Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-12-27
A POLISH ELIAS.


measuring cut coffee-beans into a twisted
I'D piece Of newspaper. His wife, a some
what bulky woman Of 10 or therea bouts
was seated near the window with soma
needlew0rk in her Eanis She was not
working at this moment but, with her head
slightly on one side, was critically watching
her husbands operations
"Mendele," she said et last, when she had
Contemplated him for some minutes in
silence and had noted how some o, the
fragrant berries had escaped from their re-
ceptacle and were rolling about TIE dirty
brick foor-"Menieie, you are spilling all
the coffee beans Your hand is not as steady
as it used 10 be-" In truth. not above a
doxsn berries had COMO astray in the pro-
cess; but there was q censorious emphasis on
the word all which caused the old man to
start apprehensively.
"Wherei where,' he inquired nervously.
peerins down through his dingy spectacleS
But his eyes had no longer the ferret-like
sharpness Of youth and he had some diff
Guilty in distinguishing the tiny truants
from the general dust that surrounded
them; and the operation Of picking them up
was tedious and irksoms exceedingly. for
Lis back, like the hands and eye, was no
longer what it used 10 be. Rsbecea Blum
dorm made no attempt to assist her husband
in his tedious search. Vita discoaten:sj
expression she surveyed his process iings
and as she noted how stiff and how ianguii
his movements had become of late, how
torpid his eye and how unsteady his Eand.
she shook her head more than once. A
very attentive observer might have
thought that she was drawing msn:a. com
parsons between her aged spouse and soma
other member of the male sex, WHO had
sharper eyes, a steadier haai AMI mora
elastic backbone
Her reflections, whatever they may have
been, were interrupted by the entrlnce Of
another customer. q fur-coate! peasant
who asked for brandy. Tho pea-ant in quss-
ton had already partsksn OF considerably
more alcohol than was good for him, for his
gait was unsteady and his utterance was
thick and indistinct 1t was therefore not
surprising that Mendels shouli have mis-
taken his wishes
Sugar -candyI' he repeated with bsnevo-
lent aiacrity. Directly. directly"
"Brandyi" screamed Rsbecca into his
ear. HMendele, you are growing stons
deaf" Soon after this two young
ladies appeared on tho scene, with
request for blue sarcenst ribbons;
Tor Mendele Bluhiorn's trade did not
consist merely in spirits ani groceries.
but his business comp-issl draper's
department as well, alias shelf in the back
shop where such luSuries as coarse prints1
ca,icoes, faded silk ribbons, himsy,
cotton laces and occasionally n few
soiled remnants OF real satin or velvet nigh.
be found. or late this particular depart
mont had not been very flourishiaS, for
customers rarely found what they wanted,
and often went off grumbling to the new
shop opposite, kept by a more enterprising
Hebrew, whose prices were rather higher,
to be sure. but who was always able to pro-
duce stuffS and trimmings exactly like those
worn in the resdence-two years previously.
On this occasion also Mendels failed to
satisfy the fair daughters OF the village post
master. who had come to him in quest OF
azure ribbons wherewith to bind their frizzy
curls.
First he brought out the box OF green
ribbons by mistake, and when he did find
the right color at last the stock proved to
have run very low, and of what remained
some ribbons We're too broad AMI Others
were too narrow, AMI none of them hit
Of precisely the exact hue necessary
to contrast favorabiy VITA tawny locks, and
thereby attract the admiriny attention of
the other sex
In high dudgeon the two damsels fIouncei
out OF the shop, only to make place to an
incensed cook, who was returning the butter
purchased half an hour previously. Her
mistress would have none of il, she roughly
explained, lit was positively rancid-stink-
ing; and he would just be pleased TO return
the money on the spot
"Msndele," said Rsbecca. as soon as the |
shop was again empty, putting down Ter |
wosk and approaching her husband. ayou |
have not made q single good Geschaft |
tbargain) this day; the trade is going illn |
Not more than usual" said the old man |
pcevishly. "Geschafts are not to be made |
every day. ani butter gets rancid from tims |
TO time when there are not enough buyers, |
for March is always q slack season !
with US"
ut need not be slack said Rebecca per-
sistently; NOR would the butter bs allowed |
to get rancid if there were some one who
understood how to praise his wares, and |
knew how to keep customer from reach.
ing the shop-door. But it all comes because
you are no longer young, Mendele"
did ever say that l was youngs, ex-
claimed the husband; and as he said it the
word young had a strange. foreign sound
in his ears. and there came over him a sort
known what it was TO be young
In truth Mendels Bluhdorn never had
been young. There had not been either
time or opportunity for his youth :, de-
velop His whole life from Is to 81 had
been lived out within the grimy walls OF
his dingy shop. where strings of dried figs
and of toadstools. smoked fish and tallow
candles in lunches hung in picturesque
medley from the rafters. and where jars OF
'alted butter, sugar-candy and lollipopa
stood ranged beside bottles containing va
rious colored and various favored Woiki
DR. spirit.
This shop was Meniels Bluhdorn's whole
world, and. looking lack now upon his long
ife he could scarcely have found a remin-
scence that was unconnected, OF, so TO say,
Favored with rancid butter or tsllow-iips
At the age when eyes are usually bright
Ind cheeks rosy, Mendele's eyes had long
'iuce become as dull As those Of the picklsd
behring's in the barrel. and his complexion
Is pasty as the tallow candles which he sold.
lie hardly seemed aware that there was an
'ther world outside his world, or that there
sere other perfumes beyond the arcmas OF
alt fish and potent cheese
For the last fifteen years of his life Men.
leie Bluhdorn had never quilted his dwell.
NJ save TO 60 to the synagogue on the
sabbath; and rs this building stood but
few doors of from his own the circle in |
which he moved was very narrow, indeed
sebecca was his second wife, and the
,hildrsn she had brought him. as well as
hoe 81 his first marriage. were all suitably
'roviiei for-soms by matrimony. others
" death. Rebecca was 81 years younger
han her husband, and she had of late often
eminded him OF this circumstance To-day
he was more than usually persistent. in
arpiIg upon tie subject.
In fact she went on, after a pause
You are getting old. Mendele: it is time
'ou were beginning to think of your age at
asst"
Everybody gets Old some tirae or other,'
answered Mendels. YEARLY: "and thinking
bout it will not mend the matter anywise"
The old jew would fain have closed the sub
,sa, hS absorbing hi9sslf in the rs.rrans.
is Rebecca hal resolved TIA. he should
10Th speak AMI think further OF the matter
o-day. FOR she was of the opinion that very
much indeed could be nlsndei thereby, so
be said:
-You wers - last November, Manisie,
nd you know what the prophet saysr
"Tnere have been a sight Of prophets, and
hey have all Of them said many things one
way and another" said Msndele, rather
sstily. How should know which OF them
GU are meaning just nowf'
q Thy days shall be three score and ten"
Rebecca in an oracuiar tons OF
oica
There bein. no answer TO this encouraging
ta:emsnt she repeated still more emphati-
ally: -Thrsa-Scpre and Tan