Show i A A JEWISH b by E mcgants since the summer had come I 1 had left ni office in the town and had gone out to that old plantation upon which I 1 was reared and which recently I 1 have purchased no lack ot occupation have I 1 there nor of friends for me the river mur aurs murs and the old fashioned roses bloom tor me at sundown the negroes chant their plaintive melodies and for me warm night falls the twinkling stars come out and the moon rises over the pines also isaacsohn is ac cus tamed to visit me chere now isaa sohn represents the restless energy and the kindly genius of a wandering commercialism tor he Is a peddler and goes from door to door bearing a voluminous pack and an apt and ready tongue it was ten clock in the midsummer morning when last this cheerful itin arant came my way overhead the sun shone with exceptional fervor and out in the dusty middle stretch of the highway the heat waves rose and shim until the white dog roses in the farther hedge seemed but the shadows of blossoms grown faint and teemu lous through this quivering haze I 1 beheld from my seat on my broad vine shaded piazza an odd figure corn ing bown the road a figure humped like a camel and equipped with two H dot iss kofely begs and a staff A closer look en obied me to discern the face of a man who when he reached my gate un arched it and turned inside ah boodt morning savire A jizot morning idt iss I 1 recognized isaacsohn to tell the truth about the matter I 1 was tired of my own company and was not sorry to see the face of the man come in 1 called as the fellow stood hesitating and mopping his hot brow with a bright red handkerchief come right in my friend and tell us all the news of the countryside and the town the peddler smiled his appreciation came to the steps lowered his heavy bundle and unfastened the en circling straps hlll you buy he inquired insinuatingly what have you this morning 9 I 1 asked isaacsohn spread his hands I 1 hat vat you be said with bial interest I 1 hat effe with a flourish of his forearm he dived among his parcels cast a wrap ping side and brought a woven coun to light dot iss kofely he commented dot iss chust vat I 1 bringa tor you savire see de pattern of idt de closeness 0 de veave dere iss not nor beffer hlll be no like dot any more come now I 1 remarked with con there are others of the same pattern I 1 guess at least you must admit that the man who wove that one could weave another like U if he wished Isaac hn shook bis head vehement ly iso he said with emphasis no then he lowered his voice to a savire he confided to me dot man bove vove dot vun den he diedt really I 1 did not want the flimsy counterpane but I 1 drew out my pock and paid for it immediately does one buy mere inert materiality when he purchases an article 7 was there not in even this poor fabric the sunshine and the rain the merchants tho farmer s labor the crafts man skill and isaacsohn I 1 was paying for the immediate personality of isaacsohn now tell me what the people in town are doings I 1 suggested A look of shamefacedness spread over the traders mobile countenance I 1 know I 1 didt not satay dere he confessed dot town iss no boodt savire it EQ be I 1 owned dot town do you know tot I 1 do I 1 my ignorance of his probable course of action in such an event and what would you do with if I 1 askel veil he went on reflectively I 1 bould run a vire fence through de mid die of idt I 1 bould turn both sides into da pasture landt I 1 from what you say I 1 gather that you are opposed to towns I 1 remarked he shook his head bodt all ot dem he replied chust flot vun horse town oter dere now dere vas vun nice beetle town back up de vun time rebecca she lifted dere I 1 cited m eyebrows rebeccac 9 I 1 queried who was rabecca isaac ah said isaacsohn with a shrug and a smile she vas chust mine vun time long time ago I 1 vas bodt den so as vat I 1 iss now rebecca she looft to me I 1 like her booty veil you see she ke me booty veil sometimes I 1 go to see her more as two times a bunco I 1 say rebecca hlll you kiss me dear she shake her headd laugh I 1 kisses no such kicked man she say like dot isaacsohn I 1 me booty badt rebecca I 1 say I 1 iss no such kicked man ane answer but yes says she you say no prayers you know no you say vun prayer I 1 kiss you igodt now den I 1 vas bladt idt seem to me dot I 1 chust kneel me down dere mole my lips so she can see dondt says but rebecca he vas she too for foolishness like dot vas isaacsohn she say sorter you say dot prayer cloudt de i I 1 feels me booty badt again I 1 been vun kicked man I 1 chust dondt know no prayer I 1 wa interested ahat was indeed unfortunate I 1 interpolated what happened isaacsohn drew up bis shoulders and extended his open palms I 1 chust briedt to think he replied for vun minute I 1 said den I 1 opened mine mouth didt de best dot I 1 could oh lordt I 1 say make me thankful tor dot vich now I 1 am aboudy to receive when I 1 had sufficiently reco myself to bid him farewell isaacsohn shouldered his pack but as be would have passed to the gate my irish set ter a gentle and harmless dog stood up an I 1 barred the way he turned to me de dorig he ejaculated apologetically oh its all right go ahead I 1 I 1 said everybody knows my dog he won t bite my friend dropped his pack and made his customary gesture with his palma ye es he responded earn estly I 1 know you know e know but de do he knowd whereupon I 1 arose in silence and es coned isaacsohn to the road I 1 felt that IP had earned a free passage from the premises as well as the price of 11 counte pane copyright by joseph bowles |