Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
Behind the counters were big, full-fed men in white aprons, and coats.
They flourished keen bright knives. As Jennie gazed, one of them, in a
moment of idleness, cut a tiny wedge from a rich yellow Swiss cheese and
stood nibbling it absently, his eyes wandering toward the blonde gelatine
demonstrator. Jennie swayed, and caught the counter. She felt horribly
faint and queer. She shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them a
woman--a fat, housewifely, comfortable looking woman--was standing before
the cheese counter. She spoke to the cheese man. Once more his sharp
knife descended and he was offering the possible customer a sample. She
picked it off the knife's sharp tip, nibbled thoughtfully, shook her
head, and passed on. A great, glorious world of hope opened out before
Jennie.
Her cheeks grew hot, and her eyes felt dry and bright as she approached
the cheese counter.
"A bit of that," she said, pointing. "It doesn't look just as I like it."
"Very fine, madam," the man assured her, and turned the knife point
toward her, with the infinitesimal wedge of cheese reposing on its blade.
Jennie tried to keep her hand steady as she delicately picked it off,
nibbled as she had seen that other woman do it, her head on one side,
before it shook a slow negative. The effort necessary to keep from
cramming the entire piece into her mouth at once left her weak and
trembling. She passed on as the other woman had done, around the corner,
and into a world of sausages. Great rosy mounds of them filled counters
and cases. Sausage! Sneer, you pate de foies grasers! But may you know
the day when hunger will have you. And on that day may you run into
linked temptation in the form of Braunschweiger Metwurst. May you know
the longing that causes the eyes to glaze at the sight of Thuringer
sausage, and the mouth to water at the scent of Cervelat wurst, and the
fingers to tremble at the nearness of smoked liver.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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