Page:Etta Block - One-act plays from the Yiddish (1923).pdf/153

 PESEH (furious) To a saloon, you say! Oh, if only the Angel of Death would pack him off, Heavenly Father!

DAVID Ay—Reb Gerson’s wife! Let be. It’s a sin to curse a husband. Better bless him, then maybe God will bless him, too. He has enough to bear as it is! And why, I should like to know. There are others, too, who deserve God’s punishment, yet they have it good, and still go on sinning. And here—all the ill luck seems to fasten to such a decent man. Only today .. . (He stops short.)

PESEH (alarmed)

Merciful God! What happened today?

DAVID Ett! God forbid, nothing serious—still .. .

PESEH (fearfully anxious) Well, tell. Tell—what happened to him to- day?

DAVID The thing happened this way. Chaim came along and tried to take your husband’s work away. Naturally, he wouldn’t let him. So, I suppose, they struggled for it until the box came open and the stuff fell out upon the floor. Then the boss came along and fined Gerson two rubles.

PESEH Two rubles fine! What a misfortune—two rubles! Now we’ll have to go hungry for a week at least!