There are tears," I urged
"I had no idea you were such a cry-baby, Mr. Levinsky," the
photographer said. "Perhaps you'll feel better when you've had
dinner. But I thought you said this weather made you happy."
"It simply means that at the bottom of our hearts we Jews are a sad
people," Miss Tevkin interceded. "There is a broad streak of
tragedy in our psychology. It's the result of many centuries of
persecution and homelessness. Gentiles take life more easily than
we do. My father has a beautiful poem on the theme. But then the
Russians are even more melancholy than we are. Russian
literature is full of it. My oldest brother, who is a great stickler for
everything Russian, is always speaking about it."
"Always referring to her papa and her brother," I thought. "What a
sweet child."
Presently she and her long-faced chum were hailed by a group of
young men and women, and, excusing themselves to us, they ran
over to join them. I felt like a man sipping at a glass of wine when
the glass is suddenly seized from his hand
Some time later I sat on a cane chair amid flower-beds in front of
the Rigi Kulm, inhaling the scented evening air and gazing down
the sloping side of the lawn.
Pages:
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667