Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-22


there but 7 could find neither my parents nor
regular work.
Finally, after several months of hardships
during which spent most of the time in the
open air, despite the cold nights. and also went
for days without food I thought would risk
everything and return again to Kiev. There
was overjoyed to find my parents. who had Just
returned. In our happiness we all cried and
we sat up all that night and talked. My parents
had thought never to see me again, and they did
nothing but embrace and kiss me-
With the aid of some relations who gave us
their savings, my family scraped a few roubes
together and bribed the police to let me remain
IN the town for a time. My father by now was
too old to work and he and my mother were
being supported by some Jewish charities. and
they were now more comfortable than they had
been since We first left Nescherow.
The Pitiful Lack of Opportunity.
| started once more on my hunt for work; but
it WAS more difficult than ever. | was not edu-
Gated enough to do the work should have
liked had no trade. and was too old for the
odd jobs in shops that had done before going
into the army.
This search after work went on for some
months, until. young and strong as was, fell
Ill ms the result of privation and exposure.
had no home at the time. never enough to eat
and slept anywhere could. l could feel my.
self growing weaker every day.
One day met a Jewish doctor. He saw how
I'll ! was and told me to come to his house aud
be examined. He had examined me, and found
that 1 was in the first stage of consumption
This news made me very sad. because thought
] could not live for more than a few months
My relations wept bitterly when l told them.
and my parents fell I'll with grief
A few days afterwards my parents came to
me and said. "Mendel you must come and live
with us. II you do not you may die at any mo-
ment"
Such an idea had never entered my head
said to them: you have scarcely enough bread
for yourselves. or clothes to keep you warm.
cannot take from you.''
You are our SON. replied my father Come
to us. The good God will provide for us all
But, as it happened, the Jewish doctor had
spoken about me to famous specialist This
good man had me taken to a hospital and at
tended to me himself. l remained there nearly
year.
With good food and care soon began to i'm
prove. But the constant worry OF my life the
anxiety Of not knowing where the next mea
was coming from. had destroyed my nerve
Often would wake up in the middle Of the
night In great misery. and l prayed to God
"oh. God. send me death. take my life while
have no wife and no children. and relieve my
soul from the awful suffering that | have to
endure Death seemed to me tile only way out
of my troubles.
Nearly a year of the hospital put new life
into me- felt myself growing stronger all the
time. and began to look forward to trying
once more to make my way In life. Then came
an event which changed everything for me.
few days before l was due to leave the hos.
pital, girl whom had known all my life came
to see me-. thought she wanted to tell me that
she was glad was better but this was not
"Mendel," she said what are you going to
do when you leave here?"
u shall try again to find work" answered
But what can you do? You have no money,
no powerful friends. You will suffer just as
you have suffered in the past"
had to admit that what she said was prob
ably true. but all the same 1 replied that was
going TO do my best.
Now why don't you try and marry a wife
with a doyry?" she asked.
why should | try to make another human
being as unhappy as MYSELF" answered. BE
Sides what girl would have me-such poor
unfortunate MANI?
A Romance" In Russia.
Listen. Mendel." she continued "as yol
know, have sister. She is not very old-only
twenty-six-about the same age as yourself. She
is pretty and lots of young men want to marry
her. We think 1t is time she was married and
We have chosen you for her husband, becaus" az
know you are honest and will lie good to ber.7
was taken completely by surprise-T did not
know what to answer. At last 1 said:
you know already it is impossible. ] could
not possibly keep her. At present I do not
know how to get food for myself. You know
that have no education and that, up to now,
! have been unable to find work that good
Jew, the son Of respected parents, could pos
siby do
"Mendel," she said, I'VE are going to give you
a dowry with my sister. You shall have 15o
roubles when you marry her. What is more We
viii get you employment My uncle owns some
brick works; we will get you the position Of
foreman"
| could scarcely believe her words The offer
seemed to be too good to be true / thanked ne
and accepted the proposal with gratitude.
In few days the marriage contract, by which
we were TO be married within month las
drawn up and signed, and 1 was given the loo
roubles. My wife's father did not have the
money. but he sold his house for 200 rouoles
and when he had paid me the dowry he set aside
the rest for our marriage festival.
had never had so much money before. anu
I decided that 1 must buy some good clothes
with 1t for the wedding. I went to tailor
knew Il had never had a new suit Of clothes
before) and told him to make me a "siourtouK
(frock coat. 1t was lovely coat; it came ar
most down to my heels. 1 also bought another
suit Of clothes cheap and an overcoat- was
for the first time in my life. very proud OF ny
appearance.
Next week Mendel Bells will continue nls
story with description Of poarom or mas
sacre of the Jews, in which he barely escapes
death, and of his arrest the trumpeo'Vp
charges of numbering boy at religious f''''