The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-23
LETTERS OF
TWO WOMEN
BY ZOE BECKLEY.

Kate Has an Unexpected Experience.
New York, November Something.
May Dearest;
Sucl strange experience! l have
visited Paurs family, been inspected
and finally, 1 think, approved.
You know Paul and his family were
q good deal of a mystery 1 hadn't
time to learn much about them. And
deep in my heart L had sneaklng
relucta.- ce to do it.
''They have Jewish blood" I told
myself turning cold at the thought
Visions of bearded men, wigged wom-
en-, millions of lumpy babies, all
swarming in an east side ghetto, rose
in my poor, ignorant mind.
You know, Kits, how we always
used to say to each other, Nice
enough, PERHAPS, but-Jews!" And
that would settle it so far as knowing
them was concerned, no matter VINO
they might be-the girls in school who
grabbed off all the prizes, men in
business who seemed to get rich by
more or less undignified methods.
young men in the office or elsewhere
whom we CHANGED to meet.
The mere hint, Jew" put an end
to our interest. We never knew why.
We never anaIyzed. Or investigated.
Or went far enough to admire their
ability or fineness, or the decency of
their morals and habits.
Well came an invitation from
PauFs aunt and her husband (his par
ents are both dead), who live in Phila-
has a government position in Wash
ington, and was coming over with his
wife to join them. And there were a
few odd cousins and things.
Now, I am no snob, dear; you know
that But it never for one infant oc-
Cured to me that Paul. in marrying
me, might be mourning tn disap-
prevail of his mothers family Git was
his mother who was Jewish) q-ite as
surely as I was risking the displeasure
of mine!
have laughed since, no end Does
mt it illustrate the ingrained snobbish-
ness OF the Gentle race? Well, a.
how-.to the story.
There was no ghetto. Mrs Sill
man, Paurs mothers sister, lives in
a small brick house in a quiet street
Il don't suppose there's a noisy street
in Philadelphia, is there?) with her
husband, who has an engraving bust
ness, and her married daughter, SON
in-law and grand baby.
They We're pleasant to me- But no
one effervesced. They were evident
ly waiting to see how 1 developed. 1
was. as nice as 1 knew how to be.
Il felt so relieved. May, that they
weren't in the push-cart business or
T0ldiI pdHlS.J
Victor Danskoi, PauPs brother, is
a handsome fellow, quiet and APP
praising His wife, a dumping of a
girl, who 1 have faint suspicious is
something of a social climber, asked
me for tea and looked surprised when
1 told her 1 was business woman and
would have to get back to New York
that night.
1 liked the aunt and uncle best.
AS we were leaving to catch the train
Mrs. Sillman pulled me off into a
quiet room and kissed and Rugged
me. a-st
I'VE love you" she said. so simply
and suddenly that 1 felt a mist come
to my eyes. Then 1 saw there were
tears in hers. Make our Paul a
good wife" she said. He will make
you happy. 1t is our way
Isn't it incredible, Maize, how much
people are alike the world over? These
people-born away off in Russia, in
such different environment from
ours, have the same Thoughts the
same feelings, the same ways, even, as
ourselves.
1 told Paul so that night, and he
said: We'll, goose, what do you ex-
pect us to be, kangaroos?'
L don't know what / did expect.
But somehow it is a marvel that Paul
and 1 seem SO made for each other
Ever lovingly your KATIE.