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I could never read or write anything but Hebrew in all my life; but God be thanked, I have thriven without it. All they teach them in the school is English nonsense. The teachers are a pack of heathens, who eat forbidden things, but the good Yiddishkeit goes to the wall. I'm ashamed of thee, Méshe: thou dost not even send thy boys to a Hebrew class in the evening."
Simons was a busy woman and a poor withal, and the Ansells were a reticent pack, not given to expressing either their love or their hunger to outsiders; so altogether the children did not see so much of Mrs. Simons or her bounties as they would have liked. Nevertheless, in a grave crisis she was always to be counted upon. "I tell thee what, Méshe," said old Mrs.
Ansell often, "that woman wants to marry thee. A blind man could see it." "She cannot want it, mother," Moses would reply with infinite respect. "What art thou saying? A wholly fine young man like thee," said his mother, fondling his side ringlets, "and one so froom too, and with such worldly wisdom. But thou must not have her, Méshe." "What kind of idea thou stuffest into my head!
"Well, how goes it, Reb Méshe?" said Reb Shemuel with his cheery smile, noticing Moses loitering. He called him "Reb" out of courtesy and in acknowledgment of his piety. The real "Reb" was a fine figure of a man, with matter, if not piety, enough for two Moses Ansells. Reb was a popular corruption of "Rav" or Rabbi. "Bad," replied Moses. "I haven't had any machining to do for a month.
As instances of these last we may quote, for the first, the three zigzag lines which by simple imitation mean "water;" for the second, the oval which mean "a name," because kings' names were written within ovals; and for the third, a cup with three anvils, which mean "Lord of Battles," because "cup" and "lord" have nearly the same sound neb, and "anvils" and "battles" have nearly the same sound meshe.
He turned away despairingly, and was going back through the small archway which led to the Ruins and the outside world, when a grating voice startled his ear. "Well, Méshe, whither fliest thou? Has my Milly forbidden thee to see me?" He looked back. Malka was standing at her house-door. He retraced his steps. "N-n-o," he murmured. "I thought you still out with your stall."
I don't say thou dost, Méshe, but thou lettest thy children." "Well, your own butter is not kosher," said Moses, nettled. "My butter? What does it matter about my butter? I never set up for a purist. I don't come of a family of Rabbonim. I'm only a business woman. It's the froom people that I complain of; the people who ought to set an example, and are lowering the standard of Froomkeit.
"Go thou to the Widow Finkelstein." "But Esther can go," said Moses. "Yes, I'm going," said Esther. "Méshe!" repeated the Bube inexorably. "Go thou to the Widow Finkelstein." Moses went. "Have you said the afternoon prayer, boys?" the old woman asked. "Yes," said Solomon. "While you were asleep." "Oh-h-h!" said Esther under her breath. And she looked reproachfully at Solomon.
You seem to have forgotten everything; we've got a loaf and a penn'uth of tea in the cupboard. Solomon, fetch a farthing's worth of boiling water from the Widow Finkelstein." At the words "widow Finkelstein," the grandmother awoke and sat up. "No, I'm too tired," said Solomon. "Isaac can go." "No," said Isaac. "Let Estie go." Esther took a jug and went to the door. "Méshe," said the grandmother.
"Are you Meshuggah?" she asked after an awful silence. "Or have you, perhaps, saved up a tidy sum of money?" Esther flushed and shook her head. "There's no use coming to me. I'm not a rich woman, far from it; and I have been blessed with Kinder who are helpless without me. It's as I always said to your father. 'Méshe, I said, 'you're a Schnorrer and your children'll grow up Schnorrers."
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