m, so that he should be a credit to
his family? Then, he was left an orphan very early; perhaps he would
have obeyed his father (may he enter a lightsome paradise!), but for a
brother and his mother, he paid them as much attention as last year's
snow, and, if you said anything to him, he answered rudely, and neither
coaxing nor scolding was any good. Now, please God, he'll make a fresh
start, and give up his antics before it's too late. His poor mother!
She's had trouble enough on his account, as we all know."

Beile let fall a tear and said:

"If our father (may he be our kind advocate!) were alive, Moishehle
would never have made an engagement like this. Who knows what sort of
connections they will be! I can see them, begging his pardon, from here!
Is he likely to have asked anyone's advice? He always had a will of his
own--did what he wanted to do, never asked his mother, or his sister, or
his brother, beforehand. Now he's a bridegroom at thirty if he's a day,
and we are all asked to the wedding, are we really? And we shall soon
all be running to see the fine sight, such as never was seen before. We
are no such fools! He thinks _himself_ the clever one now! So he wants
us to be at the wedding? Only says it out of politeness."

"We must go, all the same," said Avremel.

"Go and welcome, if you want to--you won't catch _me_ there," answered
his sister.

There was a deal more discussion and disputing about not going to the
wedding, and only congratulating by telegram, for good manners' sake.
Since he had asked no one's advice, and engaged himself without them,
let him get married without them, too!

Gittel, up in her bedroom, could not so soon compose herself after the
events of the day. What she had experienced was no trifle. Moishehle
engaged to be married! She had been through so much on his account in
the course of her life, she had loved him, her youngest born, so dearly!
He was such a beautiful child that the light of his countenance dazzled
you, and bright as the day, so that people opened ears and mouth to hear
him talk, and God and men alike envied her the possession of such a boy.

"I counted on making a match for him, as I did with Avremel before him.
He was offered the best connections, with the families of the greatest
Rabbis. But, no--no--he wanted to go on studying. 'Study here, study
there,' said I, 'sixteen years old and a bachelor! If you want to study,
can't you study at your father-in-law's, e