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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 it [7]