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a Christian, so sounded the rumors,
which cast a dark shadow over the
town and traveled with lightning rapi-
ji' v to widow Deborah and to Estei-
ka The Jewish quarter was steeped
in excitement. The gossipers greedily
devoured the news, then began spread
ing it. These men and women who
led the monotonous, idle life of the
Ghetto, who had nothing to occupy
their minds and for whom every day
was alike, except such times when
some excitement, something to gossip
about happened, took a demoniac de
light in this rumor. It made those
who seemed to dreamily walk the
streets, open their eyes. It gave fire
tu those grown cold from inactivity.
On meeting in the Ghetto streets, men
and women would stop each other and
talk in this vein:
“Of all the things which happen in
this world . ...” the one with pipe
between his toothless jaws would ex
claim.
“Oh, no. 1 should never have ex
pected that of Sigmund,” regretted the
other.
“I do not see why. To a German
ized fellow like that a change of re
ligion means nothing,’ insisted the
first one.
"And if a note exchangeable for
good cash is handed in,” fell in the
jester of the tow f n, ‘‘then the affair
is transacted very easily.
“No. I cannot believe the whole
story,” milled the one who joined the
group as they were talking. “I cannot
believe it at all.”
“Sigmund did not believe either,
that’s why he became an apostate,”
said the jester with a smile.
In this way they spoke for hours
at a time without becoming tired, and
°nly the arrival of night reminded
’.hem that they had homes where they
were expected.
It goes without saying that Sig
mund s mother and Esterka could not
dose their eyes that night. The ru
mor which furnished so much excite
ment and even pleasure to the Ghetto,
oppressed their hearts. They refused
to believe a word of the rumor, but
he fact that not a word had come di-
rect ly from Sigmund for months
caused anxiety. They woke every
morning with the yearning for a let-
m They wished to hear from him
a . mJ at the same time put an end to
t t gossip. But as the days passed,
no letter came.
)n e day a letter came to a men
Jer of the community from a friend (
i U i 0dess< >- In this letter all tf
e ai s of the Sigmund conversio
e, e given. In the letter was recort
o' he was baptized in the larg
■ • Michel Church, and that a fe'
ayslater he was wed to the daughte
church n Pl0yer in the . Very sa ™
f • . ‘ writer also informed hi
bran l g hat Sigmund was given th
ch he managed in Odessa as we
s everal million rubles as dowry.
The
theatre
ROYAL j
CAROLINA THEATRE |
The Southern Israelite
Page 25
In the face of such proofs, even
Sigmund’s best friends dared not
doubt the rumor. Even his own moth
er believed that her son had forsaken
the faith of his father. Esterka was
almost prostrated with sorrow. From
time to time the thought came to her
that a mistake must have been made
somewhere. In a few days, however,
she became convinced that Sigmund
had actually become a convert. A let
ter came to his mother saying that
not only had Sigmund become a Chris
tian, but he had sold the house which
his father had left him to the church
near which it stood. In the letter it
was said that pehaps the house in
which the family had lived for years
past would be transformed into a
church. Sigmund’s mother was in
formed that her son was going to
visit his little home town in a short
time and she was reminded that it
were best for her not to allow the
black sheep of the family to enter
her home.
It so happened that some of the
contents of the letter proved true.
A few days after the letter was re
ceived, an official of the church came
to look at the house. The poor mother
saw with her own eyes the letter
written in Sigmund’s own handwrit
ing offering the house for sale.
The unfortunate woman, who was
certain now that her son had become
an apostate, fainted. When she nme
to, she tore her garments and sank
down on the floor to mourn her son
as if he were dead. Esterka broke
down in her sorrow, and her mother,
sighing and weeping, ran from phy
sician to physician begging them to
save her daughter.
Wherever a relative of Sigmund
lived, there was sorrow and mourning.
Young men and young women of his
“mishpocha” mourned and bewailed
their lot. For parents hastened to
break off engagements, as they did
not care to have a “meshumed” (con
vert) in their families.
The town resembled a huge kettle,
under which burned a big fire — it
boiled and boiled from morning until
night. ‘‘Piety” whose hunch now rose
so high that it towered over his head,
put in an appearance everywhere. Ben
jamin Hoeker was restless. He felt
the necessity of injecting the poisons
into the very heart of his opponent
Itzik Hersh. Hundreds of times he
traversed the streets where “Wisdom”
was usually to be found, until at last
he was face to face with the one
whom he sought.
“May G’od give you a good day,”
said “Piety.”
“May God open—” the other said,
almost choking, “hell, that it may
swallow you.”
“You seem somewhat sad,” inter
rupted “Piety,” with feigned sympa
thy.
“Sad? Who, I?” wondered the sec
ond. “What cause have I to be sad?”
“I thought, perhaps, because of —
what’s his name?”
‘Whom do you mean?”
“Well, that apostate.’
“What have I to do with him?”
“I thought he was a cousin of
yours.”
The red bearded man bit his lips,
but he looked for his usual back doov
of escape.
“I crossed his name from the fami
ly register long ago,” he assured
his opponent. “I can prove it that
several months ago I warned Reb
Benzion against him.”
(Continued on Page 28
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WOOLVIN-ANDREWS COMPANY
FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND EMBALMERS
225 Princess Street WILMINGTON, N. C.
Telephone 223; Residence 315
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“77ie House by the Side of the Road”
WILMINGTON, N. C.
I I K. Broughton St., Savannah, Ga.
E. T. TAILOR, l*r«alil«iil C. M. HU II.EH, Vice-President
J. O. CARR. Attorney VI , A. EONVIEI.I.E, See’y-Tremt.
W. D. JONES, A»»t. Sec’y-Trees.
The Million Dollar
CAROLINA
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201 PRINCESS STREET
WILMINGTON, N. C.
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