Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-05


short Jonathan coming from his hut, and
ran in to bring out the big chair. But
Jonathan could not sit down; he was too
excited; he had a letter which he struck
again and again with his hand.
"Thisv' he cried, this proves l was
right From jacob"
Old Isaac looked up slowly-his left
eyelld dropping more than ever. What
Jacob?" he asked
Thou must rememberl" said Jonathan,
looking over the edge of the letter. "Ten
years ago he lived three huts from the
crossway."
Isaac knit his brows.
"Wellr cried Jonathan. impatiently.
His wife wore the first dress from
Odessa. Don't you remember that morn
ing she came to the Synagogue"
Isaacs eyes twinkled. Jonathan" he
said, this is sinful"
But Jonathan was impatient-"Jacob-
the swiftest tailor-the first man here
who sewed on the Sabbath. You can't
remember? Why, his boy died OF a bad
back. You sat up those two nights to rub
It,"
Old Isaac's eyebrows lifted. "Ci-oil
Poor little Samuel His father made
him sew all day when he was six years
old"
Jacobs heart was smalll' cried Jona-
than. His mind was sharp and thin like
his body; his fist was always tlght!'
Thou shalt not curse a deaf man."
said Isaac, quietly, quoting the Torah
with twinkle.
IF he was here to listen he would not
carel He is too happy Listenl From
here he went to Podolia, and from there,
five years ago. to New York. There
already his girl grows rich. free, beauti-
full! Listen--she goes to school and to
vau-vau- day-ville concerts, and has fine
clothes. He has a factory with sixty
men. They work only from eight in the
morning till three in the afternoon, and
yet In that time they make thousands Of
coats. why? why7" Here Jonathan's
voice became slow Because machines
machines? Electricity! Now will you
believe me2 The shuttle moves itself
All men can be rich and free at last"
Isaac got up stlffiy, seized the letter
and read IT, "Oi-oi." he murmured.
His brows twitched nervously: his eyes
watered; his big hands trembled When
halfway through he looked up. But
is this happiness for ALP His voice had
changed and was husky. Tail Abram
went from our village two years ago to
New York. He has not written to US.
What OF him?'
pointing down the page. "Abram-in
Jacobs factory-happy-wor light.
And here Jacob says-f we would be
happy-come to him."
Old Isaac bent and stared close a
moment, but then shook his head. TOO
old-too DID," he said. sadly. Il should
have gone with Abram." He sat down.
Come back when the light is gone" he
said and Jonathan rushed of to another
hut. Isaac worked ten minutes, bending,
aching. Then he stopped, with his old
head cooked to one side. Many thou
sand coats in one day." he murmured
! "Oi-oii Oi-oi!' He worked and then
stopped again. His girl-beautiful-
clothes - school - fine concerts - noble
music. I wonder now what vaudayvIlle
means" So the old man worked in the
| dark.
Late that night he told little Yetta to
go TO bed But she could not sleep, and
came softly to the hut door. Isaac sat
staring at the big moon. his beard bow
| ing slowly UP and down. After a long
| time she heard him whisper out into the
night. She bent closer. Happy" he
whispered. My Yetta-hsppy-hap
At daybreak she came again. His face
looked haggard and old. but his eyes were
young and glad. and he seemed to grow
stronger and younger with the daylight.
! we will surely CO." he told her that
| morning. His voice continued husky and
| his brows grew very nervous. for to that
! old man the long, strange Jou. ley, with
his scant money. was a fearful prohem.
Three months later Isaac and Yetta
stood in the doorway OF Jacobs factory
| on Broome street. Isaac felt the whir
and buzz. He stared at the long table;
on each side fifteen men, almost boys
bending; with elbows jerking back and
forth. backs swaying. heads bobbing. eyes
| straIning, fingers jumping. all racing.
Soon Jake saw them at the door. He
| hurried over impatiently and looked at
the old man for a moment. Being short.
he had to squint up. He snapped through
| his nose, ''Not you want7"
Tall Isaac stared down-amazed and be-
wildered. Happy, beautiful. free. noble.
| Jake was only fat.
w, Ven? Wy don't you speakT" crjfd Jake.
1T must be-" said Isaac az last In
Ylddish. The voice is the same. Thou
art Jacob. Thou art changed In ten years. ="
Jake squinted harder. Then pc ratified
in Ylddish: "what-ten years-+Russia-
yes-yes-Isaac! The dreamer-the Cohen
| descendant from Aaron)-glad u see you!
And the girl-pretty, by GodI-Prettyl
| Glad TO see you'll never ffrget old
! friends" He thought hard a second; his
shop was short of hands; II wa the rush
season. "Goodr' he cried. my old
friend. let me help you-let md give you
work! Friendship first! Monasy after!
Heigh!' he shouted in Engliah to his
men who had stopped to look let work.
ing! Volts de natter" He huHried over.
! We'll? Veil? Wy not?" Again. he went
to the door. And then old Isaac, tired
and hungry. while he stared at those men
racing, heard from fat Jake the story Of
how to grow happy.
Work. Savel That's howl ! came
! to New York with a wife and one girl
| ten years old. l worked In a sweat-shop;
so dlu my girl-you bet-till the truant
officer made her go to school; then told
my wife she must have no more children"
At this Isaac drew back. for by the Tai
mud 1t is a terrible offense for a woman
to prevent her fruitfulness Had to do
! IT." snapped Jake with a big family
you can never raise out of the common
crowd, Work? worked faster than all
in the shop; Saturdays / worked like
| Christian, Sundays like a Jew; I made in
rush season eighteen dollars a fweek; in
dull, four dollars more dun weeks than
| rush: average nine dollars. Sate? | got
board for my wife with her brother. who
made eleven dollars a week. he is a fool
and is still poor. Then got the inspector
| OF half-orphan asylum to come to my
room. Take the GIRL" said; her mother
| has become a bad woman" The girl they
had for three years / paid fof her one
dollar a week. three dollars for my own
bed and board, one dollar to my wife for
| clotheS-four dollars saved. The money
| grew. My wife died from consumption
poor woman!-and cost me sixty two
dollars. for buried her good. But got
| all back by saving. / was happy again
Inc two years l rented machines and a
| l.