Artists -- Fiction; English fiction -- 20th century; Jews -- England -- London -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
Mr. Macalister explained that in old days artists used to take boys
into their studios, but that now there were Schools of Art where only
very talented people could survive. He certainly thought that Mendel
ought to be given a chance, and if it were a question of money, he,
poor though he was, would be only too glad to help. Golda would not
hear of that, and Abramovich protested that, in an unhappy time like
this, he regarded himself as the representative of his unfortunate
friend.
The corner was turned. Feeling was now all with Mendel, and he went to
bed singing in head and heart: "I'm an artist! I'm an artist! I'm an
artist!"
* * * * *
So the ball was set rolling. Jacob, seen behind the bars, raised no
objection. He had had time to think, and, to the extent of his
capacity, availed himself of it. When he was told that his youngest
son wanted to be an artist and wept at the suggestion of anything
else, he thought: "Who am I to say 'Yea' or 'Nay'?" and he said "Yea."
"Let the boy have a little happiness while he may, for the Christians
are very powerful and will take all that he cherishes from him."
The question of ways and means was considered, and here Abe
Moscowitsch took charge. His business had prospered during his
enforced absence, and his bankruptcy had been very profitable. He was
a decent man, and anxious to make amends to his young wife and her
family for the trouble his adventurousness had brought on them. To
please her he took a new house with bow-windows and a garage, and to
please them he jumped at the opportunity of helping Mendel, and
offered to pay his fees at a School of Art. When the boy heard this he
ran to his brother-in-law's office and, before all his workmen, flung
his arms round his neck and embraced him.
"That'll do. That'll do," said Moscowitsch. "Don't forget us if you're
a rich man before I am."
"I shall never leave home," said Mendel. "I shall never marry. I shall
live all my days with my mother, painting."
There arose the difficulty that no one had ever heard of a School of
Art. Mr. Macalister was deputed to look into the matter. He inquired,
and was recommended to the Polytechnic as being cheap and good, and
the Polytechnic was decided on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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