The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-12-15
A GHETTO STORY.

| We trudged our way through the nal.
row Ghetto streets on the afternoon OF
a sultry day until we reached our Che
der. which was dingy apartment in a
tenement house We were very rest
less and boisterOus. but our Rabbi
Joseph did not check our noise as he
generally did. His thoughts seemed
very far away. looked at him close
", for his preoccupied air always made
me wonder what his past life had been.
He was about sixty years of age.
Poverty must have been his constant
companion, because burrows of care
were on his broad, wrinkled forehead.
His eyes peered out of their sockets as
if they implored pity, and were now
and then raised in prayer to the Heav-
enly Father. On the side Of his ears
hung two earlocks. according to the
Oriental fashion. His beard was long
and hoary His shoulders were so bent
and curved that he seemed to have
borne the yoke of persecution of his
race for centuries. A large Hebrew
book lay open before him, as if the
very leaves spoke to him and revealed
the powers and splendors of the AL
mighty. Although he was poor, we
boys always reyered him for his age
and ancient learning.
Then we seated ourselves upon a
large wooden bench. which creaked I'M
der us. Moses, who sat next to me,
pricked my feet with a pin under the
table. This made me howl and j
vowed that when we were dismissed /
would repay him with interest.
lar' said rabbi, in his deep gov
erning voice. IF you promise to be
good will tell you a story afterward."
This made us quiet soon enough, for
we always delighted in the stories Of
our past glories. Yet l must say that
perhaps we thought more of the com
ing story than OF our prayer. Then, in
the Hebrew we began to recite psalm
with real vigor. Our heads shook. our
feet swung, and. to complet the noise.
the bench creaked terribly. When we
had finished Rabbi Joseph began as fol-
lows:
''You know it is sometimes relief to
tell all that lies upon ones heart" He
cleared his voice and gathered courage.
i had wealthy parents and received
good education. MY youth passed
away happily. for l knew no cares.
When | was twenty-five years old
married Esther, good and beautifu;
maiden. She was the daughter of
Rabbi Ben Ezra. AS pure as lily was
her soul 0 Father, keep 1t. keep it
within Thy carer Here he lifted up
his hands and his voice was full Of pas
sion, while two tears ran down his
cheeks and lost themselves within the
ringlets of his beard.
We. boys put our arms upon one an
others shoulders and seemed to nestle
closer to the speaker.
mot long" he concluded. was my
home to be the source of comfort for
the poor and homeless. for the Gar is
sued an edict expeIling the Hebrews Of |
the villages. l had to go where all my |
brethren went, into the gloomy Ghet-
tos of few large. overcrowded cities.
At wilma suffered the woes of my peo- !
pie. ! gave myself up to teaching by |
lay and studied by night.
Zone evening when / was at my stu.
lies in my humble dwelling felt COM
forted that the Russians could not. at /
east, take my Esther from me. Then.
with a tremendous crash. the doors
we're suddenly thrown open and two
drunken officers entered. They thrust
ny wife away, and seizing me by the
,ollar they dragged me into the cold
nowy streets. l heard the screams
ind shrieks OF Esther. Oh! can hear
hem yet. They echo dry and hollow
within my heart
Il was placed upon a wagon. OH
which found many of my miserable
'rethren. We afterward found out
hat the army wanted soldiers. and this
5 how il got them. After a few days
Quincy we arrived at a village inhab-