The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-11-23
Old Mendel Goes
to Rachel
By ERNEST LEVINE
70. 1922, Western Newspaper Union.)

There was really no reason why Old
Mendel should continue at seventy.
five to push his cart laden with cheap
East side. But the habits Of a life
time are difficult to eradicate, and
Mendel had been doing it for thirty.
i've years.
He had come over from Poland in
the prime of life, determined to make
Rachel. They had been married ten
| years, and, though they had no chill
dren,' they had always been happy
together, since they first became sweet
hearts as a boy and girl.
Mendel had not prospered at first.
1t had taken him two years in a
sweatshop to save up enough money
to acquire pushcart, and then the
saving up for the steamship fare was
slow process. At last, however, he
was able to send the money.
A letter came back incloslng 1t.
Rachel had died of typhus about the
time Mendel was buying the draft on
the Warsaw bank.
She had died, fancying that he was
standing beside her bed, and that same
night Mendel had had such a strange
dream Of her.
He had dreamed he was home, but
In a strange house and holding Rach-
els hand, and she had told him that
she could not come over Immediately,
but that she would come soon and
all would be well.
Old Mendel was dazed by the news.
For a week he did something that no
self-respecting Jew would think Of do
ing; he got drunk. Then he was found
in Hester street with his pushcart
again.
Time passed. The neighbors who
had pitied him, began to look askance
at him. "Why doesn't Mendel get
married again? they asked. They
knew he had tidy sum put by.
Mendel did not marry again, and
after while he was accepted as
confirmed old widower. And he was
growing old, so that the girls no long
he let his beard grow long.
Old Mendel had twelve thousand
dollarst in the oank. There was no
reason why he should have continued
to push his cart. But every day he
was seen in the streets, calling his
wares mechanically. Nobody bought
of Mendel, for all his goods were out
Of style. They only said, "There goes
Old Mendel"
Old Mendel loved the streets, the
swarming children, for whom he had
a pat on the head, and sometimes a
of the East side. 1t was his life, 1t
was the life to which he had meant
to bring Rachel. He often fanced
that she was with him. Sometimes
people would hear him muttering, but
they did not know he was talking to
her. They only said, "Old Mendel's
getting queer"
Tho day was so bright and warm
Old Mendel sat down ON a doorstep,
his pushcart standing In the road. The
policeman, who knew Old Mendel,
looked the other way when he saw
that Old Mendel was sleeping. Grad
ually the hum of conversation the roar
Of the traffic passed into dull mono
tone, and Old Mendel dreamed.
1t was so vivid dream that he might
have been living. He saw Rachel
standing before him with outstretched
ov
face. And 1t was not Rachel as she
would have been, not even as she had
been when they kissed each other
good-by before he sailed, but Rachel
as she was when he first courted her.
And the first thought that came to
Old Mendel was, 81 am too old. Why
hasn't she changed in all these years?"
But Rachel kissed him and said, "It's
been long waiting for you, my dear,
but I've managed to come at last"
Mendel forgot that 1t was a dream.
"God bless you, Rachell" he said. I'm
going to take such nice apartment
for you-four rooms and bath. And
I've got twelve. thousand saved up so
we can buy our furniture outright
But l dreamed you we're dead, and I've
been so unhappy"
"There's no such thing as death, my
dear" she answered smillngly. Here
I've been walking up and down Hester
street beside you for years, trying to
talk to you, and sometimes you an
swered me, but you were never quite
sure Il was l."
Mendel remembered that he had
fallen asleep. promise me that this
isn't dream!" he pleaded. "Have
you really come back to me forever"
"Forever and ever" answered Rach.
ell softly, as she drew his head down
to her breast.
The policeman, returning on his pa
troll. glanced at Mendel again. "The
old mans having long Sleep" he
thought. He crossed the road and
touched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey, Mendel, wake upp he said.
'Srime to go home for supper. "
nusntt Iaave vnur cart etandinO I'm