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Looking at the Past
One of America's Most D/s tinguished Novelists Reminisces
By Virginia Hersch
IlmUhton-Mifflin Co.
VIRGINIA HERSCH
One of the outstanding contemporary women novelists
tin added to her literary stature with every new hook.
Critics have hailed her for style and power, and fre-
d tiuns are that her forthcoming hook. "Storm Beach”,
util he regarded as the most brilliant novel of A merl
in Jewish life that has ever appeared from the pen
ti a woman novelist. In this autobiographical sketch,
written exclusively for The Southern Israelite, this nov
elist, scion of an old American Jewish family, reviews
her past and her present.
"fn lUi.rund
I ~jV)R self-portraiture we need a mirror, that is
1 to say, we need to see ourselves in another's
eyes, and the glimpse I choose 1 had in
Charleston, in the library, myself seated on a high
stool, feet far off the floor, nose full of dust from
the huge tomes of old newspapers piled before me,
face smeared with ink and hair on end while I
copied an advertisement that helped me locate one
of my ancestral homes.
South Carolina Gazette and
Daily Advertiser, April 28,
1795.
Mr. & Mrs. Moisb
Unfortunate sufferers from
the Cape (after the revolt in
Sto. Domingo) present their
compliments to the ladies of this
city and take the liberty to in
form them that they have for
sale at their house on Queen
Street, three doors from King
Stieet and opposite to Mr.
Nixon’s School, a few pieces of
India, Japan, tamboured and
plain muslin; humhum threads,
tapes, white chappie needles and
fine Irish linens, etc., etc.
Also just opened 1 chest of
Hyson tea,
Kqual to any in this city, which they will sell
7 shillings per pound.
As Mr. and Mrs. Moise mean to sell with a
very small profit, they hope for the encourage
ment of the generous public, which will enable
them to support a large family.
As I turned the soft, yellowed sheet of old rag
paper, a young man interrupted, "You must be
He had guessed my identity
from a newspaper interview
which, to my astonishment and
joy began: “It is delightful to
be able to describe the person
ality of a 'well-known* with such
adjectives as charming, gentle,
and shy, as well as the usual
‘poise,’ 'interesting,' and 'indi
vidual,’ This is one's reaction to
Virginia Hersch. . . . She is a
near native-daughter of Charles
town, being a granddaughter of
General Edwin Warren Moise
. . . and a great grand-niece of
Pcnina Moise who was in her
day an outstanding literary fig
ure in this city, and to whom
Charleston owes this visit.”
From that article, with the ensu
ing self-introduction, resulted many
pleasant and useful evenings filled
with personal memories of the women
who, if not the heroine in "Storm
Beach,” gave the nucleus from which
the dream that made the novel grew.
For weeks the telephones of Charles
ton buzzed with eager voices telling
back and forth that someone was there
looking up Miss Penina’s life; that
someone wanted to know. . . . Ladies
in their eighties became school girls
again, re-lived, remembering, and
telling me: "You cannot understand
about Miss Penina’s life unless you
know in the first place that her
mother was a vixen. Her father died
when the girl was twelve years old.
and her mother demanded absolute
service. She would not let her go
out in the street alone, and for exer
cise Pcnina had to walk up and down
the piazza while her mother sat by
the window counting the trips.”
I asked, “How' do we know?” and
a little old lady broke in, "Only Miss
Pcnina could have told that, and Miss
Pcnina was too loyal.”
"It’s the truth, however,” my ra
conteur insisted. "When boys came
to see her they were sent home, or at
an early hour her mother shut the
window's in their faces. Finally she
discouraged suitors because of this at
titude. Her first love w’as a Chris
tian, and she was too faithful a Jew
ess to marry him, although she gave
herself heart and soul. From that ex
perience her one fault sprang, for in
tolerance is (Please turn to page 17)
The beautiful Magnolia Gardens embody the romance of old Charleston.
Synagogue of Chari.eston, S. C.
The oldest in America. Erected in
1795. Destroyed by fire April 27,
18J8. This print is dedicated with
respect to Judah A. Malta, Esq., by
his very obedient friend, Solomon
N. Corwatho.
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
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