The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-23
No. 172.


a Jewess? Must people, then, point at
you? 1t is true my daughter-in-law is
no longer Jewess, nevertheless people
always call her the Jewess And yet
for ten years she has been going to
church; she has been baptized with holy
water, and is my son wife.
4 deep blush--was it blush of anger
or Of shame which spread over Joseph's
face at that moment? He did not say
a word
The following day | went to see my
son. Early in the morning [ beoan my
journey. and late in the evening | arriv-
ed in the village where my son lives.
The old pear-tree had lost its vigor
entered my Parvel's house he was not
at home | only found there his wife
and children, and they did not know me.
| did not tell them right off that | was
their grandfather and [ said to my
daughter-in- law, wouldike to wait for
her husband; [ wanted to speak to him
My Parvel's wife replied that she had no
objection. [ sat down; and she sent her
Oldest child for some beer, bread and
butter. Then she took a seat beside
me, so that could closely observe her
From minute to minute [ felt greater
affection for her, for [ could remark at
once that she must be good mother;
bn
brought up ; and when one of them did
not mind, she did not whip it, nor did
she say, Wait only until your father
comes home; but cast look at the child
who obeyed Immediately, and | was
highly pleased with this sight The
second girl was christened Marianka,
which was the name of my old woman.
"Marianka?' Joseph cried astonished,
" Marianka is very nice child she
runs between my feet, holds fast t. my
legs, and looks at me as if she had knewr
me eyer s.ace Size was oorn ! imagine,
how wa scared when the cblld enaeay.
ored ,o sit upon my hp and sad Gr,o5
father. ggaaafathgl My pa..eia aile
laughed mud sald - the child, Little
foo tnat is not your grandfather, but
he may look like him She tried to
take the child away from me, but the
little Girl grasped me with her tiny
hands and cried, / want to stay with my
grandfather AT that moment the
church bell rings for the evening prayer:
then | see what did not expect My
Paryel's wife kneels down before our
Saviour. The children, the oldest girl
and the youngest boy lneel beside her
and with loud voice. she said the
Lord S prayer, and the children repeated
it after her. | listened to her as if i,
who am seventy odd years old, had heard
it for the first time in my life. Was
this a Jewess? [ asked myself, surely
she must have been baptized in holy
water on the very day Of her birth
Feeling unspeakable tortures in his
heart Joseph could only nod in silence.
:" was still holding the child in my
arms, and Magdalena, my daughter-in-
law was still knceling on the floor, and
praying with the other children, when
the door was opened, and my son ParyeI
entered need not tell you the rest. |
settled my account with him he re-
mains my son Paryel, and [ remain his
father, WacZlaw Smetana. Now we
have become the best Of friends, If
God only spares for many years the life
Of his Magdalana, She will be a wife
quite different from the others; it is I'M
possible to do her justice. By her in
fuence my son has become another man;
| found that out by a thousand things.
When my son married against my will
the Jewess maiden, | gave him moth
ing but the inheritance left him by his
mother, and yet own over eighty acres
of land; but by his economy and by the
wise management of his wife, he has got
along these ten years. He did not ask
me for a cent, and as Magdalena told
me, they owe nothing at ALL Now | am