DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page twenty-Me
MAR ISHKA
By MARY BLUM
But Mrs. Dushkin, why feel s o birth lavished ujion me the affection
of a stran g e she probably would have given her
d w t the deathsked Mrs. r Feli
b
x own child, had she had one. At first
o man, " a
em yrs o ou ✓ my parents feared that she meant to
Adler, one of the
one
afternoo
n
harm me, for they had felt the cru-
Temple study class ,m
elty of the Muthiks, but her attach-
during our usual session.
. Pushkin had but recent] y meat seemed Si, genuine that my par-
yrs
were aston - ants decided to share with her their
we
joined our circle and
to see how deeply she mourns d affections for me.
fished of an old Russian peasan t
"There was no special event in my
: n who had soorved in the celiac childhosal worth mentioning as I grew
tflob
aroman,
id•smolf nurse to the growing family o f to young womanhood, I was 20 when
esters in the Duslikin household , I became engaged to Torha Dushkin,
'' ,-pno- the query of Mrs. Adler Mrs the only son of our dear friends and
neighbors. Our parents could think
Pushkin slowly replicol:
"Seat to my mother I loved Ma of no greater happiness than that the
rishka best, for she was one of thost , two households, friends of lung stand-
am ] ing, should become more closely aflili-
rare cheracters, whose fid e
it wa • ated through the marriage of their
love WAS as remerkable aslity
beautiful. In her death my husband children. On the day of our betrothal,
and family have suffered the loss of a which took place a week before Pe-
sach, there was great rejoicing and
real and very dear friend."
gut who is she and what has she Marishka was the gayest of all the
guests present. As for Torha and
we questioned eagerly.
done"
It listening to the story of Ma- myself, I doubt if there ever was a
rishke will not bore you, Mrs. Dush- happier Choson and Khale in all the
kin answered, "I shall be glad to tell world.
I fl
"There is an old adage that 'true
ee th, at in honor to
it to you, for
beauty of her self- love never runs smooth,' which, unfor-
her me mory the
tunately,
soon after our engagement
sacrificing nature should be known to
I found to lie all too true. Often, (lur-
others beside myself."
ing
the
beautiful
spring evenings,
we assured Mrs. Dush-
Of course,
kin that nothing could give us greater while strolling in the twilight, as is
pleasure than to hear the story of the fashion among lovers, our talks
were of a very serious nature. Amer-
Msrishka.
"Friendship," Mrs. Dushkin corn- ica, that land of 'golden promise,' was
calling
away my belvoed Torha. In
nced,
"always
reminds
me
of
a
,e
je weler's window I once saw . Th e vain did I try to convince him that
we
were
happy where we were. lIe
window was filled with numberless
clittering atones and they looked for insisted, and not unjustly, that Rus-
sia
gave
the
Jew no chance to pro-
ill the world like genuine diamonds.
Ismail placard informed one that the gress, while the unknown land, re-
dunes on display were but imitations plete with opportunities, eras await-
and among these imitations were a ing him.
"Ile pleaded that I marry hint be-
lumber of real diamonds, which any-
me could have by picking them out fore he left Russia, fur he believed
from among the 'paste.' The crowd that the knowledge that I was his
hat was attracted to the window, wife would be a great incentive to
rith good.natured raillery, pointed him.
grieve w
Getile
"Had I even loved him less I doubt
int to one stone then to another as
cog the genuine one. But I could al- if I could have withstood the plead-
most see the owner of the jewelry ings of my impetuous, dark-eyed boy-
hop smiling at the security of his ish lover. So, you See, it was not diffi-
irecious diamonds. Ile knew well cult to be convinced that the proper
sough that it required an expert to thing for me to do was to become his
wife.
listinglish among so many glittering
"When we broke the news to our
tones, so skilfully camouflaged by
rtifiriel lights, the real from the int- parents they, of course', objected, but
youth
and love can overcome a thou-
ation.
"This is the way with friendship, sand obstacles and we coaxed and ca-
joled,
until at last we gained their
q friends. Life is the jeweler's
oindow filled with men and women. consent,
"Our wedding took place in June.
le as individuals are gathered in
runt of that window, endeavoring to that beautiful month of sunshine and
nd true and honest friendship. I roses. It was not as gay an affair as
mistimes wonder, is it because we the day of our betrothal, for our
0 not careful enough in making our hearts were filled with sadness in-
mice, or because we do not always duced by the impending separation.
"True, I used every wile at the com-
ognize the real friend? Whatever
ay be the cause, I am unable to ex- mand of a loving and beloved young
'sin, but I do know that I have not wife to keep hint from carrying out,
:ears fully appreciated the value of his intention, but I failed, for, six
ie friendship of this untutored peas- months after our wedding,, he left for
America.
it women."
"I cannot begin to tell you just how
"Tea," Mrs. Dushkin smiled at my
testion, "she had a surname. It was much I suffered. Gladly would I have
shared
with hint all hardships, but we
lekssi, but that really matters very
Ale, for to me she has always been realized it was best to heed the coun-
sel
of
our
parents.
1st Marishka.
"'Let him provide a home first,'
"In order that you may fully un-
said
they,
'the task will be so much
Istand my great affection for her I
id better tell you my own story first, easier if you will not be there to ham-
per him.'
r my life is so closely linked with
"We saw the wisdom of their ad-
n that, without one there is really
vice and so I remained with my par-
thing to tell about the other.
ents.
Words cannot describe the
was born at Kies', Russia, and
0 the only daughter and oldest heartache and loneliness I felt when
the fateful day arrived and I saw the
iii among tive children. It is
dear familiar figure board the train.
arr that in thief land of the op-
Mingled with my tears was hitter self-
ened, where indignities without
reproach for lacking the courage to
whet were inflicted upon the Jew,
accompany hint.
irishka, the wife of one of the Mus-
"During the first few weeks after
a, who owned a tiny strip of land
my husband left I Was disconsolate,
the outskirts of Kiev, should
despite the tender solicitude of my
moss such filial love upon ewe and
parents and friends. But as the
m. It all started on the day of
mont he slowly passed by a new and
birth.
great joy came into nip life. My lit-
'Illtrishlta woo our Shabboth Goy,
tle hrown-eyed daughter was boom. If
0 those clays we were still de-
her coming gave me and my family
Ment upon someone to light the
joy, the exultation of Mariska was in-
a on Saturdays. In America, for- describable.
Atelf, with steam heat and electric
"She still lived on her tiny farm,
m in common use, even the most tilling the soil, but she was all alone
liodox household can dispense with in the world, for her husband had
Shabboth Coy.
died five years before I was married.
'My mother ala ways told me," said She spent every spare moment at our
s Mishkin smilingly, "that I was home. For hours at a time she
would
pretty babe, but that did not sit at the side of the baby's crib, ten-
vent Marishka from falling in love derly crooning a lullaby, which Rus-
h me on the very day I was born, sian peasants had chanted to their
ch was the Sabbath, and ac-
children for many a generation. Some-
red for her presence in our home. times, when she thought no one was
She had 110 children of her own, looking, she would snatch up the tiny
.Iron the very moment of my form, holding her close to her bosom
brgi
Lion
and
the
eve!
pub
The
mot
Wet
thei
sent
ider
hou
atre
met
ono'
whi
org
tint
lin
of
as
ing
lea,
soh
Wu
ins
din
av
the
sea
det
Rn
aori
agi
wo
ths
CI
Fo
on
of
knt
the
hit
Nc
hl
be
Aa
National
The Only
Protection
National Bank
for Your
in Genesee
Savings
County
Like a Huckle-berry
in a Pan of Milk!
Up in Maine they use this expres-
sion to denote great contrast or con-
spicuousness. We always recall it to
mind when we notice the difference be-
tween the man who is a steady de-
positor, and the one who "blows" his
pay check.
The former has a kind of indepen-
dent, self-reliant swing about him that
registers prosperity. The latter—well,
you can pick him out, can't you?
Which class do you fit in?
First National Bank
AT CORNER OF
SAGINAW AND KEARSLEY
THE
W. F. STEWART
COMPANY
AUTOMOBILE BODIES
FLINT.
MICHIGAN