My theory that she wanted her husband to profit by her
acquaintance with me seemed to be exploded. She reminded me
of Elsie and her whole-hearted devotion to socialism. We mostly
spoke in Yiddish, and our Antomir enunciation was like a bond of
kinship between us, and yet I felt that she spoke to me in the
patronizing, didactical way which one adopts with a foreigner, as
though the world to which she belonged was one whose interests
were beyond my comprehension
She inquired about my early struggles and subsequent successes. I
told her of the studies I had pursued before I went into business,
of the English classics I had read, and of my acquaintance with
Spencer
"Do you remember what you told me about becoming an educated
man?" I said, eagerly. "Your words were always ringing in my
ears. It was owing to them that I studied for admission to college.
I was crazy to be a college man, but fate ordained otherwise. To
this day I regret it."
In dwelling on my successes I felt that I was too effusive and
emphatic; but I went on bragging in spite of myself.
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