The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19

very hollow and overgrown with a
tousled black beard, over which hung
his long, silky beiis, which frequently
ANNOYED him when he bent forward to
thread a needle. A skull cap invaria-
bly, crowned his head. The material Of
this cap was a puzzle to me. At first
I thought IL was velvet because Of it's
gloss and blackness, but after closer
observation ! found the gloss to have
been chiefly due to the pressure Of his
hat, under which he always wore his
cap. in order (as he once explained to
mel that he might not remain bare
headed when delivering clothes in
places where the removal of his cap
would be necessary, so I changed my
opinion.
Groone was Menke's second love, and
by no means had he been disappointed
in his second venture. for in little
over seven months he had been blessed
with a kaddish Ga male child to say
prayers after a dead parent. At first
the continued existence Of this kad-
dish was gravely doubted; neVerthe-
less, he grew tall and stopped, and had
as fine a pair OF crooked shoulders as
ever overtowered a folio Of Talmud.
His name was Samuel, which was
fondly diminished by his mother to
Shmulke, which his father. who talked
through his nose-because that organ
was broken a little below the Semitic
bridge-pronounced Shmunke; and Is
the kaddish likewise talked through his
nose he also had difficulty iRpronounc-
ing his own name, and therefore spoke
Of himself as Shmunke Menke
Shmunke's.
Although Menke was very anxious to
have a daughter Cfor as Grocne used to
complain, she had enough bedclothes
for half a dozen daughters). the Lord
had shut up her womb" and Shmunke
remained a ben-yocrid Can only SOM.
Naturally, Shmunke was given to the
Lord all the days Of his life" and he
was destined by his parents to become
a rabbi. And in the manner Of the
prophet there never came scissors upon
his head. so that at the time of my
forming his acquaintance he could knot
his peiis under his chin. He was now
about Is years old. and his mind was
constantly rambling in the cul-de-sac
OF the Babylonian compilation.
There were only two rooms in the
house. One served for the kitchen. for
the bedroom Of the husband and wife.
and also for the tailor shop, in which
Menke and Groone sat from sunrise till
late at night over their work The
other was Shmunkes room; it was al
ways clean and neat. 1 was supposed
to share this room with him, but ii so
happened that it was practically mine
alone, for Shmunke stayed in the yes
hiva. to the extreme joy Of his poor
parents. every day and the greater part
of every night. and shook himself and
shouted as loud as his lungs would al
low over a large and heavy volume Of
Talmud.
The second day after l had come to
reside with these people Groone came
into my room. smoothing her heavy
wig. and a little awkwardly opened
conversation. 'Teploffker Cmost of the
students were called by the name of
the town they came from). 1 hate to
intrude upon people; you know, IT is
not my nature As I always say to my
husband Cmay he live a hundred and
twenty yearsD some people like TO im-
pose, but our natures are quite the
other way We know cur station. Not
like Belle Yente Mollie Zippe,s, who
thinks because her second cousin was
rabbi she is an aristocrat. / know full
well. if not for my Shmunke, who.
Rabbi Brill said with his own holy
mouth. is going to be a shining light in
Israel. 1 would be no more than the