscar, I am 
 so glad you have come. I wish to go home 
 immediately, and if you do not take me I shall 
 be obliged to leave alone.'' 
 
 11 Why, what has happened, dear ? " 
 
 " Never mind what has happened. I am 
 tired, and wish to go home. Will you take 
 me, or do I go alone ? " 
 
 " Why, Minna ! The Grand Duke has just 
 252
 
 1 Leave me, sir, at once.
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 asked me to arrange the next dance with 
 you." 
 
 " Well, I am sorry, Oscar. The Grand 
 Duke will be obliged to seek some else for the 
 dance. I shall not dance with him nor any one 
 else to-night." 
 
 " Very well, Minna, if you insist upon it I 
 will take you home ; but you have not danced 
 with me, and his Majesty has not yet arrived. 
 You must be presented to him by all means." 
 
 " I have danced with you before, Oscar ; so 
 please, please take me away from this place. 
 The Czar, I will meet some other time. Here 
 comes Madame Karapot ; tell her we are go- 
 ing home." 
 
 "Why, what is the matter, child?" 
 
 " I am going home, Madame." 
 
 " Nonsense ! The ball is only just begin- 
 ning, and the Grand Duke desires the next 
 dance with you. Why, you are the envy of 
 all the ladies present ! " 
 
 " My dear Madame, I am going home ! " 
 
 "Minna!" You will surely wait until you 
 have danced with the Grand Duke ! You 
 
 must not disappoint him ; and you must not 
 
 253
 
 Minna. 
 
 forget that you have not yet been presented to 
 His Majesty." 
 
 " I am an American girl ; and if I do 
 not choose to dance with the Grand Duke or 
 meet the Czar, I do not see wherein I am 
 compelled to do so. And I say most emphat- 
 ically that I refuse to dance with him ; he is 
 no more to me than any other man." 
 
 11 My dear girl, you are in Russia and, must 
 do as the Russians do. So you will please act 
 as befits a Russian court lady." 
 
 "Well, if I am a Russian because my future 
 husband is one why, if that is your law, I 
 cannot change it. And if your Russian ladies 
 come to a court ball to exhibit their bare 
 bodies, and your Russian gentlemen are at 
 liberty to do anything they please, why, I do 
 not like it, and I am going HOME ! " 
 
 11 Minna ! " 
 
 " Madame ! Once more, Oscar, will you 
 take me home ? Or shall I be compelled to go 
 alone ? " 
 
 " Come with me, dear, we will go at once. 
 Bow pleasantly as if nothing had happened. 
 
 Smile to the Grand Duke ; we are passing him 
 
 254
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 no, you had better act as though you felt 
 faint and were obliged to go home. There, 
 that will do, we are past them all now. Here 
 is the carriage, dear, get in quickly Shasinka, 
 drive to the castle as rapidly as possible. Now, 
 dear, tell me what happened." 
 
 " Oh, Oscar ! I am very, very sorry you ever 
 took me to such a place. You knew I do not 
 approve of such exhibitions. Beside, one of 
 the noble gentlemen with whom I had been 
 dancing took me, at my request, into the re- 
 cess of a window in one of the anterooms." 
 
 " Well, that was all right. But what hap- 
 pened that vexed you so ? " 
 
 " What happened ! Why, he professed a 
 fear that because the window was open I might 
 take cold ; so he put his arm around my 
 shoulder and tried to force himself so closely 
 to me that he dropped his monocle into my 
 bodice. I should think that was enough for a 
 gentleman to apologize and leave ; but no, he 
 had the impudence to ask me to return it. 
 Here is one of your society eyes that has been 
 scorching my skin. I have felt, ever since it 
 
 dropped there, as if all the fires of hell were 
 
 255
 
 Minna. 
 
 burning my soul. Never, never again will I 
 undergo such humiliation." 
 
 "There ! There ! Don't cry, dear, you will 
 never have to do it again. I agree with you 
 that it is horrible, and fully sympathize with 
 you ; I do not blame you in the least." 
 
 " Oh, Oscar ! How could you have introduced 
 your future wife to such women ! Why during 
 the twenty-five minutes I spoke to the Grand 
 Duchess, she told me enough to keep me from 
 ever entering society again. Why, she pointed 
 out every woman in the room, and told me 
 who their lovers were. She called by name 
 the mistress of every married man they were 
 all there, and you and I were there, Oscar. 
 Just think of it ! You may do as you please ; 
 but I I am done withWt forever" 
 
 " It shall be as you wish, dear. By the way, 
 who was the scoundrel that dropped his mono- 
 cle in your bodice ? '' 
 
 " Why, the one I danced with last, you saw 
 me with him. I felt I could strike him but I 
 had to content myself with calling him the 
 Grand Duke's valet." 
 
 " Valet is too good a name for him. I have 
 
 256
 
 The Royal Ball. 
 
 wondered what made him so popular with the 
 Grand Duke." 
 
 "He has a title, has he not?" 
 
 " Oh, yes. He could not have been at the 
 bail unless he was titled." 
 
 " Well, Oscar, I hope that yom grand-par- 
 ents did not earn their titles by such services." 
 
 " It's hard telling, Minna. But here we are 
 at the castle. Now go^to your apartments and 
 quiet yourself. Your presentation has been 
 too exciting ; you are all unstrung Good- 
 night, dear." 
 
 '7 257
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE GREAT RUSSIAN CRIME. 
 
 WHAT a dreadful affair that ball was last 
 night ! I shall never go to another court ball 
 as long as I live. Never ! The others were 
 bad enough but the extreme decollete' oi these 
 court gowns is dreadful. It is shocking. What 
 a fright that woman was ! Why, she was fully 
 fifty years old and her face was covered with 
 black hairs. Her features were so coarse I 
 thought at first she was a man. How dreadful 
 for such a woman to appear in full evening 
 dress ! And her bodice was cut extremely 
 low, too. As if it was not enough to display 
 her face. Where were her eyes that she could 
 not see how ridiculous she was ! Where was 
 her husband that he allowed her to appear in 
 public in that fashion ! It is dreadful. 
 
 I wonder where the signal is ! Can it be that 
 in the excitement they have forgotten me ? 
 
 They promised to signal to me from the other 
 
 258
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 side of the lake. Perhaps the first one didn't 
 do the work. Mercy! This suspense is dread- 
 ful. Can anything have happened ? Perhaps 
 it isn't time yet. Yes it is. Oscar said he 
 would leave the palace about eleven for a drive 
 along the Ekaterinofsky Canal. It is now a 
 quarter past ; and no signal yet. Perhaps he 
 was delayed. Still, fifteen minutes is hardly 
 time for any one to get to the lake and set the 
 signal for me. I must wait here until dinner 
 time ; and if there is no signal by then, I 
 shall know our plans have miscarried. 
 
 Is that voices I hear ? Or am I only nervous 
 and imagine it ? No, it is voices ! Heavens ! it 
 is Madame Karapot ; and some one is with 
 her ! How can I get away without their seeing 
 me ! If they should find me here they would 
 think me guilty of listening when I've no such 
 intentions. I shall have to stay here until they 
 go away. They are just at the foot of the 
 stairs, the only means of getting out of 
 this turret. What is that Madame Karapot is 
 saying ? ' Something of great importance ' to 
 tell Oscar ? What can it be ! Does she know 
 
 anything, I wonder ? Yes, I must stay here ! I 
 
 259
 
 Minna. 
 
 might hear some information that will help our 
 cause. That's Oscar talking. 
 
 " Now, mother, what is it that makes you 
 appear so pleased and unhappy at the same 
 time?" 
 
 " My son, you have been blinded by this 
 woman whom you have picked up in America. 
 I want you to listen to me ; and if what I have 
 to say does not open your eyes to the true 
 character of this woman, I assure you, upon 
 my word, I will never speak one detrimental 
 word of her again." 
 
 "Well, mother, what is it? Speak, please." 
 
 " My son, your so modest American woman, 
 who refuses to go to a ball in full-dress, and 
 thinks our society ladies unfit to associate with, 
 finds it very convenient, at eleven o'clock at 
 night, when her betrothed is not at home, to 
 meet her lover in the garden, kiss and embrace 
 him, promenade around with him for an hour 
 or so, and, when bidding him an affectionate 
 adieu, hand him a purse of gold, and then re- 
 turn to us, an angel." 
 
 " Stop, mother ! I will listen to no more, 
 
 It is not true. I will not hear one word against 
 
 260
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 Minna. Such nonsensical talk ! My Minna 
 A lover ! Really this is too good to enjoy 
 alone. I must have Minna join me. My 
 Minna with a lover ! Thank you, Madame, 
 for the information. I regret that I can remain 
 no longer. I do not care to hear any more." 
 
 " Stop, Oscar ! This woman has certainly 
 hypnotized you. You say I have not spoken 
 the truth ? Good ! Then I must prove it to 
 you. Will you be convinced when you see 
 for yourself ? She does not expect you to be 
 home to-night, and the signal is in the window 
 to that effect. Whenever she has a large vase 
 filled with roses on the little table by the 
 window, it is the signal to her lover that he 
 may come and that you will not be at home. 
 Why, you may ask her maid. She must tell 
 the truth, for she sits but a few yards behind 
 the hedge, waiting for her mistress until she 
 is through with her lover. You see the maid is 
 useful as a shield so that, in case the mistress 
 meets any one while on her way home, she 
 will not be questioned about being out alone. 
 Your so virtuous future wife ! Bah ! " 
 
 " I do not believe one word you have said, 
 261
 
 Minna. 
 
 Madame. If Minna receives anybody in the 
 garden with caresses and kisses, it is all right, 
 because she would do no wrong." 
 
 " Oscar ! Oscar ! I feel very sorry for you. 
 My God ! How can a mother see her only 
 son's betrothed receiving her lover at night, on 
 her future husband's premises ! Shall I be 
 silent about it ? Would I be a true mother if 
 I was ? I, your mother, have humiliated 
 myself, by sending out servants to spy upon 
 this woman. Do you think a public scandal 
 would be very pleasant for me ? Do you think 
 I would allow my honorable name to be scan- 
 dalized in the drawing-rooms of the society 
 ladies who are so jealous of my reputation ? 
 No ! Not for anything in the world ! The 
 doors of the royal palace have been opened 
 through me ; and the title of ' Lord ' was 
 given to your father through me. You, my 
 son, may receive any favor of the Czar that 
 you wish. The high reputation of your mother 
 has done it all. And now you have brought 
 this beggar into my house. The jllegitmate 
 child of a Jewess ! " 
 
 " She is no beggar ; the Czar himself was 
 262
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 the one who sent me to search for her. He im- 
 plored me to find her, to bring her to him. 
 The Czar is a great man and I do not think 
 he would take such an interest in a beggar. " 
 
 " What ! You say it is the Czar who sent 
 you to America ? And you intend to marry 
 the cast-off mistress of the Czar ? Why, this is 
 the most extraordinary thing I've ever heard ! 
 The mistress of the Czar under my roof ! No, 
 No ! That is more than I will stand. If you 
 are bound to marry this woman, Oscar, then 
 take her and leave my house, never to return ! " 
 
 " Very well, Madame ; I will go to Minna at 
 once." 
 
 " Go to Minna ! Where is she ? She is 
 not in her apartments for I have looked for her 
 there to demand an apology for her ridiculous 
 behavior at the court last night. Neither is 
 she in the gardens, for I have had them 
 searched. She must be somewhere about, for 
 no one has seen her go out." 
 
 "Never mind, Madame. I will find her and 
 we will leave the castle in a few hours. I have 
 just returned from the palace, and His Majesty 
 
 has appointed three o'clock this afternoon for 
 
 263
 
 Minna. 
 
 a private audience. He commands me to pre- 
 sent her at that time. I bid you good-morn- 
 ing." 
 
 There, now they are gone, I can slip back 
 to my apartments without being seen. Mercy ! 
 Madame Karapot was agitated. And to think 
 she should make it her business to denounce 
 me to Oscar ! Noble fellow ! He wouldn't 
 believe it. I knew he wouldn't. Here he 
 comes. He must have been looking all over 
 for me. 
 
 " Ah! Here you are, dear. I knew I would 
 find you in your apartments. Mother said 
 you were not here. I thought she must be 
 mistaken. You must excuse me, dear, for en- 
 tering so unceremoniously, but I have had an 
 unpleasant interview with my mother. You 
 see, Minna dear, they have been spying on you. 
 How can I tell you! Mother tried to tell me 
 but really, I am at a loss to know how to repeat 
 such nonsensical talk. Minna, I understand 
 you have a handsome young man visiting you 
 at night when " 
 
 " Stop, Oscar! I heard it all." 
 
 " You heard it all? Why, where were you?" 
 264
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 " In the turret. You were talking in the 
 corridor just at the foot of the stairs and I 
 could not get out. Noble soul, you didn't 
 believe it, did you ? " 
 
 "Of course not. And because I did not 
 believe it we are both ordered out of the 
 house." 
 
 " Yes, I know, I heard, Oscar. But you do 
 not even ask me if it is true." 
 
 11 1 would not be guilty of asking such a 
 question. I know you. Come here you little 
 cheat and give me back all those kisses you 
 gave your sweetheart. I must have them all 
 back." 
 
 11 Oscar, suppose I were to tell you it is true, 
 that I do meet some one in the arbor at eleven 
 at night and kiss him and give him a purse full 
 of gold? Would you believe it then? Yes, 
 Oscar, it is true. The young man who comes 
 to see me, my dear, is so noble! Oh, what a 
 soul he has, Oscar! Men and women fall in 
 love with him." 
 
 "Minna! Forgive me, dear; I was stunned 
 for a moment. You will tell me who it is, 
 
 won't you? " 
 
 265
 
 Minna. 
 
 " Yes, I will tell you, my dear, but you must 
 have patience a little longer." 
 
 " Then you are going to have a secret from 
 your future husband ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " I could have sworn that my Minna would 
 have no secret from me." 
 
 11 Do you remember, Oscar, when we be- 
 came engaged, you gave me full permission to 
 lead an absolutely independent life? And I 
 have, my dear. But do not fear, I am still 
 your Minna, just the same as when you first 
 met me; and my lover who comes to the arbor 
 at night is not dangerous." 
 
 11 And shall I have the pleasure of meeting 
 him ? " 
 
 " That lies in the hands of God. Perhaps 
 to-night, perhaps never." 
 
 " Why? What is the reason? " 
 
 " If my lover does not take a long journey, 
 then you shall see him to-night. Meanwhile 
 you must help me burn all this correspond- 
 ence from him, which I was about to do as 
 you entered." 
 
 " So mother's conversation frightened you, 
 266
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 did it? And you are going to destroy all the 
 evidence against you? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed. This package of letters, so 
 carefully concealed in this case, contains the 
 most incriminating evidence against me; and 
 here it goes. See it burn! I prepared that 
 fire especially for its destruction." 
 
 11 Do you feel easier now, my dear? Will you 
 sit down a moment and listen to me? I have 
 something of importance to tell you. I, too, 
 have a little secret. Five years ago, the Czar 
 instructed me with a mission. He sent for 
 me to come to his private chamber, and told 
 me that a most devoted General of our country 
 was the father of a young girl who, as an in- 
 fant, was stolen from her mother's arms. ' We 
 have traced her as far as New York,' he said, 
 'and her mother is a Jewess of a wealthy 
 family. Now I want you, my dear Oscar, to 
 start for America at once. Take as much time 
 as you wish, spare no expense, but find this 
 girl for me, and thereby do me a great favor.' 
 Now, my dear, I went to America; and you 
 may believe me, I was true to the mission on 
 
 which I was sent. When I met you in Chi- 
 
 267
 
 Minna. 
 
 cago, I was in the deepest despair and had 
 given up all hope of locating you ; but when 
 you insisted upon telling me the story of your 
 life, it corresponded, word for word, so per- 
 fectly with the one the Czar had given me, 
 that I was positive you were the one I was 
 sent to find. His Majesty had given me a 
 letter, addressed to you, with instructions not 
 to deliver it, unless you resisted the proposal 
 to come to Russia. I found you about to start 
 on the search for your parents, and, there be- 
 ing no resistance, I withheld the letter accord- 
 ing to instructions. But you resisted at the 
 ball last night and would not wait for His 
 Majesty; so I think it proper to deliver it now. 
 You naughty girl! You would not wait to see 
 him at the ball, and I know he felt hurt about 
 it; but he has so arranged matters that a pri- 
 vate interview will be held at the palace this 
 afternoon. Only your father, the General, 
 with His Majesty, you, and myself, will be 
 there. Here is the letter; and as my mother 
 has ordered us to leave the castle, I consider 
 it most advisable for you to read it at once. 
 
 It may contain information of importance to 
 
 268
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 you; and beside, I am anxious to know which 
 officer is so lucky as to be your father. I 
 know every officer of the government ; so do 
 read it at once I am all impatience. Come, 
 why are you so excited? Why do you go to 
 the window so often? You are hardly listen- 
 ing to me ! Minna, come here and read your 
 letter, it will inform you who your father is ? " 
 
 " My father ! Will that letter tell me who 
 my father is ? Give it to me, Oscar. How 
 could you have kept it from me so long ? If 
 it tells me who my father is, it is the most wel- 
 come letter in the whole world. How can I 
 forgive you for keeping it so long ? How- 
 Oscar ! My God ! " 
 
 " What is it, Minna ? What is the news ? 
 Why don't you speak ? " 
 
 " Oscar ! Oscar ! I am lost ! It is dark ; 
 I cannot see ! I am choking, Oscar ! Air ! 
 Air ! Help me ! Rescue me ! Oscar ! 
 Oscar ! ! ! " 
 
 " Minna Minna ! What is it ? What is the 
 matter ? What is there in the letter that has 
 affected you so ? Why, Minna, you are shiver- 
 ingyou are burning hot you are dying ! 
 
 269
 
 Minna. 
 
 Minna ! Minna ! Speak to me ! Tell me 
 what is the matter ! " 
 
 " Oscar, my darling ! Pity me ! Have 
 mercy ! Help me ! My God, is it possible 
 that I who have suffered so many years and 
 prayed to you, my Heavenly Father, to give 
 me my parents my father, my mother, I 
 wanted to know have I asked more than any 
 other human being ? Even a dumb animal 
 possesses parents ! It is horrible ! It is hor- 
 rible ! Oh, Oscar, this is more than I can en- 
 dure ! I am strangling ! Help me ! My 
 heart is breaking ! Oh, Oscar, I have done 
 it ! I loved him ! I worshiped him ! I 
 searched and hunted for him ; and when I 
 found him Heaven help me ! I killed him ! 
 Pity me, Oscar ! Pity me ! No ! No ! 
 Don't pity me ! I do not deserve pity ! I 
 have sinned ! I am punished ! " 
 
 " Minna ! What is it you have done ? Who 
 has been killed ? " 
 
 " Come ! Come to the window, Oscar ! 
 See ! See that man over there ! There, on 
 the other side of the lake ! He is signaling, 
 
 Oscar ! He is signaling to me that my lover is 
 
 270
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 in danger, and HE is dead! My God! Is 
 it possible ? Go away ! Oscar ! Don't touch 
 me ! Don't touch me ! I have had a secret 
 from you, Oscar ! A most horrible terrible- 
 secret ! Go away ! I can never look on your 
 face again ! I am not fit to be touched by you 
 again ! " 
 
 "You say you have a secret, and you are 
 not fit to be touched by me ? Is it possible 
 that my mother is right, after all ? She said 
 you were the Czar's mistress ; and I am about 
 to be married to you ! You angel looking, 
 sweet devil ! Tell me all ; or I " 
 
 " Oscar, darling, don't lose your reason. If 
 I am to die, it will not be by your hand, but 
 by the hand of God. Don't stain your hand in 
 blood, as I have mine in my father's ! HE 
 is dead ! Oscar ! He is dead ! I am the 
 murderer of my own father ! Listen, Oscar 
 I must tell you all ! Every moment is precious, 
 and I must fly from here ! The lover that 
 came to see me on those nights when you were 
 away, the one whom I have embraced and 
 kissed, is a woman, Oscar dear, not a man ! 
 
 A woman Nihilist who threw the fatal bomb 
 
 271
 
 Minna. 
 
 an hour ago that killed MY FATHER,-THE 
 CZAR OF RUSSIA ! And I, dear Oscar, 
 was the leader of the plot ! I gave my money 
 and all the information I could get through 
 you of the Czar's whereabouts ! And now I 
 have killed him ! My father is dead ! Here 
 is the letter, Oscar ! Read ! " 
 
 " My God ! This is terrible !. This letter 
 must be burned too ! No, we must preserve 
 it ! It may help you if trouble arises ! You 
 must not cry now we've no time to lose ! I 
 must get you out of here immediately ! " 
 
 " No ! I must go over there where I am 
 needed ! They have been signaling me ! 
 They are in trouble ! I cannot desert them 
 now ! " 
 
 " You shall not go ! My Minna belongs to 
 me, and the mother belongs to her boy ! You 
 cannot and shall not go until I say so ! I will 
 arrange to send you immediately to a place of 
 safety ; and I faithfully promise you, on my 
 word of honor, that I will do all I possibly can 
 to assist your lover. If she is in any trouble, 
 you could not help her ; but I, through in- 
 fluential friends, might be able to do some- 
 
 272
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 thing. If you go near them now, you will un- 
 doubtedly be arrested and endanger me ; and 
 what will become of your boy ? Try to be 
 calm now, and I will do everything possible 
 for them." 
 
 " Oscar ! Oh, Oscar ! I have killed my 
 father ! I have killed my father ! " 
 
 "Yes, poor child ! Only this morning I saw 
 him alive when he arranged for the private in- 
 terview this afternoon ! It is sad ! But we 
 must not delay ! We must think now of get- 
 ting you away. They may trace the plot to you 
 and come here to arrest you ! Come ! Be 
 quick ! I hear some one coming ! Wait ! 
 Let me see who it is ! Ah ! don't worry, it is 
 only mother ! She is coming to tell me the 
 news." 
 
 Madame Karapot rushed wildly into the 
 room. 
 
 " Well, my son ! Are you satisfied now ? 
 The soldiers have taken possession of my 
 garden. My house ! They are tearing down 
 the walls ! They are ransacking everything ! 
 Think of it Oscar ! Our stainless name is to 
 
 be dragged down by this woman ! Oh, Oscar, 
 18 273
 
 Minna. 
 
 Oscar ! What a degradation ! What a dis- 
 grace ! My God ! It is an unbearable humil- 
 iation for us ! Searching my house for treason- 
 able papers ! For Nihilistic literature ! Oh, 
 Oscar, think of the terrible shame ! We shall 
 all go to Siberia ! They will send us all there ! 
 Why are you standing there like an image and 
 gazing at her sweet face ? Look at that picture ! 
 Would any one believe that Satan has housed 
 himself in that innocent, pure-looking, saintly 
 devil?" 
 
 " Mother, you are surely mad ! " 
 
 " Ah ! my son, now I am mad, am I ? And 
 this morning you said I was a liar ! See, here 
 are the police come to arrest her ! Officers do 
 your duty ! Drag her away from here ! Place 
 her in the darkest of dark cells ! Put heavy 
 chains on her ! Chain her down she is 
 dangerous ! " 
 
 " Officer, stand back a moment ! Mother 
 pity me, and say no more. Can you, a woman, 
 speak so bitterly against this poor helpless 
 child ? You know only too well what a fate 
 confronts her. My God ! My Minna ! My 
 
 precious love ! You in prison ! For God's 
 
 274
 
 The Great Russian Crime. 
 
 sake, officer, allow me at least to bid her 
 good-bye ! " 
 
 11 No one is allowed to speak to Madame. 
 My orders are to place her under immediate ar- 
 rest and make a thorough search of the castle. 
 We have done that, Madame Karapot, and I 
 am pleased to inform you that no incrimina- 
 ting evidence has been found against you." 
 
 " Oh, Minna ! Minna ! Be brave, dear ! 
 Everything will be done for you ! O God ! 
 They are taking her away ! " 
 
 275
 
 BOOK THE THIRD. 
 
 LIBERTY. 
 
 277
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE PENALTY. 
 
 I SHALL never forget the day, when, after six 
 months in prison, Oscar came to see me in my 
 cell and announced that we would all start for 
 Siberia that day. I was not sorry at leaving 
 that pest-hole where it was always dark and 
 damp, with no ray of light or sunshine never 
 day always night. The horror of that place is 
 with me still. The very chains that bound me 
 rang out the crime at every move at every 
 stir. The very air seemed full of the cry, " She 
 killed her father ! She killed her father ! " 
 Yet I could not see why they put chains on 
 me, for no one could ever have got out of that 
 Satan's chamber. 
 
 Oh, the remorse of it all ! I asked myself 
 over and over again, "Was it my fault ?" and 
 the answer invariably came, " Yes, it was ; for 
 no person on earth should ever go into a con- 
 spiracy to take another's life," and I saw how 
 
 279
 
 Minna. 
 
 wrong it was in me to have lent assistance to 
 such a crime. " An eye for an eye, a tooth for 
 a tooth," Moses taught, and I believed it ; 
 but when the horror of my crime was before 
 me, I saw it in a different light. " Too late to 
 repent or regret !" I cried, " Let the punish- 
 ment come ! What is this prison or Siberia 
 compared to the soul-suffering of one who is 
 conscious of having committed a crime ? They 
 might take me back to the castle to live again 
 in silks and laces ; it would still be only a 
 tomb." 
 
 My anguish was increased by the thought of 
 all I had made poor Oscar suffer. I felt that 
 I would willingly live five hundred years and 
 live them all in that prison, could I take his 
 burden upon myself. I had only one consola- 
 tion, tjiat I did what I thought was right ; yet 
 now that it was over, I was ready to pay any 
 price to recall the deed to bend my energies 
 to prevent its accomplishment rather than as- 
 sist in it. Still, I felt it was only right that I 
 should be tried with my comrades. " No 
 favor for one, let all suffer alike," I thought ; 
 
 and so, when Oscar begged me to accept a 
 
 280
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 private trial I would not consent, for I knew 
 that the only hope of my comrades lay in be- 
 ing tried with me. Oscar came often to tell 
 me of his efforts to secure my freedom, but I 
 begged him to leave me to my fate. 
 
 " It was a great mistake," I sobbed, " and 
 
 I must pay the penalty." 
 
 " Never mind, dear," he said soothingly, 
 
 II you did wrong to give yourself wholly to the 
 influence of those people. A great crime has 
 been committed that has robbed Russia of a 
 kind and noble ruler ; but I blame myself. I 
 was asleep when I should have been awake. I 
 heard rumors of a plot to assassinate His Maj- 
 esty, but there had been five unsuccessful at- 
 tempts upon his life, and I had come to be- 
 lieve that nothing could happen to him. I 
 should have listened to them and done some- 
 thing to prevent the awful catastrophe." 
 
 "What could you have done, Oscar?" I 
 asked. 
 
 "I don't know, dear. The Nihilists had 
 often invited me to join them, but I put them 
 off. Had I done so, I would have been on 
 
 hand to show them how great a man His 
 
 281
 
 Minna. 
 
 Majesty was and what great things he was 
 planning for Russia. If they had given him 
 time, they would no doubt have lived to see 
 all the reforms they want, and more, too. If 
 I had only known, Minna ! " he said de- 
 jectedly. 
 
 " You must not be too severe on yourself, 
 Oscar," I said. " You had nothing whatever to 
 do with the plot." 
 
 "True," he replied ; " but see what I could 
 have prevented if I had been concerned in it. 
 Now, they have killed a great and good man ; 
 and thereby Russia will be thrown back fully 
 a quarter of a century. Why, Minna, dear, 
 the very morning of his assassination he left 
 on his writing-table an unsigned constitution 
 for his country ; and I fear it will be a long 
 time before another ruler will come who will 
 be ready to grant that concession. He loved 
 his people, Minna ; and by that one act of 
 emancipating the serfs he showed his greatness. 
 I am afraid it will be many generations before 
 Russia will see his like again." 
 
 Leaving no stone unturned, appealing from 
 
 one person to another, Oscar tried to find help 
 
 282
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 for me, but his efforts were without avail. 
 His dearest friends turned away as if he were 
 infected with some deadly plague ; they even 
 feared to converse with him, for his arrest was 
 momentarily expected, and they did not wish 
 to become involved in any difficulty. Un- 
 doubtedly he would have been arrested the same 
 day as I but for the powerful influence of his 
 mother. Sick at heart, and in desperation, he 
 pleaded on his knees that she should exert her 
 influence for my release ; but she faithfully 
 promised to see that I was kept where I was. 
 Receiving nothing but reproaches, Oscar left 
 the house in despair and appealed again to his 
 friends ; but both they and his attorney ad- 
 vised that he allow me to be sent to Siberia, 
 as it would be more expedient to have me 
 brought back and then tried alone. So, after 
 six months of suffering, Oscar had come to bid 
 me good-bye, for I was about to leave for the 
 mines. 
 
 " My darling," he said, " I cannot accompany 
 you, for I must remain here to prepare for 
 your early return and a new trial, which must 
 
 be secured not only for your sake, but for your 
 
 283
 
 Minna.-' 
 
 child's. You have done your duty in being 
 tried with your comrades, now you must al- 
 low me to arrange matters for you. I will tell 
 you what I have found out, and what I have 
 arranged so far. You will travel with eleven 
 others, all charged with the same conspiracy. 
 When you reach headquarters in Siberia, you 
 will all be separated and sent to different 
 mines, as the law there requires that but two 
 prisoners shall be chained together. I feared 
 there might be assigned you, as a companion, 
 some common, low criminal ; but I have been 
 fortunate enough to secure for you a young 
 political prisoner, who was sentenced a year 
 ago on the charge of being a Nihilist. He is 
 the cousin of a friend of mine, a merchant in 
 Moscow, where I met this young man several 
 years ago. He was once a Talmud student, 
 but now he is highly accomplished and un- 
 derstands many languages. He is handsome, 
 refined, intelligent, and will be happy to be of 
 service to me, for I secured permission for 
 him to study in Moscow. You know that no 
 Jew is permitted to live there unless he be- 
 longs to the Perva Gilda. 
 
 284
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 " Our trusty servant, Karl, will accompany 
 you on the march and will do everything pos- 
 sible for your comfort. He has letters to the 
 officials, and plenty of money, which he will 
 place in the bank in the nearest town. The 
 bank-book will be given to the warden ; so you 
 will be a welcome prisoner. I wish to have 
 him see that you are well supplied with money, 
 for I have learned that N he is a person who will 
 show you special attention and allow you many 
 privileges, when he sees there is money for 
 him. You owe it to me to be free and liberal 
 with the money and procure everything that 
 can be obtained." 
 
 " My dear Oscar," I said, " it is useless for 
 me to try to thank you. You are right that 
 I owe it to you and Dady to accept all your 
 efforts. I will do as you say ; but don't risk 
 too much, for my sake, it would only grieve 
 me." 
 
 " Very well, dear;" he promised. "Now, 
 I cannot be on the bridge to bid you good- 
 bye, for I must pretend in public to condemn 
 your act. If I were to show the least sym- 
 pathy, even though you were my wife, I would 
 
 285
 
 Minna. 
 
 never be able to approach those friends who 
 have promised to assist me in bringing you 
 back. It will be but a short time, dear, be- 
 fore we are together again ; so be of good 
 cheer and remember always that you leave, 
 here at home, at least one who is working for 
 you and will soon have you free. Then, 
 Minna, we will be united and go far away, 
 where we can begin anew and forget the past. 
 Good-bye, dear, good-bye." 
 
 He left me and the warden soon came to 
 lead me out into the yard where the eleven 
 prisoners were being prepared for the march 
 to Siberia. 
 
 The street from the high-road to the jail was 
 lined with people, all anxious so see the eleven 
 Nihilists condemned to serve twenty years in 
 the mines. The gendarmes had the greatest 
 difficulty in holding back the crowd so as to 
 keep the road clear, and succeeded only by 
 threatening to send the unruly ones along to 
 Siberia. 
 
 The noise was deafening ; drunken peasants 
 expressed their ignorance, and even titled 
 
 officers contemptuously proclaimed, in bois- 
 
 286
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 terous voices, the fate that awaited the unfor- 
 tunates. The dearest friends of the prisoners, 
 whose hearts were breaking, looked into one 
 another's faces with despair, yet chatted and 
 laughed loudly ; for, surrounded as they were 
 by spies and police, they dared not admit they 
 were friends of the prisoners. As soon as the 
 six soldiers appeared, the crowd became silent. 
 Not a murmur arose, x as they mechanically 
 raised their hats. Even the gendarmes stood 
 motionless ; for the uproar of the crowd had 
 ceased and their services were not required. 
 Black clouds overspread the sky, the air be- 
 came oppressive and rain fell, as if the heavens 
 were weeping in sympathy with our fate. The 
 signal was given ; and, as the dead march 
 started, you could hear the very stones echo 
 in despair at every step. 
 
 These six were followed by a detail of four 
 more soldiers guarding a tall, slim, pale young 
 man, whose hands were tied behind him. He 
 was a student and the son of refined parents, 
 who had counted the days, one by one, until he 
 should complete his university course and 
 
 establish a name for himself. But now he is 
 
 287
 
 Minna. 
 
 doomed to serve twenty years in Siberia, be- 
 cause he had dared use his brains and think. 
 
 A second detail of four more soldiers guards 
 astarved-lookingchild. Yes, I may call him a 
 child, for he seemed no more than fifteen years 
 old, though his mother, a poor widow, said he 
 was twenty one. He turned his head to the 
 right and then to the left, as if seeking some- 
 one to come to his rescue ; and his bloodless 
 lips seemed about to part and cry : " Oh, 
 mamma, mamma, I am afraid. Come and take 
 me to your breast." His hands, too, were tied 
 behind him ; and trembling with fear, he 
 marched on. His offense ? He joined the 
 Nihilists ; and in so doing was guilty of a great 
 crime, to be expiated by twenty years of exile. 
 
 This detail was followed by a third one of 
 four soldiers who guarded a handsome man of 
 about forty. Here, nature had moulded a per- 
 fect creation and provided it with external 
 beauty, as well as a heart and brain ; the great- 
 ness of his soul shone through his large soft 
 gray eyes. He was a professor in one of the 
 high medical colleges of St. Petersburg, and 
 
 possessed of the most profound knowledge. 
 
 288
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 He was the father of four beautiful children, 
 and his handsome young wife idolized him. 
 The personification of benevolence, the picture 
 of despair, he, too, was sentenced to twenty 
 years in Siberia, because he had upheld his 
 students who were Nihilists. 
 
 The fourth detail guarded a young Jew, 
 whose handsome face was pale, his cheeks 
 sunken, his colorless lips cracked and dry. 
 He was defiant ; and the expression on his face 
 seemed to say, " Well, what else was to be ex- 
 pected in Russia ? " As he came in sight a cry 
 rose from the throng, " Oh, Itzie, my Itzie ! " 
 He nodded his acknowledgment and received 
 a blow on the head from one of the soldiers ; 
 yet he only smiled and said, " Good-bye, 
 good-bye, mother, dear." Every woman in 
 the vast throng was weeping, and some of the 
 men were trying to force back the tears, while 
 others openly wiped theirs away with their 
 handkerchiefs. Even the drunken peasants 
 sobered up sufficiently to say, " Poor mother ! 
 Poor Jewess ! " 
 
 A fifth detail of four soldiers appeared, 
 
 guarding an old man of seventy, bent and gray ; 
 19 289
 
 Minna. 
 
 a well-known and highly respected physician. 
 He turned his head constantly as though look- 
 ing for someone, and before anyone could 
 realize what had occurred, a young girl sprang 
 forward, threw her arms about his neck, and 
 sobbed as if her heart would break, " Father, 
 oh father ! Do not leave me behind ! " The 
 chief of police rushed at her, and with the help 
 of the gendarmes, brutally tore her away. 
 Poor old man ! He looked as if his soul had 
 been parted from his body ; as if he were be- 
 reft of all reason. He stood still and would 
 not move on. The soldier gave him a push. 
 " Walk on, swine," he shouted and dealt him 
 a crushing blow under the chin. The blood 
 streamed from his mouth, but he could not 
 wipe it away, for his hands were tied behind 
 him. He, too, was on his way to serve twenty 
 years because he was a Nihilist and dared 
 think. 
 
 This detail was followed by another of six- 
 teen soldiers, who guarded a wagon containing 
 four young men. They were consumptives 
 and so weak from the dread disease, they were 
 
 unable to walk. They were dangerous stu- 
 
 290
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 dents who had dared use their brains, and 
 therefore had to be guarded by soldiers with 
 loaded rifles, for they were on their way to 
 Siberia to serve a twenty years' sentence. 
 
 The last detail guarded two women. One 
 had short black hair, sparkling eyes, and a 
 cheerful, almost gay, expression. The other 
 one was myself. We were both bare- 
 headed, and held up xmr heads and looked 
 every one in the face, as if we wished to bid 
 each a farewell. We, too, had been sentenced 
 to Siberia for twenty years. 
 
 As we reached the high-road, a wagon, 
 which Oscar had provided, was waiting to 
 convey me to Siberia. Oscar himself was 
 there in disguise ; and though I did not see 
 him, I felt his presence. We resumed our 
 journey, and a week passed, with nothing to 
 relieve the dull monotony. Every one was 
 silent, and each kept his sorrows to himself ; 
 for all had left dear ones behind. During the 
 second week the old physician became ill, and 
 so weak he could no longer walk. I procured 
 a vehicle at one of the stations, but we had to 
 
 leave it with the officer of the next post, who 
 
 291
 
 Minna. 
 
 returned it to the first station. Whenever we 
 were unable to secure a conveyance, I walked 
 and gave the old man my wagon ; but I was 
 not obliged to walk very long, for at the end of 
 the second week, he died. My trustworthy 
 servant, Karl, whom Oscar had had the fore- 
 sight to provide, generously shared his horse 
 by turns with the professor and the child con- 
 vict and insisted upon walking most of the 
 time. 
 
 The melancholy journey continued without 
 further incident, except that we buried two of 
 the poor consumptive students. If it happened 
 that, during one of our periodical halts at the 
 posts, the soldiers were not soaked in vodka, 
 their memories became wonderfully sharp; 
 and by a liberal use of the knout, they quickly 
 reminded of his negligence any poor wretch 
 who, during the march, being too tired to 
 keep in step, had lagged behind. But alas ! 
 What could we do, but stand and look help- 
 lessly on ! 
 
 Though eleven of us left St. Petersburg, 
 only eight arrived at Siberia. We were sepa- 
 rated at once and the warden showed me to a 
 
 292
 
 The Penalty. 
 
 specially prepared room, with a stone floor 
 and cold, damp, dreary walls, down which the 
 water was dripping. It was pitch black ; and 
 when the door of the dark corridor was opened, 
 the foul air from the other cells was wafted 
 into mine. But it was appreciated, for it was 
 the best to be had. There was no chair, no 
 bench, nor table ; only a sack of straw which 
 served as a bed. 
 
 In this place I prepared to serve my sentence, 
 knowing not how long it would be, thinking 
 only of the one great certainty that I had 
 killed my father and the punishment suited 
 the crime.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SIBERIA. 
 
 KARL, who had arrived two days before, came 
 in sobbing and kissed my hand. 
 
 " Oh, Madame, Madame ! It is the best I 
 could do," he said. " They allowed me to scrub 
 the room and put new straw in the sack, but 
 that was all. If you could see the other cells, 
 you would realize the great favor that has been 
 granted you ; yours is a queen's room com- 
 pared to the others. They are filthy, and full of 
 vermin and disease. The sacks have lain on 
 the floors for years ; many have died on them 
 and they have never been changed. See, 
 mistress," he went on, " up here near the top 
 of the wall is a small grating, which opens into 
 the next cell ; and when you talk here you 
 can be plainly heard in there. That cell is oc- 
 cupied by the young Nihilist, Josef, of whom 
 
 the Count spoke ; he will be your working com- 
 
 294
 
 Siberia. 
 
 panion. These are the only two cells so con- 
 nected in the prison ; so I managed to clean 
 his as well as yours, and he has just moved in. 
 You cannot imagine how he appreciated the 
 change. He was delighted with the letter the 
 Count sent him and assures me that he will 
 protect you with his life." 
 
 The warden soon appeared and said it was 
 time for Karl to leave. He gave me permis- 
 sion to remain out of doors for one hour in the 
 evening under heavy guard. When they had 
 departed I threw myself on the sack of straw 
 and, being utterly exhausted, fell asleep. I did 
 not waken until I heard the peal of a great 
 gong and the rattle of a large key in the lock 
 of my door. A guard placed a cup of water 
 and some dry bread in the cell. I could see 
 by the lantern what he had left, but when he 
 was gone, all was darkness again. A short 
 time after, I heard a whistle blow, and the 
 door was again opened. A guard unlocked 
 the chain that secured me by the ankle to the 
 wall, and giving me a violent push, led me into 
 a large room where there were several women 
 
 convicts. Here, he informed us, we might 
 
 295
 
 Minna. 
 
 wash ourselves in the dirty water, if we chose 
 to do so, and, one after another, we washed, 
 without the water being changed. Several 
 women spoke to me, as if willing to become 
 friends ; but I sought only the dark-eyed young 
 girl who had been my companion in the 
 march. I looked and looked, but alas ! it was 
 in vain. 
 
 In about fifteen minutes we were led out, 
 and I was chained to a large wheel-barrow, 
 the others being chained two by two. Some 
 of the women were bound to other women, 
 the rest were chained to men. The warden 
 approached leading a young man ; and, as he 
 drew near, I pulled my small shawl over my 
 head and down on my face, for I hardly knew 
 whether I was dreaming or awake. He was 
 brought over to a cart and chained to it. An- 
 other chain, which secured his ankle, was 
 looped to a band around mine, and two sol- 
 diers, who were waiting at the gate, marched 
 us off. When we had gone about half the dis- 
 tance, my companion turned to one of them 
 and said, "I will give you each a ruble to-night 
 
 and will give it often, if you will permit me to 
 
 296
 
 Siberia. 
 
 help this lady." The soldier turned to his 
 companion for a moment and then replied, 
 " Chorusho" (good). 
 
 In half an hour, pulling our cart and drag- 
 ging our heavy chains, we reached the mines. 
 "Is it possible," I wondered, "that Oscar, 
 should have been the innocent instrument by 
 which I was chained to this man ? Why is he 
 here ? What a strange world ! " 
 
 How long I mused thus, I did not know, 
 until I was startled by my companion touch- 
 ing me. 
 
 " Madame," he said, " will you please lay 
 your hands on the cart and pretend to be pull- 
 ing it ? I will do the real pulling, for I can do 
 it easily ; I am strong, and it is not hard for 
 me. Try not to be downcast and melancholy ; 
 I have addressed you several times, but ap- 
 parently you did not hear me. You are a 
 Nihilist, Madame, and a woman of your stand- 
 ing, so clever and bright, must make the best 
 of the situation. You have twenty years to 
 serve, and that is a long time in such a place. 
 I have been here a whole year, and know what 
 
 it means ; but I am satisfied that every stone I 
 
 297
 
 Minna. 
 
 lift in this cart is a burden taken from our suf- 
 fering Russia. Nothing is lost to nature ; our 
 humiliation and hard labor are all recorded. 
 No good cause can be gained without some 
 sacrifice ; so I have filled our carts with as 
 much as I could get in. My work is light ; I 
 could dance with these heavy chains, without 
 becoming fatigued. Come, come ! Let us 
 waste no time. Let us empty our loads and re- 
 fill them." 
 
 My eyes opened wide in astonishment as I 
 listened to him. " Is it possible," I wondered 
 " that he can really be so clever ?" I remem- 
 bered that I had never heard him talk, so it 
 was possible he had always been brilliant. 
 
 " You must not fill my cart again ; " I said. 
 " I must do my own share." 
 
 I laid my hand on the cart and pulled as 
 hard I could ; but it was necessary for him to 
 help, or I would never have got it to the dump. 
 He emptied both our carts ; and as we re- 
 turned, I noticed that he always moved the 
 foot attached to my chain with a quick, for- 
 ward jerk, so that the chain, which was quite 
 
 long, always shot ahead of me. I was under 
 
 298
 
 Siberia. 
 
 the impression that one of his feet was hurt, 
 and I could not comprehend how he could 
 endure the strain of standing all day ; so I 
 insisted on helping him fill the next cart. 
 
 I took his advice and tried to forget my con- 
 dition, and even exchanged a few words with 
 him. " Money is a wonderful power," he 
 
 said. " Without it we would never have been 
 
 \ 
 
 able to speak a word to each other ; the two 
 rubles have done it all ! " 
 
 After we had filled two carts and emptied 
 them again, the soldiers gave us permission to 
 be seated and partake of our lunch, which con- 
 sisted of the usual diet, bread and water. 
 
 The rest of the day we said very little, and 
 worked on in silence. In the evening we were 
 taken to our cells again, where we found a very 
 small dim light, a cup of water and some dry 
 bread. Presently the warden came and in- 
 formed me that he had received a visit from 
 some officials of a near-by city, by whose per- 
 mission I was to have better food, if I wished 
 to pay for it ; and, if I desired, I might have a 
 book that is, if I paid for it. 
 
 Josef overheard our talk, and calling to the 
 299
 
 Minna. 
 
 warden, asked if he might speak. Permission 
 being granted, he asked if he would have the 
 kindness to give the books to him to read, in- 
 stead of to me. " The light is so poor," he 
 said, " it would hurt her eyes. I can read to 
 her, for my eyes are strong." Though I felt I 
 could not permit him to ruin his eyes for me, 
 I comprehended that he also was lonesome, 
 and that it would be better for him to have the 
 books so we could both enjoy them. The 
 warden asked me if I desired to have him read, 
 and I assented. 
 
 Josef asked so many questious we did very 
 little reading that evening. He was a Nihilist 
 and had been a year away from civilization ; 
 so, naturally, he was anxious to know what had 
 occurred during that time. He thanked me for 
 all the information I gave him, and finally, we 
 bade each other good-night, and I was soon 
 asleep. 
 
 Five months soon passed. One morning, 
 while I was waiting for the soldiers to chain 
 Josef to my cart, I noticed that he walked 
 unusually straight; but as soon as he was linked 
 
 to me, he once more became lame. 
 
 300
 
 Siberia. 
 
 "Josef," I said, " tell me; are these chains 
 so heavy that they affect your foot ? I have 
 noticed that when you have them on, you walk 
 with a peculiar jerk, yet you are straight at 
 other times. Do they hurt your foot?" 
 
 The tears sprang to his eyes; and though 
 he tried to hold them back, they coursed 
 
 down his cheeks as he replied, " Yes, they are 
 
 \ 
 
 heavy." Then I realized for the first time 
 that he had purposely made the chains shoot 
 ahead, so that I would not have to drag 
 them. 
 
 "Oh, Josef!" I cried, "You must not do 
 that. Your own chain is heavy enough. Let 
 me drag mine." 
 
 "You have twenty years before you, my 
 dear Madame," he replied, "and may God help 
 you. Have you ever looked over there ? " he 
 asked. I looked in the direction in which he 
 was pointing and saw in the distance some- 
 thing I could not discern very well; so I asked 
 what they were. 
 
 " They are skeletons," he replied; " but life 
 is not yet gone. They are unfortunates who 
 
 have become maniacs ; poor convicts who 
 
 301
 
 Minna. 
 
 have served many years in the mines and, 
 crushed by such a life, have lost all reason. 
 They have no friends or relatives to assist 
 them so they are forced to live on bread and 
 water. Thank God, their time will soon 
 expire ! " 
 
 "Can't I do something for them?" I in- 
 quired. " I might have the warden serve them 
 at least one good meal a day. I have plenty 
 of money and would gladly assist them." 
 
 " No, Madame," he replied, " I would advise 
 you not to. It would only compel them to 
 struggle longer. The sooner they are relieved 
 of their wretchedness, the better it will be for 
 them." And I knew he was right. 
 
 One evening, after we had retired to our 
 cells, I called through the grating to Josef and 
 told him he had better go to sleep instead of 
 reading, for I noticed he had not been feeling 
 very well. He was quiet for a while; then 
 suddenly he called : 
 
 " Are you asleep, Madame ? " 
 
 II No," I replied " not yet." 
 
 II 1 was just thinking," he continued, " how 
 
 much easier my burden is to bear than yours. 
 
 302
 
 Siberia. 
 
 As bitter as my cup is, it contains one consola- 
 tion; there is no one to worry about me. I 
 have not left behind a single person who 
 cares a jot where I am. There are no tears 
 for me, no aching hearts; I am all alone. I 
 am all alone, and that helps me to bear my 
 burden." 
 
 " Why, Josef," I exclaimed, " that is very 
 surprising ! Have you not left a sweetheart 
 behind?" 
 
 14 Yes, I have left a sweetheart behind; one 
 whom I loved dearly. She hated me, though 
 she scarcely knew me. I have been married, 
 that is to say, I was forced into a marriage 
 when I was a young man and did not under- 
 stand the world. I had no idea what marriage 
 meant, nor what its duties were. I was a lazy, 
 worthless fellow never had any bringing up 
 just grew like a wild weed; and she, poor 
 girl, was dragged into the marriage, I pre- 
 sume, as well as myself. I never dared look 
 at her with open eyes until three hours after 
 our wedding, when, though half asleep, I saw 
 she was a pretty girl, with a very innocent and 
 childish face. God bless her, wherever she 
 
 33
 
 Minna. 
 
 may be! She hated me and ran away. I 
 have traveled considerably, I have met many 
 women and have had many opportunities to 
 re-marry; but my only longing and prayer has 
 been to see her again. I have always treas- 
 ured the hope that, if we ever met again, she 
 might learn to love me; but of course, since 
 coming here, I have given up all hope of ever 
 seeing her again. Sometimes, I imagine that 
 I will live through it all and still have a chance 
 to meet her; but of course it is only an idle 
 dream, the result of constant thinking of her. 
 Whenever I see a strange woman, I almost 
 run, and imagine it might be she. I know it 
 is foolish ; but what can we do? We are 
 human and will be afflicted with such weak- 
 ness, in spite of all our heroism. Love is 
 indeed painful, when it is hopeless. And 
 now, as I work with you, side by side, I try 
 very often to console myself and force my 
 imagination to believe I am working with her. 
 You will pardon me, Madame, won't you, that 
 I dare draw these imaginary pictures ? It 
 cools my burning brain and relieves my ach- 
 ing heart. I know you are so noble and will 
 
 34
 
 Siberia. 
 
 permit me to lose myself in these idle dreams. 
 Forgive me, Madame, I am afraid I am deliri- 
 ous and have spoken too much ; but, Madame, 
 you resemble her wonderfully." 
 
 " Go on, Josef. It is very strange that I 
 should so strongly resemble your wife." 
 
 " Yes, Madame. When I first met you, a 
 thrill went through mq, and I felt that I must 
 run over to you and cry, ' Oh, Minna, Minna ! 
 Is it really you ? ' Excuse me, Madame, for 
 the thought, since I could only see your chin, 
 your shawl covering the rest of your face. 
 For a moment, I -forgot what suffering my 
 wife would have had to experience to be here ; 
 still, I was glad she was with me." 
 
 " Tell me, Josef," I asked, " which would 
 you choose; to have her here with you, suffer- 
 ing your fate, or to have her wherever she may 
 be, happy and contented ?" 
 
 " Why, of course, Madame, there is no ques- 
 tion about that. If my desire for her were to 
 increase tenfold, I could never wish her here 
 to share this torture. But I will admit there 
 have been desperate moments for me in the 
 past year, when I forgot every consideration in 
 
 20 305
 
 Minna. 
 
 my longing and prayed most earnestly that she 
 might be at my side." 
 
 "Good-night, Josef," I called. "You had 
 better go to sleep. Does your head feel 
 better?" 
 
 " I have a very severe headache," he replied, 
 " and I seem to be burning up ; I fear I have 
 a fever." 
 
 " Perhaps it will be better to have a doctor, 
 Josef. Is there any way to summon one ? " 
 
 11 No, Madame. That is out of the question. 
 I must wait until morning for any relief. It 
 cannot amount to much. Good-night." 
 
 I could not sleep. Josefs talk had cut my 
 heart like a knife. It made me feel home- 
 sick and gave me so much to think of. " So, 
 poor Josef, you really loved your wife," 
 I thought, " and have not forgotten her ! 
 What an unselfish, manly love ! My poor 
 Oscar was right when he said that Josef was a 
 man. Every act shows his admirable worth. 
 But, his wife, does she know of it ? In all 
 probability she is engaged to some one else." 
 
 Poor, suffering Josef ! I was sorry I could 
 
 not help him. The only consolation I could 
 
 306
 
 Siberia. 
 
 give was to tell him that I also loved dearly 
 and was suffering. Tired as I was from my 
 day's work, I could not sleep and tossed all 
 night. I could hear Josef moaning in his 
 feverish, restless sleep, " Minna, my Minna, I 
 love you." In the morning I heard him try 
 to raise himself ; but each time he fell back 
 from weakness, the chains reporting all his 
 movements. 
 
 "Josef, how do you feel?" I called. "Is 
 your head any better ? " 
 
 " No, Madame, it is no better." 
 
 " I want you to remain in bed all day to- 
 day," I said. " I will speak to the warden. 
 I am sure he will be willing to make five 
 rubles. You just rest. You have been deliri- 
 ous all night." 
 
 " No, Madame, I cannot. I must go with 
 you to the mines. The air will do me good 
 the cart is so heavy oh, those chains ! " 
 
 " No, Josef. I cannot allow you to go to the 
 mines. You must stay in to-day and rest. Just 
 fancy that Minna is here with you in the 
 mines, that she is giving you a day's rest, and 
 
 that she is taking your share of the work. My 
 
 307
 
 Minna. 
 
 name is Minna, too, so I give you permission to 
 think of whatever you please. Stay in, Josef, 
 rest and dream. Dream on, Josef, if it will 
 make you any the happier. I do not mind. 
 You have been kind to me, you have dragged 
 my chain and rilled my cart ; so please allow 
 me to be of some service to you in return. I 
 will speak to the warden and see that he per- 
 mits you to remain in all day." 
 
 In a few minutes the jailer arrived, unlocked 
 the chains from the wall and led me to my 
 cart. While he was chaining me to it, I saw 
 them leading Josef out. He looked so very 
 pale and weary that I asked the soldier to call 
 the warden. When he came, I said to him. 
 " Warden, Josef is very sick this morning and 
 has been delirious all night. He has been very 
 kind to me, so I wish to ask a favor of you for 
 his comfort. Hire a man to take his place 
 and do his work for to-day, and I will pay five 
 rubles. I beg you to please grant my request, 
 and allow Josef to rest to-day in his cell ; he 
 will probably be better to-morrow. If it is 
 possible to procure a doctor, do so immedi- 
 ately ; if you can manage a little broth, get it. 
 
 308
 
 Siberia. 
 
 Spare no money, but draw on me for all you 
 need ; only please get some help and relief for 
 him without delay. I can do his share of the 
 work, easily. I can work for two ; I am strong. 
 You don't know how strong I am." 
 
 "Good!" replied the warden ; and giving 
 a wink to the guard, Josef was led back to his 
 cell. Then I started to the mines ; and when 
 I arrived I took my pick and struck at the 
 rocks, and tried to loosen the ore. I struck 
 again and again without any result ; it would 
 not give in to me as readily as it did to Josef. 
 " Come ! Come ! " I cried, " Josef is not 
 here to-day, and you really must give in 
 to me. He is sick in bed. He is very ill, 
 and I must do his share." One more stroke, 
 and then another " Oh please please 
 come," I cried. " Don't you know I must 
 do double work to-day ? I cannot stay here 
 so long. For every stroke I must have a 
 stone, that I may fill my cart. I must be faith- 
 ful and true Josef says that every stone we 
 take away is a block removed from the barri- 
 caded road where our sisters and brothers are 
 
 trying to break through. So please come ! 
 
 39
 
 Minna. 
 
 Oh, please come ! I must fill the load and 
 drag my chain. Josef says that nothing is lost 
 to nature ; every action, every thought is re- 
 corded. Please come ! " 
 
 Finally I succeeded in filling three carts. 
 When the fourth was full I looked over toward 
 the living grave-yard, where the skeletons 
 were dancing and laughing at me. "Why are 
 you so happy?" I shouted. "Is it because 
 you think Josef has deserted me ? Or because 
 my Oscar has not written to me for a year ? 
 He will write. He will write if he is not 
 dead. And Josef will come if he gets well, 
 and I will dig and dig and fill my carts. 
 Josef said I must be faithful, for nothing is lost 
 to nature ! " 
 
 So I fulfilled my double day's work. When 
 I was brought back to my cell, Josef greeted 
 me and thanked me for giving him that day's 
 rest, which had done him so much good. In 
 a few minutes he was again talking of his love 
 and his wife. He had so much to tell me 
 about himself, that I did not interrupt, but 
 allowed him to pour out his oppressed heart. 
 
 I listened to him for hours ; until at last I was 
 
 310
 
 Siberia. 
 
 obliged to tell him to go to sleep, for I was 
 tired, and, no doubt, he was, too. The next 
 morning he accompanied me to the mines, 
 though he could scarcely stand on his feet.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE PARDON. 
 
 FOR another month Josef and I worked 
 side by side, with no word from my only 
 hope in the living world. I had received only 
 one message from Oscar during the entire 
 time, and that was shortly after my arrival in 
 Siberia. 
 
 " Josef," I said one day, " do you think that 
 Count Karapot is still alive ? Do you think it 
 possible that he would desert me like this ?" 
 
 "Karl is on the road now," he replied, 
 11 endeavoring to find out everything. I fear 
 that some one is intercepting your mail." 
 
 He had hardly answered my question when 
 a soldier came to take me before the warden, 
 to receive the news that an officer had arrived 
 with my pardon. He told me that the very 
 same day that Oscar had secured it and had 
 started out to bring it to me, he had been killed 
 
 in a duel. When I heard this I was soon hav- 
 
 312
 
 The Pardon. 
 
 ing a conversation with Oscar. I laughed, I 
 sang and danced ; I tried to get him to go to 
 the mines with me, and help me fill my cart. 
 41 Come, darling, come ! You are such a noble 
 soul ! Come and work for the good cause ! " I 
 cried. 
 
 I did not know what happened after that. 
 When I came to myself I was lying in a bed 
 in a comfortable room, with Josef stroking my 
 face, and Oscar sitting by the other side of the 
 bed, covering my hands with kisses and cry- 
 ing, " Minna, my darling, my darling! " 
 
 "Oh, Josef!"! cried. "Am I dreaming? 
 Where are our dark cells ? Why are you in 
 civilian clothes ? Oh, it is a dream ! " I wanted 
 to dream longer; and closed my eyes, but 
 Oscar embraced me and kissed me again and 
 again. "Open your eyes, Minna," he said 
 tenderly, "it is not a dream. I am alive and 
 well. It was a false report that I was killed, 
 but I was very ill. Let us not think of the past, 
 dear, for we must rest and then go on. You 
 are free, and God has given you to me. But 
 let us not say much now ; I will wait till you 
 are stronger."
 
 Minna. 
 
 I fell back on the pillow, overcome, and tried 
 to recall my thoughts. Fortunately I was able 
 to cry, or I should have gone mad ; for I re- 
 alized, as I looked up at Oscar, that I was 
 to be his wife now. "Where is my child?" 
 I asked. " Do you know where he is ? " 
 
 "Yes, dear. He is in Chicago with your 
 friends. So do not worry. You must try to 
 get well, for he wants his mother." 
 
 " How long have I been ill, Josef ? " 
 
 II Five months," he replied. 
 
 "But tell me, Josef," I asked, " how do you 
 happen to be free ?" 
 
 " My dear Madame," he replied, " my time 
 expired four months before your pardon 
 arrived, but I pleaded with the warden to al- 
 low me to continue the work by your side in 
 the mines. I begged him not to tell you I was 
 free, for I could not think of leaving you alone. 
 I suspected that something was wrong when 
 the Count did not write for so long a time ; 
 but that is all passed, dear Madame." 
 
 Josef excused himself and left the room. 
 When he had gone Oscar turned to me and 
 
 said, " My dear, do you think you are strong 
 
 314
 
 The Pardon. 
 
 enough to listen to something of great impor- 
 tance ? " 
 
 " Yes," I sobbed, for I was very weak. 
 11 What is it ? Tell me all." 
 
 11 But you must not cry, my dear, since it is 
 something that may please you very much. 
 Do you remember the time when you told me 
 that you liked me better than any man you had 
 ever known, but when you thought of marry- 
 ing me, you had a feeling of repulsion which 
 you could not repress ? " 
 
 " Yes, Oscar. I remember it clearly. Go 
 on please." 
 
 " Very well," he continued, " I now confess 
 that I, too, had the same feeling, whenever I 
 thought of marriage, and always had an uncon- 
 trollable horror of the ceremony. Still, no 
 woman has ever been so dear to me as you." 
 
 " Oh, Oscar ! How strange ! " 
 
 " Now be prepared dear ," he continued. 
 "Be strong." 
 
 " What is it, Oscar ? What has happened ? 
 Why are you so excited ? " 
 
 He leaned over and took me in his arms. 
 
 " Minna, dear," he exclaimed, " embrace 
 315
 
 Minna. 
 
 me, for I AM YOUR BROTHER ! Yes, your 
 brother by the same father and I did not 
 know it ! Our father was a great man, dear, 
 and your mother is noble ; but mine alas ! 
 well, she is my mother." 
 
 " Oscar ! Oscar ! How terrible ! How terri- 
 ble ! How strange it is that both of us should 
 have felt repulsion at the thought of marriage, 
 and yet love each other so well ! " 
 
 " Yes, it is strange ; but now your heart is 
 free, and at the same time you belong to me. 
 You love Josef, marry him ; for I love you as a 
 brother should. What a blessing that you 
 have been so noble in your conduct ! That 
 you have lived up to your religion ; for other- 
 wise we would have been punished by God. 
 While our father's loss is a great one, he has 
 died, my dear, to save us from this horrible sin 
 of a sister marrying a brother. It was God's 
 will that I found it out the day I was bringing 
 the pardon from the present Czar our brother 
 but he shall never know it." 
 
 " Tell me, Oscar, tell me how you discovered 
 it." 
 
 "The duel, which the warden referred to, was 
 316
 
 The Pardon. 
 
 forced upon me. It seems that my own mother 
 was the cause of it and planned it so that I 
 might be injured in order to prevent me from 
 coming to see you. She did not think it would 
 end like this but she had been punished. 
 
 " I was sitting in a cafe one evening, bidding 
 my friends good-bye, for I was about to come 
 to you. Presently an officer came in and 
 hurled the reproach at me that I should be 
 shameless enough to go to Siberia to bring 
 back the woman who had killed my father. 
 That was the first time I had ever heard the 
 Czar referred to as my father, and I could not 
 understand it. I called for an explanation at 
 once, and several friends stepped in to prevent 
 me from saying more ; but the consequence 
 was, that he challenged me, and a duel was 
 arranged. I wrote you, but my letters never 
 reached you ; for I am sure that my mother 
 took good care they were never sent. Instead, 
 she sent word that I was dead. So, my dear 
 sister, get strong now and be happy. You 
 may marry Josef, for you love him, I know ; 
 yet I know, too, you would have married me, 
 
 though you loved him." 
 
 317
 
 Minna. 
 
 11 Oh, Oscar, Oscar ! How glad I am to 
 know you are my brother ! Believe me, I 
 shall forget the past in the happiness of having 
 such a brother as you. Come, let me have 
 your dear face and hands, that I may kiss 
 them. Oh ! You are my brother ! Will you 
 forgive me, that I should have been the cause 
 of the death of your father ? I cannot realize 
 it! My brother, my brother! Oh, I cannot 
 tell you how happy I am to know that I have 
 a relative in the world ! " 
 
 "I do forgive you, Minna dear, for I am 
 your brother, and you are my sister ; and I 
 am going to see that she does all I tell her. 
 Now you take Josef and go to America at once, 
 for I have a little nephew who would like very 
 much to see you. I shall continue the search 
 for your mother ; and I promise you, Minna, 
 that I will bring her to you. So get strong." 
 
 " Believe me, my dear brother ; if I could 
 start at once, I would recover my strength more 
 quickly, knowing that I was on my way to 
 America." 
 
 " You shall go at once, dear, and I shall ac- 
 company you to the frontier. I have written
 
 The Pardon. 
 
 to Dr. Leiter, and he will be prepared to re- 
 ceive you. Now you rest while I go to look 
 for Josef and tell him our plans. I shall be 
 back in a few moments." 
 
 He closed the door and left me to myself. 
 " What a strange world," I thought. I come 
 to Russia to find my mother and end by dis- 
 covering a brother. I enter into a plot to 
 serve the people and succeed in killing my 
 father. I suffer the penalty of my crime and 
 find myself chained in Siberia to Josef, the 
 Yeshiva Bocher whom I was forced to marry 
 so long ago. I hated him and ran away from 
 him ; but I had to come to Siberia to learn 
 what a noble man he is after all. So good, 
 so self-sacrificing ! And now, everything has 
 cleared away, and I am free to make repara- 
 tion for all he has suffered ; to be to him what 
 a wife should. He loves me and I have learned 
 to love him ; I shall try to make him happy. 
 Truly, Fate has treated me better than I 
 deserve." 
 
 I lay in my bed thinking of a thousand 
 things and listening for Oscar to return with 
 
 Josef. I remembered how startled I was when 
 
 319
 
 Minna. 
 
 I recognized him that first day in Siberia, 
 when they brought him out and chained us 
 together to the cart. I wondered how it was 
 that he had not recognized me, until I sud- 
 denly remembered that my face was covered, 
 according to custom, during the wedding 
 ceremony, and, as I left in the night, he had 
 never seen me sufficiently to recognize me. I 
 thought of his goodness to me all those months 
 in the mines, and I longed to take him to my 
 Dady our Dady and be happy once more in 
 my own little home. 
 
 An hour flew by, and Oscar came in to an- 
 nounce that Josef was nowhere to be found. 
 My heart sank. Was it possible anything 
 could have happened to him ? No, that could 
 hardly be. 
 
 " Have you looked everywhere, Oscar ?" 
 " Yes," he replied, " I have looked every- 
 where ; and just as I was returning here a 
 gendarme handed me this note. 
 
 " ' COUNT KARAPOT. 
 
 ' DEAR SIR : 
 
 ' I hope I have done my duty. I assure you, my dear sir, that 
 I have tried to protect Madame and make her burdens as 
 light as possible. I thank our God that I am permitted to 
 
 320
 
 The Pardon. 
 
 see her safe in your hands, and I appreciate the confidence 
 you have shown in trusting Madame to my care. I am satis- 
 fied my services are no longer required ; so I leave, and beg you 
 to thank Madame for her kindness to me. JOSEF.' " 
 
 " My God ! My God ! Thou hast forsaken 
 me!" I cried. "Oh, could I at least have 
 made one soul happy ! Surely, my star shines 
 behind clouds and shows itself only enough 
 for one to pass by and another appear. Oscar, 
 I am afraid to rejoice and call you my brother, 
 lest something happen to shadow us, too." 
 
 " Never mind, dear ; it will all come out 
 right. The only thing to do now is for you to 
 proceed to America alone, instead of with 
 Josef, as we originally planned. You must 
 go as soon as you feel strong enough ; and I 
 will follow as soon as possible. I promise, dear, 
 to bring your mother and Josef, too." 
 
 The last week of my sojourn in the hospital 
 in Siberia was spent in preparations for the 
 journey to America. The thought of going 
 back to my home and my friends served as a 
 tonic ; and except for the loss of Josef and the 
 memory of the unfortunate occurrence in St. 
 Petersburg, I could have been happy indeed. 
 
 21 321
 
 Minna. 
 
 Oscar stayed by me through all, and together 
 we journeyed across the frontier toward home, 
 that wonderful place where all is peace and 
 quiet a world of strife shut out, a world of 
 love shut in. 
 
 32*
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE RETURN TO AMERICA. 
 
 OH, what a home coming ! To be away from 
 the ties of home for so long a time ; to pass 
 through so much of excitement and anxiety ; 
 to leave behind memories of sadness and re- 
 gret these make the return to the joys of 
 home an episode, a brilliant jewel in Life's 
 precious casket. 
 
 Oscar left me at Hamburg and returned to 
 St. Petersburg, to continue the search for my 
 mother. An uneventful journey across the 
 water and I landed in New York, where Harry 
 met me at the pier. Almost the first thing he 
 greeted me with, after inquiries for everybody, 
 including my Dady who, of course, came first, 
 was, " I say, Minna, we've got a new woman 
 at the house. I know you will like her." 
 
 " A new woman ? " I asked in surprise, 
 " Why, what do you mean ? Explain yourself." 
 
 " Why, a new woman of course, and she 
 323
 
 Minna. 
 
 looks like her mother. You must hurry home 
 and see how independent she is. Why, she 
 does all her own walking." 
 
 Then I realized what he was trying to tell 
 me ; that he was the proud father of a beautiful 
 girl. And beautiful indeed I found her when 
 we arrived in Chicago a dear little tot, a year 
 old, and just learning to walk. When we had 
 been to the nursery, Ella threw her arms about 
 me for the hundredth time and showed me how 
 true and loving a sister I had in her. 
 
 "Oh, Minna," she said, " I owe it all to you ; 
 for if it had not been for you, I would not be 
 so happy to-day Harry's wife and the mother 
 of that beautiful girl." And she pressed me 
 again close to her. 
 
 4< Oh, you selfish little woman ! " I said. 
 " Don't love me all yourself ; leave some for 
 my boy. Remember, I have not seen him 
 yet. Where is he ? " 
 
 " I sent him away to play this evening, for I 
 wanted him to be surprised. I did not tell him 
 you were coming. I hear him now. Come 
 here, Dady," she called, " here's some one to 
 
 see you." 
 
 . 3 2 4
 
 The Return to America. 
 
 The little fellow came into the room and 
 stood for a moment speechless with surprise. 
 A second more, and he bounded across 
 the room screaming " Mamma ! Mamma ! 
 Mamma ! " 
 
 I clasped him in my arms and kissed him 
 and cried over him, until I could cry no more. 
 Dady looked up into my face with a pleading 
 expression. 
 
 " Oh, mamma," he said, " I am so glad you 
 are back home ! You will never go away again, 
 will you, mamma ? " 
 
 "No, darling," I replied, "Never, never 
 again;" and the thought of all that had 
 happened since I left him, forced an emphasis 
 on the "never " that was positive and sincere. 
 
 It was a wee small hour we retired that 
 night, there were so many questions to be 
 asked and answered. Finally, when I had told 
 all my experiences since leaving home, or as 
 many as could be told in so short a time, we 
 broke up the little reunion and went to bed. 
 The last I heard, as I disappeared in my room, 
 was Harry's voice calling : 
 
 II Now remember, Minna, no monkey busi- 
 
 325
 
 Minna. 
 
 ness in this country. I've had a letter from 
 Count Karapot, and he warns me against you 
 as a dangerous person." 
 
 " Never fear," I replied, " I've had enough of 
 such things ; I am cured. Good-night." 
 
 Back again in Chicago, happy again in the 
 quiet of my own home, or as happy as I could 
 be in the memory of my unfortunate experi- 
 ence in St. Petersburg and the conscious loss 
 of Josef, I passed day after day in visiting the 
 poor and spending my time in trying by this 
 means to forget the past. Week after week, 
 month after month went by, and no encourage- 
 ment from Oscar concerning my mother or 
 Josef. He wrote often and kept me supplied 
 with money, so that the practice of my profes- 
 sion was no longer necessary ; but no news of 
 the kind I was longing for. 
 
 Finally, discouraged and dejected after four 
 years of anxious waiting, I was glad to accept 
 Harry's suggestion to attend a banquet, which, 
 he said, was to be given in honor of a young 
 law student, a friend of his, who had graduated 
 with high honors. 
 
 "Now you come along," he said. "We're 
 326
 
 The Return to America. 
 
 all going and it will do you good. You've 
 been growing thinner and thinner ; until I've 
 expected to see you blow up the chimney. 
 Be ready about eight and we'll all go together." 
 
 Promptly at the time appointed I was ready 
 to start, unconscious of the shock that awaited 
 me. The banquet hall was filled with profes- 
 sors of the law school and friends of the young 
 man, the guest of the evening. We sat in the 
 back of the room, where, from my position, it 
 was difficult to see the speakers at the guest 
 table, until they arose. 
 
 When the banquet was over, the dean of the 
 law school arose and, after a few preliminary 
 remarks, spoke of the young lawyer who had 
 so distinguished himself in the school. He 
 congratulated both him and the school and in- 
 troduced the head of the firm, with whom the 
 young man was practising law. This gentle- 
 man was the picture of kindness, truth and 
 professional dignity. Addressing the assem- 
 blage he said : 
 
 " Gentlemen I have the honor to rise before you to pay trib- 
 ute to one who has proved himself not only an honorable and 
 conscientious young man, but a distinguished addition to the 
 
 327
 
 Minna. 
 
 long list of eminent members of the bar. He has been with us 
 four years, as a clerk in our employ while prosecuting his 
 studies in the profession of the law, and during that time he 
 has not alone mastered his subject, but English and Jurispru- 
 dence as well. We ask your congratulations ; for we have 
 elected him a partner in our firm and take this opportunity to 
 mark the occasion by presenting him with this gold watch." 
 
 Turning to the young man, whom I could 
 not see, he said : 
 
 " I ask you, sir, to accept this token of our esteem and to note 
 the hour indicated on its face ; for, from this moment, you are 
 the fifth partner and shall continue to be such until the day 
 you may feel disposed to sever the connection. We congratu- 
 late you, sir, upon your accomplishments in so short a time, 
 and we congratulate ourselves upon the acquisition of so valued 
 a member of our firm." 
 
 He sat down amid a wild burst of applause 
 and calls of " Speech ! Speech ! " In the 
 back of the room there was craning to see the 
 young man so highly honored, and I, myself, 
 was so infused with the sympathetic spirit of 
 the occasion, that I forgot my sorrows and rose 
 in my chair, to peep at the guest of honor. 
 At the same moment he, too, rose, in response 
 to the calls, and I sank back into my chair, 
 overcome with the surprise and the shock. 
 There, before my eyes, was Josef ! Josef, my 
 
 Yeshiva Backer ! my husband ! 
 
 328
 
 The Return to America. 
 
 I grasped Ella's arm, " Look ! Look ! " I 
 said. " That man whom they are honoring so, 
 is my Josef my husband ! " 
 
 The cheers subsided and Josef began his 
 speech. 
 
 " Gentlemen," he said, " I am a young attorney; and I think 
 you are a little hard on me in asking a speech before such a 
 learned assembly. I should have to lack feeling to avoid falter- 
 ing to-night, and therefore I beg you to be considerate, if I fail 
 to express my thanks in elaborate form for the honors you 
 have heaped upon me to-night. I can only say that I promise 
 to be in the future what I have been in all that our senior part- 
 ner credits me with. He is a great man, but he isn't big 
 enough to hold his heart. What I have said so far is not new 
 to you ; but permit me to tell you something you do not know. 
 You do not know what a country you are living in. I do not 
 praise your land because everybody can wear diamonds, but 
 because of its great privileges and opportunities. Would that 
 you could appreciate this land as I do ! Every stone is a bril- 
 liant, every inch of ground is gold in comparison with other 
 countries, especially the one from which I come Russia ! " 
 
 His voice was drowned by the cheers, and 
 it was some moments before he could resume. 
 
 "Friends," he continued, "you should have seen me ten years 
 ago, or rather I thank Providence that you did not see me ten 
 years ago ; for you would have loathed me as if I were a leper. 
 I was in my own country, my fatherland, Russia, where a 
 poor man has no chance to learn to write his own name. Here 
 I stand, man to man with you, and can only thank the liber- 
 ality of this great country, which helps to make a man of 
 
 3 2 9
 
 Minna. 
 
 every one who has the desire and determination to be one. Oh, 
 America , Blessed America ! " 
 
 Josef sat down, completely overwhelmed 
 with the shouts and cheers. Suddenly the 
 great doors of an adjoining ballroom were 
 swung open, revealing a brilliantly illuminated 
 hall and an array of beautiful women, all 
 awaiting the dance. The diners raised Josef 
 in his chair, and amid the applause of all, 
 carried him from the banquet hall to the ball- 
 room. 
 
 Harry, who had planned the ball, took us 
 up to a box where we could watch the danc- 
 ing. Old ladies, beautiful middle-aged women 
 and coquettish young girls flocked to meet 
 Josef and clasp his hand. Presently the cur- 
 tains of the box were drawn and Harry appeared 
 with Josef. 
 
 "Madame!" he stammered. "You at my 
 banquet to-night ? Where is the Count ? " 
 
 " He is in Russia. I came to America alone. 
 But don't let me keep you here, we shall see 
 each other later. Ella, this is my chain-charm 
 of Siberia. Josef, this is the wife of your 
 
 friend, Dr. Leiter." 
 
 33
 
 The Return to America. 
 
 Josef bowed. " May I have the pleasure of 
 the first dance with the single lady ?" 
 
 "I should enjoy it," I replied, " but accord- 
 ing to the old Hebrew law, since I am en- 
 gaged, I am as good as married ; therefore I 
 prefer to sit here and see what a good dancer 
 you are. Don't spend your time with us, we 
 will not be offended. Go and entertain the 
 ladies." 
 
 Josef turned sorrowfully away. " I thought 
 I might dance with you to-night," he said, and 
 left with Harry. 
 
 "Oh, Minna," said Ella, "you are cruel. 
 How can you be so unjust ? I could not have 
 done that to Harry." 
 
 After a few dances, Harry announced it was 
 time to go home, " For if we don't," he said 
 jocularly, "the 'new- woman' will arouse the 
 neighbors." 
 
 For a few moments, I stood and looked in 
 amazement, to see how naturally my Yeshiva 
 bocher mingled with the society ladies and 
 played the cavalier. We decided to leave 
 without bidding him good-night, for we did 
 
 not wish to disturb him. 
 
 33 i
 
 Minna. 
 
 On the way home, Harry promised to bring 
 Jos'ef to see us the next evening, and I finally 
 retired, happy in the thought that part of my 
 desire was to be fulfilled, for now I could re- 
 ward my yeshiva bocher for his long suffering. 
 
 332
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MY YESHIVA BOCHER. 
 
 THE next day was one long to be remem- 
 bered, for it brought a letter from Oscar, say- 
 ing that he was leaving for America at once, 
 and would bring my mother. My joy knew 
 no bounds ; for here was the time, arrived at 
 last, when Josef was found, after four years of 
 longing, and my mother was coming to me, 
 after a lifetime of hope. Surely my cup was 
 full ; and no one could grudge the tears of joy 
 that had been earned by so much hope, tem- 
 pered with so much disappointment. 
 
 When the first shock of the news had passed 
 away and I was free to give thought to other 
 things, I could not help smiling when I re- 
 called Oscar's promise, in the hospital in Si- 
 beria, to follow me soon to America and bring 
 both my mother and Josef. He had kept the 
 
 first half of the promise, to be sure ; but the 
 
 333
 
 Minna. 
 
 second I had kept for him, in finding Josef 
 myself. Surely it was a good joke on Oscar, 
 and I laid elaborate plans to hide Josef and 
 then tease him because he had failed to find 
 him. I could see him, how sober he would 
 look when I feigned to be angry and disap- 
 pointed ; for Oscar was always hurt when he 
 failed to fulfil my wish. But then, I would 
 not be too hard on him, for that would be cruel. 
 
 Little by little, the joy of the day made 
 itself felt and infected the others of our little 
 family, until everybody became light-hearted 
 and festive. Harry came in and out, with a 
 laugh and a joke and various comments on 
 the "new woman." 
 
 " You see, Minna," he said grandly, " her 
 mother is an inexperienced woman ; but her 
 father is a wise man. Women don't know 
 anything about handling babies, they always 
 spoil them ; but the fathers know it all." And 
 he bounded out of the room like a light- 
 hearted boy. 
 
 Ella looked on, her face wreathed in smiles. 
 
 11 Minna," she said, " I believe I am the hap- 
 piest woman in the world." 
 
 334
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 " I believe you," I replied. " When a wo- 
 man loves a man as you do, and the man has 
 the good sense to realize and appreciate all the 
 sacrifices his wife makes for him, there is no 
 reason in the world why she should not be 
 happy. I too, could be happy to-day, Ella, 
 for I have cause to be ; but that one sad 
 memory of St. Petersburg is ever present and 
 tempers my joy with sorrow. I suppose it 
 must always be so, for such a deed is past 
 forgetting." 
 
 11 You must not be too severe on yourself," 
 Ella said soothingly ; "for you were only an 
 inexperienced girl, easily impressed and al- 
 ways ready to sacrifice yourself for the benefit 
 of suffering mankind." 
 
 " What you say, Ella, is partly true ; but 
 they only are wise whose actions are governed 
 by the head, not the heart. There must be 
 some of that, too ; but it should be controlled 
 by the head." 
 
 11 But we must not spoil the happiness of to- 
 day, Minna, with the regrets of yesterday. 
 You know Josef is coming to-night and we've 
 
 much to do to prepare for the return of the 
 
 335
 
 Minna. 
 
 prodigal. If I were in your place, I'd lecture 
 him soundly for running away in Siberia just 
 when you needed his services on the journey 
 to America." 
 
 11 Why, Ella ! Last night, at the banquet, 
 you called me cruel because I would not dance 
 with him ; and now you want me to lecture 
 him for a self-sacrifice ! You remember he 
 went away from Siberia because he thought I 
 loved Oscar and could not bear to stay by and 
 see it all. We had no chance to tell him of 
 our discovery, and when Oscar looked for him 
 he was gone." 
 
 " But you will tell him when he comes to- 
 night, won't you, Minna ? " 
 
 " I certainly shall. I have waited for the 
 opportunity these four years ; and now that it 
 has come I shall not give him another chance 
 to slip away. You have not told Harry, have 
 you?" 
 
 " No, he knows nothing about it. He boasts 
 so much of knowing more than I do, I thought 
 I would get even with him by letting him find 
 out something I already knew. Dear Harry. 
 
 He always appreciates a joke." 
 
 33 6
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 The rest of the day was given over to joyful 
 preparation for the great event, and we laid 
 elaborate plans for Josef and his welcome to a 
 happy home. Evening came, but no Josef. 
 The hours dragged by, and no Josef. Bed- 
 time came, and still no Josef. What could the 
 matter be ? Ella suggested that perhaps the 
 banquet had been too much for him and prob- 
 ably he was ill. Harry ventured the opinion 
 that business had kept him, for he knew he 
 was at work on an important divorce case. My 
 intuition told me that something was wrong ; 
 that the fate which had followed me through 
 all my days was once more placing something 
 desired within my grasp, only to withdraw it 
 again. Filled with misgivings, I retired dis- 
 couraged. 
 
 Morning came, and no Josef. The day 
 dragged by, and no word from Josef. Night 
 came again and dispelled all doubts ; for I 
 knew that Josef had again gone away, though 
 I could assign no reason. I called Harry and 
 begged him to see if he could find any trace 
 of him, or learn why he had not come. 
 
 " Minna," he said, " I've always been your 
 22 337
 
 Minna. 
 
 friend, and I've tried to be of service to you ; 
 but I want to tell you candidly that I feel I've 
 put my foot in it this time, though I cannot 
 understand how. You love Oscar, and you 
 are engaged to marry him ; yet you are sad 
 because Josef does not come. You know I 
 have helped Josef in one way and another ever 
 since he came to Chicago and began to study 
 law. I did not know who he was, other than 
 that he came from Russia, and had shown him- 
 self a good fellow, with noble sentiments and 
 fine feelings. He said he wanted to do some- 
 thing for me as a return for the friendship I 
 had shown him, and, as he persisted, I finally 
 told him he could exercise his legal talents in 
 procuring a divorce for you. I gave him the 
 facts of the case yesterday, thinking what a 
 fine surprise it would be for him to procure 
 the freedom which would permit you to marry 
 Oscar as soon as possible after his return to 
 America. But I fear I have made a mistake ; 
 for I received this letter just now, which shows 
 that my intentions were not so good after all. 
 Read it, Minna, and forgive me if you can. It 
 
 speaks for itself." 
 
 338
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 " Oh, Harry," I cried. " What have you 
 done ? What a mistake to have kept that 
 secret from you ! " I took the letter and read 
 it ; my eyes almost blinded with tears. 
 
 MY DEAR DOCTOR LETTER : I hope you will forgive me for bur- 
 dening you with such a lengthy letter, but I know of no other 
 means to explain my hasty departure without bidding you a 
 personal good-bye. I know you will forgive my seeming dis- 
 courtesy, for your heart is big, and you, too, have once loved 
 hopelessly and can appreciate my own condition. I know, too, 
 that you will forgive my apparent lack of appreciation for all 
 your kindness to me, when you know the facts of the case. I 
 leave for New York to-day because I cannot undertake to secure 
 the divorce as ypu asked me ; and the explanation of my con- 
 duct is the cause of this lengthy letter, for it necessitates the 
 revelation of a part of my life, which I have not told you be- 
 fore. 
 
 When I was a ^eshiva Bocher, I was tricked into a marriage, 
 because I had never known what a conscience was. I had 
 never been trained to that point. I married an innocent child 
 only thirteen years of age, who was forced into the marriage by 
 parents not even her own. They had only adopted her ; and 
 so, to be rid of her, they made her marry me. She was wiser 
 than I and possessed of more character ; so she ran away the 
 following morning, Three years later, we found her in London, 
 and I discovered I had a son, and that the poor child was slav- 
 ing to support herself and my baby. She refused to see me ; nor 
 was I able to visit my boy. What she suffered in London, words 
 cannot describe. She came to America shortly after, with an 
 old lady who was to take her to a hospital where she could 
 study to become a nurse ; and then I lost track of her. After 
 she left, her supposed parents implored me to obtain a divorce, 
 as they were ready to find another wife for me. I refused, how- 
 
 339
 
 Minna. 
 
 ever, to have anything to do with them, for I was just beginning 
 to realize how ignorant I was. I could not blame the girl be- 
 cause she would not live with me, for what right had I to a 
 wife and child, when I was unable to support myself ? I had 
 lived all my life on charity. My wife hated me and ran away. 
 She was right ; but oh, my dear friend, I loved her. Yes, I 
 loved the wife whom I had never seen but once, and I resolved, 
 then and there, to become a man and be useful in the world. I 
 determined to educate myself, hoping that Fate would perhaps 
 be kind to me, and bring her and my child back to me some 
 day ; and if so, she should have every reason to love me. But 
 how to begin, was a difficult problem to solve ; and I worried 
 and fretted until I became sick. 
 
 While in the hospital, I met an English lady, a Jewess, who 
 was called, " The Angel of the Ward." She spent all her time 
 in the hospitals among the sick, bringing consolation and re- 
 lief to all, for she never grew tired of listening to the sorrows 
 of others. My oppressed heart could bear its burden no longer, 
 when the "Angel of the Ward " came to me one day and said, 
 " Josef, my son, tell me what it is that troubles you ? Do not 
 conceal anything from me. I've made inquiries regarding you, 
 Josef , and your past life interests me." She requested the 
 nurse to bring a screen, which she placed about the bed, and, 
 seating herself beside me, and taking my hand in hers, she 
 said, "Tell me all. Tell me all." 
 
 I did so ; I told her everything. Oh, my dear friend, could 
 I paint you the picture of that noble woman when I had finished 
 my story ! She was overcome ; and I did not wonder that she 
 was called the " Angel of the Ward," for she truly suffered for 
 every one and shared their pain. She said finally, " I'll tell you 
 what I will do. You go back to Russia, and I will give you a 
 letter to a cousin of mine in Moscow, who is a wealthy and in- 
 fluential Hebrew. I will give you all the money you need to 
 enter college, and all I will ask in return is, that you study as 
 hard as you can. In the meantime I will try to locate your 
 wife and child." 
 
 340
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 I did not feel like a beggar who was receiving charity, but 
 like a man who was having his future assured, I determined to 
 return the loan with deep gratitude ; to show her some day, 
 that she has been rewarded by making a man of a poor wretched 
 Yeshiva Bocher. I accepted her offer and soon set out for Mos- 
 cow with plenty of money. While there, I fell in with some 
 Nihilist students, and, naturally, joined their society. Four 
 years later I was one of the unfortunates who were sent to 
 Siberia. 
 
 While in Moscow, I had had a hard time to live, because only 
 the wealthy Hebrew merchants, who belong to the Perva Gilda, 
 are allowed to reside there ; and as I was only a poor student, 
 I had great difficulty in being admitted to the college. The 
 people with whom I lived wrote to a friend of theirs, a Count 
 Karapot of St. Petersburg, who was connected with the royal 
 house. He came to Moscow, and through his influence, all the 
 papers were procured which were necessary for me to have to 
 remain in Moscow, and to be admitted to the college. Now, 
 my dear friend, you can imagine my surprise when, chained to 
 my cart and serving my term in Siberia, the post brought me a 
 letter from Count Karapot. It began, " My dear friend," and 
 in it, he appealed to me to assist in caring for his future wife, 
 who was on her way to Siberia to serve a twenty years' sentence 
 as a Nihilist. He arranged that we should be chained together, 
 so that I could guard and protect her until he came with her 
 pardon from St. Petersburg. She arrived a short time after, 
 and we worked together. We spent the days and nights in 
 our cells, so close that we could hear one another breathing. I 
 fell in love with her. She resembled my Minna. As my term 
 had expired four months before Count Karapot arrived with her 
 pardon, I left the day of his arrival, because I could not bear to 
 remain and witness their mutual love. I had been forbidden to 
 return to Moscow, so I came to America, and you know the 
 rest. 
 
 Oh, my dear friend, pity me ! For years I have almost lived 
 under the same roof with my wife and child, and did not know 
 
 341
 
 Minna. 
 
 it. God only knows how long I might have been in ignorance 
 of this ha'd you not asked me yesterday to act as Minna's attor- 
 ney in her suit for divorce. When you explained the kind of 
 man Minna's husband was, and all she had gone through, I 
 did not know for the moment, my dear friend, whether I should 
 thank you for the news you brought me, or cry " Stop, stop, 
 tell me no more ! " It was then I found out that your Minna, 
 and the Count's future wife, is my Minna, the wife of my youth. 
 She loves the Count, I know ; so I am going away. But be- 
 lieve me, dear friend, my daily prayer shall be offered solely 
 for her happiness. The Count is a noble man ; he will make 
 her a worthy husband, and she will be a loyal wife. I thank 
 God I have been true to my wife, though I have often re- 
 proached myself for having neglected her in my thoughts, 
 through love for the present Minna. 
 
 My dear friend, these facts will serve to show you how hope- 
 less is my love for the Count's future wife ; and knowing them, 
 you will readily understand that I cannot stay to assist her in 
 procuring a divorce. Nor is it necessary for her to do so on the 
 grounds you have laid before me. They are true ; but as I am 
 going away, never to return, she can put in a claim for deser- 
 tion. 
 
 Good-bye, my noble friend. Kiss my boy for his father, re- 
 member me to your wife and do not forget the lonely, 
 
 JOSEF. 
 
 I dropped the letter and sobbed aloud. 
 
 "There, there," said Harry, "don't cry, 
 Minna, we'll find him and bring him back. 
 He's only gone to New York." 
 
 " It is our own fault," said Ella, " for we 
 should not have kept it from Harry." She 
 
 proceeded to tell him how Oscar had discovered 
 
 342
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 his close relationship to me, and what a nar- 
 row escape we had from marrying a brother 
 to a sister. Harry listened to it all, speechless 
 with astonishment ; but, noble soul that he 
 was, he soon recovered himself and began 
 laying plans for communicating with Josef and 
 bringing him back to us. He even declared 
 he would go to New York himself ; but the 
 words had no sooner been spoken than the 
 door opened and there was Oscar, my mother 
 and Josef. I stood for a moment amazed. 
 I knew it was my mother. A second more, 
 and I was locked in her arms, sobbing and 
 crying, " Oh, mother ! My mother ! At last ! 
 At last !" 
 
 She hugged me and kissed me, and her eyes, 
 too, were brimming with tears. " Thank God," 
 she said, " after all these years of suffering and 
 prayer, I am permitted to look upon my child's 
 face. They tore you from my arms, my daugh- 
 ter, when you were only two days old ; and I 
 have searched for you constantly. For ten 
 years I was confined behind stone walls, help- 
 less in mind and body ; but God had pity on 
 me, and my mind was restored. From that 
 
 343
 
 Minna. 
 
 day on, I have searched the world for you, my 
 darling. Believe me, my love, day and night, 
 your mother has prayed for one thing only ; 
 that I might see your dear face before I die. 
 Can you forgive me, my child ? Can you learn 
 to love me ? " 
 
 I kissed her face, her head, her hands. I 
 pressed her tightly to my breast. " Oh, mother ! 
 mother dear ! " I cried. " Don't talk that way ! 
 A mother like you, to own, to love, to cherish ? 
 Learn to love you ? I learned that long ago. I 
 have suffered much to see your sweet face. 
 Oh, mother, mother ! My mother ! " 
 
 Josef, took my mother by one hand and^me 
 by the other. 
 
 " My dear friend Dr. Leiter," he said. " The 
 joy of this hour is past conception ; for I have 
 here, by one hand, the " Angel of the Ward," 
 of whom I wrote you this morning, and by the 
 other, the wife of my bosom, whom God has 
 given me to love. It was a marvelous revela- 
 tion when I met Count Karapot by accident at 
 the depot, where I was about to take the train 
 for New York. He insisted on bringing me 
 back, and so told me that he is our brother, and 
 
 344
 
 My Yeshiva Bocher. 
 
 I am free to love my wife. We have all suf- 
 fered much and have earned this reward. 
 Minna, my wife, can you love your Yeshiva 
 Bocher?" 
 
 I could only answer by throwing myself in 
 his strong, manly arms. 
 
 Harry came in with our boy. 
 
 " Here is your son, Josef. We are here to- 
 night, a happy family, united after so much 
 sorrow. We are of many faiths and different 
 births, Jews and Christians, bound together 
 by the ties of love. 
 
 " Won't Christ in Heaven be delighted, 
 To see fulfilled His great wish ; 
 To see His children, on earth united, 
 As He has taught us, in love and peace ! " 
 
 THE END. 
 
 345
 
 A 000129102