is well and
strong in spite of it, because the holy Torah is the best medicine for
all sicknesses? Ha, ha, ha! And _he_ wants Ezrielk to give up learning
and the bath? Do you know what? Go home and send Ezrielk to Cheder at
once!"

The Kamenivke doctor made one or two more attempts at alarming Ezrielk's
parents; he sent his assistant to them more than once, but it was no
use, for after what Reb Yainkel had said, nobody would hear of any
doctoring.

So Ezrielk continued to study the Talmud and occasionally to lead the
service in Shool, like the Chassidic child he was, had a dip nearly
every morning in the bath-house, and at thirteen, good luck to him, he
was married.

The Hostre Rebbe himself honored the wedding with his presence. The
Rebbe, long life to him, was fond of Ezrielk, almost as though he had
been his own child. The whole time the saint stayed in Kabtzonivke,
Kamenivke, and Ebionivke, Ezrielk had to be near him.

When they told the Rebbe the story of the doctor, he remarked, "Ett!
what do _they_ know?"

And Ezrielk continued to recite the prayers after his marriage, and to
sing as before, and was the delight of all who heard him.

Agreeably to the marriage contract, Ezrielk and his Channehle had a
double right to board with their parents "forever"; when they were born
and the written engagements were filled in, each was an only child, and
both Reb Seinwill and Reb Selig undertook to board them "forever." True,
when the parents wedded their "one and only children," they had both of
them a houseful of little ones and no Parnosseh (they really hadn't!),
but they did not go back upon their word with regard to the "board
forever."

Of course, it is understood that the two "everlasting boards" lasted
nearly one whole year, and Ezrielk and his wife might well give thanks
for not having died of hunger in the course of it, such a bad, bitter
year as it was for their poor parents. It was the year of the great
flood, when both Reb Seinwill Bassis and Reb Selig Tachshit had their
houses ruined.

Ezrielk, Channehle, and their little son had to go and shift for
themselves. But the other inhabitants of Kabtzonivke, regardless of
this, now began to envy them in earnest: what other couple of their age,
with a child and without a farthing, could so easily make a livelihood
as they?

Hardly had it come to the ears of the three towns that Ezrielk was
seeking a Parnosseh when they were all astir. All the Shools called