Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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E iglz ty- Two THE ELCHANITE rate. he decided to try it. He began his work by inviting Morris to the theatres. to restaurants. and even to eabarets. He taught him to smoke. to dress iiashily. and also to talk according to the latest fashions in the realm of gangsters. At first Mor- ris would object to going to the re- staurants and eabarets. for their food was not kosher, He was laughed at by John and told not to be ma- ma 's angel child but to do as all fel- lows were doing. Morris finally yield- ed. One thing led to another and in- side of one month we find an entirely new person instead of Morris Perl- man. He wasnow' t MortimerPerlan 1 his 'iGemorah now lay. untouched and dust-laden. on the top shelf of his closet: his fond letters to his mother were now replaced by letters asking for more and more money. At the end of the month. John felt that his time and labor had not been spent in vain. He had arranged for an orgy of extravagant-e for the first two days of the week. This left them both with about fifty cents for the balance of the week. That night John broaehed the subject which had been on his mind ever since he met Morris. or as now. Mortimer. At first, he would not hear of it. but John was a good talker and. after two hours of arguing. finally turned Mortimer to his point of view. and he promised to try it on the follow- ing night. Morris could not sleep that nightg his conscience would not let him. What.! You, the son of a rabbi, steal? asked his conscience. But I have no money. answered Morris. 'tllut are you going to steal. you, the son of a rabbi? again asked his conscience. For goodness sake. stop it! cried he. I have no money and can get none except by.-well. I won't mention the word. but that 's all there is to it. And so he fell asleep. The next morning. as he was dress- ing. a boy rapped at his door and handed him a telegram. As he read the telegram. his face became as pale as death. his hands shook as with the ague. his senses became numb. and with one ery. he fainted. This is what he read: Come home quickly. Mother dangerously ill. Little hope. Am wiring money. Doctor-. After half an hour he opened his eyes and looked about him as if he did not know where he was. He caught sight of the telegram and realized that it was all real, not a horrible dream. All thoughts of John and his scheme were forgotten. His mother occupied all his thoughts. Vilould he be home in time? NVould he lose his mother, too? Would the Lord be so cruel as to deprive him of his mother? Yes. he deserved everything, but his mother.-why should she die because of his sins? Oh. Lord, I have sinned. sinned very much. Take me away from this world but leave my poor innocent mother. These were his thoughts as he flew westward on the Indianapolis express. On a cot in a corner of a dingy room lay a woman moaning with pain. A doctor was standing besides her. a serious look on his face. In-

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Tfllf IJLCHAINI TE Efglz ty- One to comfort you in time of depression. You. with tlod's help. will have to take care of yourself as well as you can. Go then. my son. and return as we would have you returnf' XVith tears in her eyes and a smile on her face did she bid him good-bye. So musing. he tinally arrived at, the Yeshiva. He entered the spacious office and. upon making known his name and address, was ushered into an i11ner office. There, at a table. sat an old man with alwhite, flowing, beard, studying the Talmud. It must have been a knotty 'problem that he was trying to solve. for his brows were knitted together and he had a very perplexed look on his otherwise cheerful countenance. This look, eoupled with his manifestly impress- ive personality, and with the know- ledge that he was the principal of the only Yeshiva in America: a Yeshiva that could compare very favorably with those of Slobodka and Volozhin, made little Morris feel as if he were standing in the presence of a superman. one of the Maloeh- im of whom his mother told him very many stories. He waited for about ten minutes until the rabbi settled to his satisfaction the quest- ion that had been bothering him. hardly even daring to breathe lest he disturb this great man. The Rabbi then closed his t'Gemorah and looked up at. Morris. VW-ll. my child. said he. rising and patting Morris upon the back. what do you wiSh?', Please, sir.', answered Morris falteringly. please, sir, my name is Morris Perlman... Ah, yesli' the rabbi answered. 'tfrom Indianapolis'?'y Morris nodded. 'for he was too awe- stricken to find his voice. It is all right. my child. I know your whole story. I have just re- ceived a letter from Rabbi Hirsch- field, your father's successor. he said. indicating a letter on his desk. now, I will just ask you several questions to determine into what class I shall place you. He asked Morris a few questions and the replies must have been very satisfactory. for he nodded his head in a. pleased manner quite a few times. Morris was given a 'tGemo- rah H and plaeed in one of the classes. NYithin a short time Morris became the brightest boy in the Yeshiva. so zealously did he apply himself to his studies. Xvords of praise for him were heard on all sides. Even in his secular studies .which were to him of minor import. did he reeeive the highest honors. And so it continued for three yea.rs. llut it seemed that Fate had an entirely ditiierent role for him to play. lt had been cheated long enough. It would not. be cheated any longer. And fate had its oppor- tunity when Morris. new sixteen. inet John Kayne this name was original- ly Joseph Kanowitzl. a boy of about eighteen. one of the worst characters on the East Side. He was a pleasant talker and a fine fellow. at least so he seemed to Morris. for how was he to know that this fine fellown had served time for stealing and that he was looking for a partner, his former partner having been arrested the pre- vious week. Upon seeing Morris, John decided that he could make a iine assistant of him. but that it would take time and labor. .Xt any

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THE EL CHA NI TE Efglzty-Tyzree termittently, the woman would cry in her delirium, My Morris! My Morris! Come here. Morris. my child. Hold my hand! Please. please, Morris, come over here and kiss me. Morris, kiss your mother. The doctor would bend down and kiss her lightly on her forehead. Her face would then light up with pleasure and her moan- ing would cease for a while. I hope that rascal of hers comes from 'New York, muttered the doe- tor to himself, his brows darkening' with anger. HI saw his latest letters to his mother. There was nothing in them except reproach of her be- cause she did not send him as much money as he wanted. No wonder she became sick... A sound of running feet was heard in the hall and a white-faced boy entered the room. As he saw his mother lying' so still on the couch. he was about to ery out in despair, but a warning look from the doetor silenced him. He went. quietly over to his mother. took her wasted. thin' hands in his and kissed her again and again. tears streaming down his pale face. His mother, it seemed as if she actually knew that he had come at last. smiled happily and whispered. Oh. Morris, Oh, Morris! again and again. She fell asleep after a while, a thing she had not done since she fell sick. The doctor decided that this was an opportune moment for a good lecture to this rascal. He accordingly called him into another room and began. Hliisten, young' man, said he. 'AI am going to tell you all about your mother's sickness. Your mother. it seems, had a difficult task in making both ends meet. She would send you about three-quarters of the money she received as a pension from your late father's 'tShul. She would man- age with a little skimpine' to support herself on the rest of the money. So things went along until you began asking for more money. As you know, she sent you the money immediately. Then you asked for more money and for still more money. She did not, even once, think of not sending it to you. Her pension was inadequate for your de- mands, so she took in washing, scrubbed floors, and washed wind- ows, for the members of the richer elass. She would never eat more than two meals a day. she would sometimes eat only one and sometimes none at all. All the money was sent. to you. And the meals,-I give my dog bet- ter food than she ate. Do you wonder that she fell sick because of over- work and undernourishment? And even while she was sick, her dear son sends her letters. not asking why she did not write. but reproaehing her for not sending' him more money. to squander. And his mother moans. not because of her terrible pains Cliord knows she had enoughb. but. for her son. the cause of all her trouble and sickness. Ypon my word! -you don 't deserve to have a mother like that. Words cannot describe his feelings as he listened to the doctor and found out that he was the cause of his mother's illness. that he would practically be her murderer. should she, God forbid. die. He burst into a horrible paroxysm of sobbing. He flew the room and went up to the