Didactic fiction; Political fiction; Social problems -- Fiction
"This may sound as if I was a Jew-hater. I'm not. But I love Liberty.
The fight is world-wide, international, interracial. It's bigger than
Jew or Gentile. It's for the Freedom of Humanity. And the people who are
willing to be slaves are more dangerous enemies than those who want to
be tyrants. It's rather good fun fighting oppressors. But it's Hell
trying to free ourselves from slaves."
His words inflamed Yetta's imagination. How often she had heard her
father explain the misery of their people by the lack of training in the
habits of freedom! He had felt--and it had been his keenest sorrow--that
the Chosen People were falling far short of their high calling. She
remembered his solemn talks with her, his explanation of why he had
wished her to study. He wanted her to be an American--a free woman.
Longman stopped. Instead of applause there were angry murmurings. But
his words had sounded like the Ultimate Truth to Yetta. Why did they not
greet his message with a cheer. The wine accomplished its miracle.
Without its burning stimulation she would have been a cowering bundle of
timidity before that sullen audience. But many good things can the
kindly Fates conjure out of vile beginnings. The champagne which was to
have been her utter undoing gave her courage. She got up as one
inspired.
"What he says is true. We Jews don't fight for Freedom like we ought to.
Look at me. My father loved Liberty. Perhaps some of you remember him.
His name was Rayefsky. He used to keep a book-store on East Broadway. He
talked to me about Liberty--all the time, and how we in this country
ought to do our share. And then he died, and I went to work in a
sweat-shop. Vests. I forgot all he had told me. What right have I got to
be free? I forgot all about it. I ain't been vigilant. Nobody's talked
to me about Liberty--since my father died. I'm"--her voice trembled a
moment--"Yes, I'll tell you. I'm speeder in my shop. I'm sorry. I didn't
think about it. Nobody ever told me what it meant before. If there's a
union in my trade, I'll join it. I'll try not to be a slave. I can't
fight much. I don't know how. I guess that's the real trouble--we're not
afraid--only we don't know. I ain't got no education. I had to stop
school when my father died. I was only fifteen. But I'll try not to make
it harder for those that are fighting. I think..."
But her excitement had burned out the stimulation of the wine. She
suddenly saw the sea of faces. It turned her from The Voice of her Race
into a very frightened young woman, who knew neither how to go ahead nor
how to sit down.
"That's all I've got to say!" she stammered. "I'll try not to be a
slave."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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