PAGE FOURTEEN

THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

"BUT JEWISH HOME LIFE—!

11

real movie fan. It was for her sake
that Bertha endured each week the
comic agonies of Charlie or Theda's
tense writhings. Even her sisters, al-
though they laughed at her for an
By E. C. Ehrlich.
old maid, were not entirely deaf to
her counsel in choosing their friends
Once long ago in the presumption pt—iwrotis neighbors. As .sears went and amusements. "Gee," said Fanny
of my youth and inexperience, I dared • II „ he grew more dry, more dull and to me only last year, "if it hadn't
to write a play. And not only that , pedantic. Ile grew to read life as he been for old Bertha I'd have gone to
--I dared to criticize the most ideal , read his daily prayers, with his eyes the dickens fur ', WV, I wasn't never
institution of the age• -the Jewish:only, his mind and heart quite is ith- taught anything at home but what
home. I really did. I drew a picture , erect and (lead. III making a lining, she taught me"
S.•. seeing the path of her martvr-
which I flattered, myself tt.is as true I he had allowed life to conquer him
to type as it was unlovely, a picture! Such were Bertha's parents: it er . 'bon ',larked out for her, Bertha fol-
of a bigoted father and a slatternly tha herself was a frail slip of a girl 1 ,,,, •! it
I don't pretend she's a
mother and a young and rebel (laugh- • when I hest
,•
s.,
;
s!•. ',Wt. She wrangles along
ter hunting for freedom. Not at all library.
leer, ,
shog s
r
of the family. Some -
pretty, but that sort of thing has hap- • well as a iiegle.o.1
-1., sulks at her mother's thrift-
,
petted every once in a while in Jewish her babyhood l• •
ss•ekeeping which cats tip the
• .1, • • •
•I l• •
)11 I I /Wild mu books and
homes and !flay still happen unless I her weak eye•: -I., ping three in
' -•
I
parents have learned to be universally ;lied, breakfasting and sointstimes
Often she rages at
.11 "
patient, children divinely tolerant. ,, ing on weak coffee and bread had bit ! istssi . s narrowness and conser-
there !ati-iii and lie meets her rage with a
'rite play was put on at a certain her tiers..ins and anemic.
social center much frequented by the was a fine energy in tier in those hatted w !rich cannot understand her
sons of Israel. 1)41 they like it? hi , days. Tu. me it seemed the great rebellion because she is young and he
all modesty, I must record that toy miracle of Jewish history, the never is old. But she cannot find it in I,
audience howled at the humor atull'Iyi"g energy of o u r people glowing heart to desert what she calls in deep -
wept at the pathos; they were inter- , fre'h and viii'''''"' tinder the cruelest est irony her home--and she never
will.
cited
from
I l'"Idctis.
the rise
of the curtain to
When I saw Bertha at the social
the final tableau; they vigorously up-
Bertha helped with the housework
center
that evening I felt for her the
plaided author and actors and coach after school and worked several even-
and hailed my virgin elTort as a real ings a week in a little (Byrom]; store same sick ache of pity one feels for
a
helpless
animal caught in a trap.
contribution to Jewish drama. All, in the neighborhood, as well as help-
this before they had time to do any-, ing certain housewives clean up now For her youth is leaving her yery
thing snore than exchange such sig-I and then or care fur their liabies in fast and I fear that when her fres
nificant comments as, "Isn't the old Isickness. "I ought to be a good chit- duns comes to her slue will no longer
man like dad's uncle who used to jdren's nurse." she once told me with enjoy it. I am sorry, for I am really
conic around to schmorr on Yom-ra sort of grim patience. "I've been interested in Bertha. .Nil I know
tov:" or "That room with the tea pot :carrying a younger one around ever her so well that I drew her and sev-
on the dresser and the shoes in the since I was three years old." And eral members of her family as the
'rocking chair looked pretty natural, , iiii her spare evenings she came tin characters in my little play which
didn't it?" Then a solemn person, I • our library and read, read everything wasn't lit all true to lifts said the crit-
think he was a rabbi, made a speech Olt could lay her hands on, fiction, ics, because it did not picture a happy
Jewish home.
from the stage, thanking them one' poetry, history. Slie nibbled at every
and all for their kind attention, add- • fruit swaying upon the T 'flee of
ing that the little play they had just Knowledge in our bookish Eden and EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST IS MANI•
FESTED IN THE NEW SPRINC-
seen wax, lie hoped, only a forerun- ll that she tasted' seemed good to
TIME DRESSES
ner of other Jewish dramas for the flier.
I think it is usually that WaY
social center,
with young people with eager, un-
Mally of the aumineis
eSSes WM I,
-0% o •I
Ile' the time Bertha •
r..,
"But I know I need not tell you," , trained minds.
benefit of the Roullibound folk.
he ended earnestly, "that the !little had graduated from high school she ale ,,I line white
net a ll I 10'10
a
thorough
young
skeptic;
her
sketch, interesting as it is must be !was
wllh Tare unit embroidered panels ot
The hoe thread nets lend them-
taken only as a highly colored pie ,: i "'la!'" ii as "14 an accident of thole.
selves beautiful to tin., sort of dress 101I,
titre We all know what Jewish home birth.
.11. Ntlitabli•
lob.ral,t1 e‘enIng affairs
Naturally
she
was
entirely
nut
of
life is. Thank Clod our parents are
a! Well as (01 the informal
ue- I
ir
e envon-
the must
must loving parents in the world,: sympathy w with her hom
our m:ui
at Ibis Fl..,•
their children the most respectful and ment. She (lid not rebel against her Is of fine net, the shown
skirt
being
wide
All about us
usiv,: see the parents and what she considered the the lops and insert (loin lien in hem
obedient.
de kind, or lib•I la, at the elms ,Il•
pitiful breach between the two gem- narrowness of their creed, both social „',b•
ternating with tucks of the nem, and the
erations, lint Jewish home life is to- and religious •. as did the girl in my
enibrionli.red ;001 1)04110
day what it has always been--a model little play. Even then the privation made with a huhu and the V at the front j
01 her young years was beginning to Is embroidered. There IS .1 wash of Hof(
for the whole world to emulate."
Ile said a number of other things it'll upon her. She felt strangely old
spHux
which I ha ,.
Whatever :awl tired for a girl of seventeen. Still h•-• woru namedhltrl, .111,1
forgotten.
the early
tivilit•t1 , 1,1•4
odd hour, for tli,ike
bath Ill. ,
they were he manages! . to convince working "tit in every
.
.bital rola( "f
I.• and
my.
II 14 •
and the
Iris audience that I was a most stn-' 1(1 bit Ill' %%,l, falling
faithful historian.
Those who had younger poorly educated liso th ers 1:7roa wn ehnIrinie g'h I '.. ' l 'o ll 'i' l le'.. tlar' t 5 n ig' 1 '.s e ) :41, 111' 1 . Sk .
laughed and cried over the mimic earned little, slue managed to help blue lard and itoishioorn. Th.. mini. a;:..
home which every one of them had support the family as she earned her j', 1 ,1,Vi;. „?1",lk,, t,,',j, 1 ;',,',Iti
' tZ sg , IT,„",;„,i „",l,',:eir,V.,.
seen snout time or another in his ex-, own way through Normal school. At ' wouued.
perience, agreed with hint that last she reached the goal of ht. child-' The e,etillig ficieks Choy Inure boar-
dreams—she was a teacner. son iit the sides ails at a recent Hall
though the play !night be interesting' ish
and amusing it wasn't true. Why? , 'I', 1 her great joy chic was assigned w"!;:17,h "t'iiiri.e. e' t1 !eele!' t'ar"rii•e! g ti%ig el•d e r ri.'.'"
Well, I had shown Jewish parents to a ...i In.] in a neighborhood some slis- ,Two
"! f;!.
!-xu!!!!!t hal "ti":
sm r,!!! it?''
01111,Iiii : 0 if.;,11,0
„user.
ri
be inconsiderate and tyrannical, al since Boni her home. She felt that 1;,,:.!
hots-She could shake off the choking also of sits:er! e stets ii:• 4th R..,1 the wide sip
Jewish daughter sullen and rebellious.' hots-
And such things simply didn't exist. environment of the mean li tle rooins,•''s."'tInrtr
is- ,',.;
of ImR!! ' "!!!!!!!' t
Hadn't the rabbi said so? And, as I the crowded kitchen table where the', mere!i i -R;a k ( i' 'i si.kem! fir!!';i:St k t !..i 1 1n c ! t."..g,i h l iti!!!!! !tf,i,i.7 1
heard a pudgy solemn-faced matron family slouched in at all hours to eat maned at °!thehirrdoialt f t
s a
part !f-
set "mall buttons. The lowe
proclaim as she left the hall, "Even from the dirty table cloth. A quick r
u htly, pointed at the front. To
i.
7,4,
19 alilic
if such things happen once in a while, observer, she noted the daintiness of t h e 1 , r
they oughtn't to, and they're not Jew-
i came
!l
friend;
ish when they do."
e‘V
r hicilt pislis
her
she and • ,.'f,u1,!ri'l!ts !'s;,'k! , 1 i‘t. +,
!,;11: 1 !s
!:',;Ire :.:, 1 1 :::j!:11:;,i'•iiiit:s:Ilkh'e:!11::::,i' .' s 1 , 1 !irtlo:I.J171:7
m+
A few months later when the same visited their !mines, she reveled in
!!!"
their
order
and
refinement.
i.1
1
1,
!
.
tei
Th6(!!!Li'ets
1",', 11,1 "(!'a'ri fo'w! !!,gurowu !!; I!,-,
!To
her
group of players decided to give an-
other Jewish program at the center, great delight, her Jewish adaptability "" !! "' n! -A.! '
enabled
her
to
sink
into
the
new
en-
the directors refused to allow them
to give time play. It might create ill vironment. She felt that at last she
feeling. A Jewish play by all means, was learning to live.
N 1 „Is something of her old girlish
fur that would be educational, but it
must he something true to life \\' e ll enthusiasm, Bertha tried to remake
'
her 0W II 110111C.
700 MARQUET BLDG.
She attempted to
I saw the little sketch tlo-y prod uced.
COLOR-PLATES
teach In r mother to dress neatly; DESIGNING
IkfaYhe, course seen it lin
vande`ill' begged her to come to s choo l f uns H . PhOTSRETOUC ING HALF -TONES 1
and laughed over its
real- t.
thins and the park instead of soli n g
ism. ! The hero is a noble Jewish push-
d e ; eeledi ,. all day Ile!he kiteht! , „ in:
day!!
cart merchant who forgives his ( nen
nervy' ! , :!'„ , 1 .-.;ii i
!
i ,g
ii ; ti : k! ,ht, atte ,,, I!!!:1
and sends him a large check to
I"'Y to if the younger sisters to her !mil
e 'P en ‘ e ' . Thr" u g h ' w!
They
liecome Ano roan
the play the knight of the pushcart

A MODERN SKETCH.

vet

. thni w!

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too. Lillian and Fanny and HA
Yiddish dialect never heard
Our New Wholesale and Retail Tire
on sea or land; there was nothing had „Is„ learnedthi„g e,r two at
!grammar
school and the shops in Store is Open.
Jewish about bini but his nose, to
,
,
Wi ltila
w orked
directly after
which the villian made several cut- !g
Full Line of Guaranteed Tires and
ting references (luring the action. rduation;
Factory Seconds At a Saving of
! the t!!!!). for Bertha seemed to
w
Ito
had
inherited
lice
The chief humor was sus
by our
father's scholarly tastes. The girls to 50%.
hero's red handkerchief,
large flani-
All
Repairing.
and
Vulcanizing
ing affair which he waved continually powdered and painted just as ex-
travagatitly
as "real ladies" to quote Work Guaranteed.
with grotesque flourishes whenever a
diversion was needed. And my friend, their proud mother; they spent half
a is. ecVs wages on flimsy wauts and
the rabbi, spoke again from the plat-
called
Bertha
CO.,
form, called the attention of his audi- silk stockings an(
ence to our hero's generosity to his stingy when she tried to reduce her
iiwn . contribution to the family buil-
and Beaubien
enemy, his tenderness for his child.
get
1, 1, 1C( to take a summer's w
work
bade them remember these were truly
J. E. STRALSER, Gen. Mgr.
Jewish virtues and ended Isis liar- at the University
There
was
even
less
sympathy
be
Ch-cry 3737
rangue with the pions wish that the
center might often be edified with tween her and her brushers. They —
had somehow straggled up into early
such pictures of our people.
manhood; their ideals were those of
And I, sulking hi a back seat, lis- the cheap poolroom around the cor-
tened and held my peace. !Then, ner. No wonder the now invalided
looking across the aisle, I saw Bertha tattier often lamented: "It was good
X1'erner, looking more pale and Money wasted to send those loafers
wretched than ever, and I felt a little to Cheder."
sick. Yet why pity Bertha? For
And her father—he alone should
wasn't she brought up amidst the have Understood Bertha and yet he
ideal conditions of a Jewish home?
made it harder for her than all the
Perhaps there were
many in rest. There was no sympathy be-
the family, ten children, of which tween them. And when they wran-
Bertha was the oldest.
mother gled it was far more serious than
who had married at seventeen was a when Bertha called her mother to
morose, flabby woman at twenty-five. task about the housekeeping. The
As far as she was(concerited, her old scholar had grown bitterly intol-
maternal duties ceased as soon as a erant; he had never been able to pre-
child is-as weaned. She kn ew roi l y a sent the wisdom and the faith of his
few phrases of English; I believe the people to the only one of his chil-
one used the most was, "Get out dren who was hungry for such knowl-
4
of here ]." You see, she had to em- edge. Now when he saw her seeking
ploy it frequently to the babies who strange gods he reproached her
Were always stumbling under her feet harshly. Ile grew sarcastic over
as she moved about the untidy kit- 'book-niail women." He wished, he
chen, trying to cook her weird messes said. that she had been contented to
with a still younger baby on her arm. he like her mother, learn the duties
The only instance she ever seemed to of a home and raise children. Ile
find time to enjoy her motherhood. knew she was frankly irreligious, not
Bertha once told me. was when the even fasting on Yom Kipur, although
next to the youngest died at the age for his sake she did not teach on the
of four. Ile had never been quite Jewish holy days. His sense of fail-
"right" mentally; even the mother ure in her rearing made hint cruel
recognised that, but her grief over to her in her loneliness; it was he
the little coffin was as sincere as it above all the others that made her
was noisy. "Ile always kept crying 110111C life almost intolerable.
She often thought of leaving home :
for me to take him up--and I didn't,"
she repeated in her shrill Yiddish with its irangling and dinginess, seek-
again and again on the clay of the ing quiet and comfort with some fel-
funeral. But the nest (lay was Shah- low teacher. She tried to (phut her
has and she dried her eyes and fell to conscience by promising herself that
cleaning the house. Not that it ever she would contribute monthly to her
did much good; you can't be over parents to help keep them in com-
sanitary when you bulge a family of fort in their last years. But she could
not tear herself away. She knew that
eleven in two bedrooms.
This state of affairs must have her father, though he never ceased
dePendcd upon
uponher
fat ,
grated upon Bertha's father--until !Jt
his deadened nerves made further tor a dozen little attentions, his clean
h
e
linen
fur
Shabbas,
the
cups
of
steam-
suffering impossible. As a boy

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