Her
name was Mrs.
Kalch, but everybody called her Auntie Yetta
When Ray finished playing Auntie Yetta led the applause, for all
the world like a ward heeler. When the acclaim had died down
she rushed at Ray, pressed her ample bosom to her own flat one,
kissed her a sounding smack on the lips, and exclaimed, with a
wink to me: "Ever see such a tasty duck of a girl?"
Miss Kalmanovitch was followed by a bespectacled, anemic boy
of thirteen who played something by Wieniavsky on the violin,
and then Miss Kalmanovitch "obliged" us with a recitation from
"Macbeth." There were four other solos on the piano and on the
violin by boys and girls, children of the invited guests, the
violinists having brought their instruments with them. Not that the
concert was part of a preconceived program, although it might
have been taken for granted. The mothers of the performers had
simply seized the opportunity to display the talents of their
offspring before an audience.
Only one boy--a curly-headed, long-necked little pianist,
introduced as Bennie Saminsky--played with much feeling and
taste.
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