From Plotzk to Boston | Page 3

only, I believe) they envied. As
everybody in Plotzk knew us, and as the departure of a whole family
was very rousing, we dared not brave the sympathetic presence of the
whole township, that we knew we might expect. So we gave out a false
alarm.
Even then there was half the population of Plotzk on hand the next
morning. We were the heroes of the hour. I remember how the women
crowded around mother, charging her to deliver messages to their
relatives in America; how they made the air ring with their
unintelligible chorus; how they showered down upon us scores of
suggestions and admonitions; how they made us frantic with their
sympathetic weeping and wringing of hands; how, finally, the ringing
of the signal bell set them all talking faster and louder than ever, in
desperate efforts to give the last bits of advice, deliver the last messages,
and, to their credit let it be said, to give the final, hearty, unfeigned
good-bye kisses, hugs and good wishes.
Well, we lived through three years of waiting, and also through a half
hour of parting. Some of our relatives came near being carried off, as,
heedless of the last bell, they lingered on in the car. But at last they, too,
had to go, and we, the wanderers, could scarcely see the rainbow wave

of colored handkerchiefs, as, dissolved in tears, we were carried out of
Plotzk, away from home, but nearer our longed-for haven of reunion;
nearer, indeed, to everything that makes life beautiful and gives one an
aim and an end--freedom, progress, knowledge, light and truth, with
their glorious host of followers. But we did not know it then.
The following pages contain the description of our journey, as I wrote
it four years ago, when it was all fresh in my memory.
M. A.

FROM PLOTZK TO BOSTON.
The short journey from Plotzk to Vilna was uneventful. Station after
station was passed without our taking any interest in anything, for that
never-to-be-forgotten leave taking at the Plotzk railway station left us
all in such a state of apathy to all things except our own thoughts as
could not easily be thrown off. Indeed, had we not been obliged to
change trains at Devinsk and, being the inexperienced travellers we
were, do a great deal of bustling and hurrying and questioning of
porters and mere idlers, I do not know how long we would have
remained in that same thoughtful, silent state.
Towards evening we reached Vilna, and such a welcome as we got! Up
to then I had never seen such a mob of porters and isvostchiky. I do not
clearly remember just what occurred, but a most vivid recollection of
being very uneasy for a time is still retained in my memory. You see
my uncle was to have met us at the station, but urgent business kept
him elsewhere.
Now it was universally believed in Plotzk that it was wise not to trust
the first isvostchik who offered his services when one arrived in Vilna a
stranger, and I do not know to this day how mother managed to get
away from the mob and how, above all, she dared to trust herself with
her precious baggage to one of them. But I have thought better of Vilna
Isvostchiky since, for we were safely landed after a pretty long drive in

front of my uncle's store, with never one of our number lost, never a
bundle stolen or any mishap whatever.
Our stay in Vilna was marked by nothing of interest. We stayed only
long enough for some necessary papers to reach us, and during that
time I discovered that Vilna was very much like Plotzk, though larger,
cleaner and noisier. There were the same coarse, hoarse-voiced women
in the market, the same kind of storekeepers in the low store doors,
forever struggling and quarrelling for a customer. The only really
interesting things I remember were the horsecars, which I had never
even heard of, and in one of which I had a lovely ride for five copeiky,
and a large book store on the Nemetzka yah Ulitza. The latter object
may not seem of any interest to most people, but I had never seen so
many books in one place before, and I could not help regarding them
with longing and wonder.
At last all was in readiness for our start. This was really the beginning
of our long journey, which I shall endeavor to describe.
I will not give any description of the various places we passed, for we
stopped at few places and always under circumstances which did not
permit of sightseeing. I shall only speak of such things as made a
distinct impression upon my mind, which, it must be remembered,