The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-01
The Mad-House
By SIMEON YUsHKEwITCH
Copyright, 1924. Jewish Telegraphic
Agency

keeps reminding me OF II. He wants
| the synagog. the little synagog in
NikOlaev. There is Il synagog here too,
but what comparison is there?'
In Nikolaev l was president of the
synagog. And here-who am l here
/ There's n group of Frenchmen stand
ing across the street. Ask them who
i am? What do they know. about me
The cat standing at the doorway there
is of more Importance to them than 1
am. But in Nikolaev it was differ
ent. i was somebody, wasn't |, Nath-
anson?'
NathansOn felt sadness coming
over him. He forgot all about his
good stroke of business in the morn
ing. Something began tugging at his
heart-strings. n sickness fell upon him,
and grew stronger and stronger.
"Who was there in Nikolaev l didn't
know? Schmirer went on. who was
there in Nikolaev who didn't know me :?
II l bought my wife new coat, every
body In the town knew about it, came
into the house and wished her well to
wear it. In every home in the town
it was known that Schmirer had bought
his wife new coat.
''And here, no matter what do here.
nobody will take the slightest notice of
it.
Now ask you. Is it essential that
| should he known here? l keep on
telling my mailman that it doesn't mat
ter. But what's the use? He wants
Nikolaev. He wants the market place
in NikG3aev. and the little synagOg in
Nikolaev and the friends of Nikoiaev
and the cemetery of Nikolaev. He
won't listen to reason. He's mad
He wants NikoIaev. He would rather
have the cemetery of Nikolaev than
the whole of Paris. You understand?
Here, when i am dead, where will /
he buried? In Nikolacv, | knew where
they would put me. There was a
whole company of friends lying in the
cemetery waiting for me. There was
my mother. and my father, and my
grandmother, and my grandfather.
There were my friends. my relations
and good old Doctor Nahumcwitch. l
had my own people there, you under
stand? And hcre-what have | here?
With whom will lie here? Who will
come TO visit my grave In this great
city? Who will think of me here?''
"Well,' Williamson sighed, you are
II nice friend to meet! You are driv-
ing me mad with your talk.
SchInirer looked abashed. and turned
his head away. Il suppose you too
have your madman'' he replied. Don't
you ever ask yourself, why did this
Bolshevism come. Whom did it hurt
that l had my little shop. with my
stock of shoes? Idiotic! Couldn't
they dc without it?
'Nathanson, my son is going to get
married. Shes II French girl. jew
ish. but she's more French. She is
not of our people. What will l do
with her? Why must 1 be an anti
que-dcalcr? l am Il shoe-merchant.
Don't you understand me l was Il
part of Nikolaev and Nikolaev was n
part of me. My madman keeps on urg-
ing me home, back to Nikolaev. go
back home he shouts. How?
Where is ms home? What has been
left of it? Who is there? One has
been shot and the other has died dur
ing the famine, and the third died of
the cpidemics. the fourth has ran away,
like you. like me. The synagOgs are
closed. The cemetery is destroyed.
There is no Nikolaev left. Don't you
understand?
81 sometimes go to n restaurant with
my wife and my children. | sit down
among lot Of Frcnchmcn, I who have
come from Nikolaev, and l ask myself {:
is it real? Is it / who am sitting
here?
II feel that l want to cry. You un-
cry, when the garcon comes up and
asks me what 4 want. / would like
to tell him that l want to die!
MY son and his sweetheart and my
daughter, they like Paris. But l can
not forget how we used to live in my
home in Nikolacv. l tell you. Nathan
son, even if they could give me every
thing here l had in NikoLaev. it would
net be the same. Iou understand? For
little corner in NikOlaev, 1 would
marte? / would give you all Paris,
all France. Oh, that mailman, that
mailman in my brain, He is driving
me mad. But speaking between our
selves. Nathanscn, isn't he right. Isn't
it the only thing left to me, to throw
myself into the river? But no, | will