They also told me of
the landlord's wife, of her devotion to her father, and of the latter's
piety and dignity. It appeared, however, that in her filial reverence
she would draw the line upon his desire not to spare the rod upon
her children, which was really the chief reason why he was a
stranger at her house
I had been waiting about two hours and was growing uneasy, when
Mr. Even came back, explaining that he had spent the time taking
his own supper and finding lodgings for me
He then took me to store after store, buying me a suit of clothes, a
hat, some underclothes, handkerchiefs (the first white
handkerchiefs I ever possessed), collars, shoes, and a necktie.
He spent a considerable sum on me. As we passed from block to
block he kept saying, "Now you won't look green," or, "That will
make you look American." At one point he added, "Not that you
are a bad-looking fellow as it is, but then one must be presentable
in America." At this he quoted from the Talmud an equivalent to
the saying that one must do in Rome as the Romans do
When all our purchases had been made he took me to a barber
shop with bathrooms in the rear
"Give him a hair-cut and a bath," he said to the proprietor.
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