THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

The only Jewish publication in the State of Michigan
Devoted to the interests of the Jewish people

Vol. II. No.25

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DETROIT, MICH., AUG. 17, 1917

THE PHARMACIST

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FROM THE YIDDISH OF A. RAISIN

By Oscar Leonard

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"Yes, I think his predecessor did the son said with a smile which was
When old man Beinish was still of the president, they must do it out
•
followed by a sigh.
living in his little town in Russia, of respect for his son, the phar- a thing of the sort."
"Oh, he was a Jew-hater. He
he had received the letter from his macist.
The son took his dear guests to
Reb Beinish suddenly turned his used to go about with petitions,
son giving the glad news that the
his
home in the Bronx. His wife
son had completed his studies in thoughts to some pretext for enter- complaints and travel in the com-
New York and was now a full ing the store. He must surely give pany of the police officials. This received her parents-in-law cordial-
ly and kindly. She spoke to them
fledged pharmacist. The father's some reason for his presence there one is a better man.
in Yiddish. The old man was
heart swelled with pride. when the druggist would ask what
A few years passed and Reb
pleased with the reception.
He took the letter with him to the he wanted. He decided he would Beinish lived only in the thOught
A couple of weeks after his ar-
Synagogue and read it to the buy some camphor. It might be of seeing his son. He wanted to rival, Beinish expressed a desire to
see with his own eyes how his son
"shames" (beedle) who had a son useful in case of a cold.
see his son's drug store. His
was
filling prescriptions. He
He
realized,
however,
that
win-
in America. But of course the son
daughter-in-law, however, said:
of a mere "shames" could not be ter was far off and one did not get wanted to see how respectfully his
"Wait a while until you have
expected to have reached the colds in the summer, and it would customers approached him. He rested and learned something of
heights to which Reb Beinish's son be a pity to spend ten copeiks on wanted to see them stand hat in American ways."
had reached. The son of the something one did not need. He hand before his own son.
Two months passed and Reb
He even felt that, though he is Beinish had not seen his son's phar-
"shames" was a mere mechanic. decided he would tell the druggist
The sexton sighed as he listened to that he wanted to ask something the father of the druggist, he would macy. But the happy day came at
about America, about his son—
want to stand before him hat in last when his soon took him down
the letter and said :
The druggist, having filled the hand. Of course the son would not town.
"If one is favored for fortune,
allow it. He would surely insist
one is lucky. My poor son has to prescription, noticed Beinish.
Reb Beinish was happy and ex-
that
his
father
cover
his
head.
But
"What
do
you
want
?"
he
asked
pectant.
His heart beat rapidly.
work hard for his living."
he would answer.
At last lie would see his son's beau-
Reb Beinish was even prouder sharply.
"Never mind, son. If that is the tiful pharmacy. The place would
The
poor
old
man
was
lost.
He
after listening to the words of the
be spick and span. On the nicely
"shames." He folded his letter and did not know how to say camphor law, I, too, must obey it."
When the son suggested in a let- painted shelves glistening bottles
placed it tenderly in his pocket. in Russian. He wanted to ask for
When he was through praying he castor oil, but he did not know how ter that lie would gladly send and immaculate white receptacles
steamship tickets and money that would greet his eyes. Large mir-
left for home. He managed to go to say it in Russian. He looked
his parents may come to him, Reb rors would greet him from the
by way of the town pharmacy. He from the druggist to the picture of
Beinish began to prepare for the walls. In . a conspicuous place
stopped to look in through the large the Czar to hide his confusion.
journey. * *•
would hang the picture of the Pres-
The druggist shrugged his
windows. He saw the druggist
When he and his "old lady" ar- ident. He pictured a fine looking
pour some liquid from a big bottle shoulders and asked Beinish to
into a small one. He noticed how leave. The old man, frightened rived in Ellis Island Reb Beinish gentile as the assistant at work. All
full of awe were the faces of the and shame faced, left the drug waited impatiently for his son's his son had to do was to supervise.
clients who were watching the store. When lie was on the street coming. The inspector who spoke Supervision is needed in a profes-
he reproached himself for not tell- Yiddish told him he would be re- sion where one drop may mean life
druggist at work.
Reb Beinish was interested. At ing the druggist that he had a son, turned if his son did not show up, or death.
While the old man was day-
that moment he thought his own a pharmacist, in America. Surely but Reb Beinish said proudly :
dreaming,
the son took him to a
"No danger of that. We have a
son too was pouring medicine from the druggist would have been more
little drug store. Reb Beinish with
son a pharmacist."
a large into a small bottle or per- respectful.
At last the son came. He em- wide open eyes looked at the walls
In spite of his unpleasant experi-
haps he was weighing something
of the little store, at the soda coun-
carefully. Such weighing! A hair ence Beinish felt attracted to the braced his father and mother and
ter, and like one who has been
weight may mean life or death to a drug store. In spite of the fact that excused himself for being late:
"I am all alone and I could not fooled asked :
the druggist was a real Russian
human being !
"Is that it ?"
The old man felt a need of enter- gentile with all it implies, Reb Bein- leave my business—"
"Yes, father, this is my drug
"You could not leave what ?"
ing the pharmacy. He needed noth- isli could not help holding him dear.
store."
asked Reb Beinish.
ing, but he wanted to see at closer On passing he would always look
"So this is what they call a drug
"My ,business—the store—"
range what his own son must look into the drug store and if he saw
"You are a merchant ?" the father store in America?" the father asked
like at his noble work. He entered customers there, his heart would
doubtfully.
and remained standing. The drug- • swell with joy. He was glad the was astonished.
"Yes, this is the drug store
"Of course, everything is busi-
gist was busy compounding a pre- drug business was good. He knew
father."
scription and he did not notice Reb that practically all was profit in the ness here." -
As they were talking, in rushed a
"You mean you are no longer a
Beinish. The old man, hat in hand, business. He imagined that his son
young
fellow with his sleeves rolled
pharMacist," he ask anxiously.
awe-struck, gazed on the wall , too was doing well in America and
"Yes, I am what they call a phar- up and without a collar, sat down
where hung a picture of the Czar. was being respected by all. Was
on a revolving chair in front of the
He imagined that "there" also hung he not a pharmacist ! He under- macist in the old country."
Reb Beinish heaved a sigh of re- soda fountain and ordered some
a picture in the place where his son stood, for instance, that a druggist
strawberry ice cream soda.
was busy. To be sure, while the had even a right to institute com- lief. But to make sure, he asked
The pharmacist dished some ice
President of America must be a plaints if the street was not clean! again .
"You really are a pharmacist cream into a glass, poured carbon-
good man, still those entering. the To make sure that he was right
ated water in a colored mixture and
store surely must bare their heads, about it he talked it over with the then ?"
"Of course I am a pharmacist,' ' began to stir it up with a spoon,
s ame s " '
if not out of respect for the picture

(Conitnutd on"page 4)