Produced by Dan Dyckman
1915
When the time drew near for Samuel the Beadle to let his son beginhis term of military service, he betook himself to the market,purchased a regulation shirt, a knapsack, and a few other thingsneeded by a soldier—and he did not forget the main item: he ran andfetched a bottle of liquor. Then he went home.
And there, in the presence of his neighbors, of whom I had theprivilege of being one, he drank a glassful to "long life," andoffered another to Rebekah, his good wife.
"Drink, madam," said he, merrily. At this Rebekah turned up hernose, as if ready to blurt out with "How often have you seen medrink liquor?"
Indeed, it was an affront which she would not have passed over insilence at any other time, but she had no heart for an open quarreljust then, when about to part with her son, and was satisfied with asilent refusal.
"Woman," said Samuel, angrily, "take it, and do as you are told!"But Rebekah was not impressed by his angry tone, for in fact Samuelwas an easy "lord and master." As to his loudness, it was but partof an old habit of his, dating from the days of his own militaryservice, to bully his inferiors and to let those above him inauthority bully him.
"So are they all of his kind," she would often explain to herneighbors. "They just fuss, to blow off their tempers, andthen—one may sit on them."
Rebekah persisted in her refusal, and Samuel began in a softer tone:
"But why does it worry you so much? Woman, woman, it is not to
Shemad, God forbid, that he is going!"
At the mention of conversion, Rebekah burst into tears, for Samuelhad unintentionally touched her sore spot: there were rumors in thetown that her family was not without blemish.
"Now that you are crying," exclaimed Samuel, thoroughly angry, "youare not only hard-headed, but also silly, simply silly! 'Long ofhair but short of sense.' To cry and cry, and not know wherefore!"With this Samuel turned towards us, and began to plead his case.
"Have you ever seen such a cry-baby? Five times in her life shefilled the world with a hue and cry, when she bore me a child, andevery time it was but an empty bubble: five girls she brought me!Then, beginning with the sixth birth, she was fortunate enough toget boys, the real thing. Three sons she gave me as my old age wasapproaching. And now, when she ought to thank Heaven for havingbeen found worthy of raising a soldier for the army, she cries!Think of it—your son enters the army a free man; but I, in mytime,—well, well, I was taken by force when a mere youngster!"
Here the old man settled his account with the bottle, and took leaveof his crying wife and his good neighbors, and in the company of hisson mounted the coach waiting outside, ready to go to H., thecapital of the district, where the recruits had to report.
By special good fortune I was going to H. by the same coach, and soI came to hear the story of old Samuel's life from the beginningtill that day.
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