New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-25
A POLISH ELIAS.

e.
thereabouts was seated near the window, with
syme needlework in her hands. She was not WORK
ing at this moment, but with her head sisnty IN ~,
one side, was critically watching her husoanu
Mendele,r she said at last, when she had con;
templated him for some minutes IN silence anu nad
noted how some of the fragrant berries had escapeu
from their receptacle and were rolling aDou. tli 1
dirty brick floor" Mendele. you are spliline az
the colee-beans. Your hand is not as steady as u
used to be-" In truth, not above dozen DerrIos
had gone astray in the process put there was
ccnsorious emphasis on the word dH which cauSou
the old man tn start apprehcnsiyely
@Where where ~ he inquired nervOusy, peerng
down through his diDgy spectaclos But ms eyg'
had no Longer the terretIke snaI ness o. the
and he had some difficulty III DISTINGUISHING tl9
tiny truants from the general dust that suTrouhneu
them and the operation OF picking tnch up mas
tedious and irksomc exceedingly, Tor ms Dack lIho
the hand and the eyes was no longer wnat !. as
to be- RebecCa Bluhdorn made no nttemI 10 asslsV
her husband in his tedious search. WIN uISc aia
tented expression she surveyed ms proceedings hu
as she noted how stiit and how languid his move,
ments had become OF late, how torplu MS eyo "uu
how unsteady his hand she SHOOK her neai Ior ,o
than once. very attentive observer might INV
thought that she was drawing mental comparisons
between her aged spouse and some other member Oh
the male seX who bad sharper eyes, Ste"'ioi
hand and more elastic back bone. .
Herrehectons whatever they may nave een. were
interrupted by the entrance OF another customcT
fur coated PEASANT. who asked Tor biahny. me
peasant in question had already partakcn Oh consul
erably alcohol than WAS good Tor MN Ior ms
gait was unsteady and his utterance was thick ana
indistinct II was therefore not surprising that
Mendcle should have mistaken his wishes
@Sngar-candyw he repeated with benevolent
alacrity. Overwhelmingly!
Brandy screamed Rebecca into his ear
q Mendele you are growing stone-deaf" Soon alter
this two young ladies appeared on the scone WIN
request for blue sarcenot ribbons; LOT NIcnGo
Bmhdorn's trade did not consist merely IN spirits
and groceries, but his business comprised draper
department well, alias shelf IN the back SHOP
where such luxurics as coarse printed cahcoes'
faded silk ribbons finsy cotton Iacos anu occa-
siOnally few sollrd remnants oil real shtih OF
velvet, might be found OF late TINS pafticu n,is
department had not been very furnishing, for Gus
| TONERS rarely found what they wanted, ana oilon
went OFF grumbling to tho new shop opposite keP.
by more enterpriSng Hebrew whose prices WIZ 10
rath, higher to be sure hut who was always aOle
to produce stuils and trimmings exactly IKE thoSo
| worn in the residence-two years previously.
On this occasion also. Mcndclo lalled 10 SATISFY
| the fair daughters Of the village postmaster who
| had come 10 him in quest OF azure riDbohs where
! with to bind their frizzy curls
First he brought ont the box of green ribbons by
mistake and when he did find the right color at las
the stock proved % have run very low ana OF whAt
remained some ribbons were too broad ana Othcts
were too narrow, aud none of them MT OIL pTeclse,y
the exact hue necessary 10 contrast iayorahiy WIN
tawny locks. aud thereby attract tie admrlhg
attention OF the other sex
In high dudgeon the two dnmscls nounced ont Of
the shop. only to make place to an inccnsed COOK
who Was returning the bnttcr purchased nan nn
hour previously. -" Her mistress would have mono
of it, she roughly explained; :" 1t was positively
Notwithstanding; and he would just be pleased 10
return the money on the spot
@Mendcle." said Rebecca as soon as the shop
was again empty putting down ner woT mSa a,'a
single good GcschGf tbargaD tins day; the trade Is
gong St IN; mora than u,ual~ said the old man.
pccyishly Gcscidfs are not 10 bc made every
day and butter gets rancid from time to time when
there not enough buyers. for March Is always
at need not be slack" said Relecca pcrsstenily !;
nor wOuld the butter be allowed 10 get rancid. IL
there wer6 some one who understood how to praise
| l,axx nt,I lunx hnvy fp keen
reaching the shOp-door. But u all comes because
you are 10 longer young. Mcndelc'
Did ever say that was yonngr exclaimed
the husband; and as he said IL tho word Young
had n strange folesn sound IN his ears, and there
came over him sort of indistlnct feeling that he
never had known what 1t was to be younH
In truth. Menlele Bluhdorn never had been
young: there had not been either time or opPor-
tnnity for his youth to develop. His whole liic
from thirteen to sixty-nine had been hYeh OUT
within the grimy walls of his dingy shop where
strings Of dried figs IN OF toadsool., smoked rsh
and tallow candles IA lunches hung IN picturesque
medley from the rafteIs. and where Jars OF sailed
butter, sugbr-candy and lollpops stood ranged
beside BOTTLES containing various eolored aud
various Favored Uodk or spirits.
This shop was MendeIo Bluhdorns whole world !;
and l0okng back now upon his long life. hc could
scarcely have found Temlnlsccnco that was IN
connected or 80 % say Favored, with rancid butter
or tallow dips AZ the ago When eyes arc usually
brlrbt and checks are rosy Mendee's eyes had long
since become dull as those OF the plckIeI
hcrrings in the BARRE and his complexion as paSty
MS the tallOw candles Whlch he boIu ITO INJURY
seemed aware that there was another world ontsld9
his world or that there were other perfumes beyond
the arumas Of salt fish and potent cheesos.
For the last fifteen years OF his life Mendele
Bluhdorn had never quilted his dwelling. save TO go
TO tie synagogue on the sabbath; ana rs tins
building stood but few doors of from his own
the circle ia which hc moved was very narrow
indeed Rcbecca was his second vie; and the
children she had brought him. rs well as those oil
his first marriage. were all suitably provided Tor
some by matri nOny, others by death. Kebecca was
twenty.seven years younger than her husband aud
she had Of late often reminded, him of this circum-
| stancc. To-day she was more than usually persist
ent in harp!ng upon the subject.
! I'm fact sho went OIL, after q pause. "you are
getting old. Mendelc; it Is time you were beginning
! TO think of your age at last
! Every body gets old sOmo time or other
! answered Mcndec. YEARLY; and thinking about
it will not mend the matter anywise' The Old jew
would fam have closed the subject by absorbing
! himself ia the Tc-arrangcment of a drawer OF
washing starch: but his Rebecca had resolved that
! he should both speak and think further of the
matter to-day. for she was Of opinion that very
much indeed could he monded thereby, so she said :
"You wore siXty-nine last November Mendele,
aud you know what the Prophet says
4" There have been sight OF prophets and they
| have all of thom said many thugs ono way aud
| another" said Mcndclo rather testify. " How
| should know which Of thom yOu are meaning Just
Thy days shalt be thrcesGC , and ie9" pro-
There being answer to this encouraging state
ment, she repeated still more emphatcally ::
" 1hTecscOrc and TIM"
We'll r said Mendcle. as nothing IN the way OF
rcpaTtcc occurred to him.
"And 50 il il time Jon were beginning to dctach
yourself from this neither earth where you are no
longer needed and proceeding to prepare yourself
for u better world"
al am never missing from the synagogue on the
Sabbath" said the husband in surprise " and !
keep all tho fcasts directed how else should |
prepare p But RcbeC,l evidently took a much
higher view of the septuagenarian's duties
"That is not sufficient" she explained. Now
that You have almost reached the prescribed term
of ia 1lV ~ "A
tiOn for what must now be close ut hand. Remem-
Der that it IS said He will como like thief in the
night"
But | cannot sit with folded hands till the
Maiach HdnOUes Angel of DEATH appears TO sum
mon me- he answered. - You know | cannot; !
have the shop to mind"
What IL met IL Won shnnld Give LID the shOp