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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1946-09-27, Page 7194 • ELI:A.S TQBENKIN • (Continued, from last week) In three weeks' there came an an - ewer from the ,secretary of the Ion - don group. It was a brief, sympathe- J°e tic nate, which, set Aaron wondering xc by people, were" saying that revolu- -• •tionists • had no regerd for- personal • feelings, for relatives, for brothers. The secretary, whom Aaron did not • know; whose name he had never ;heard before, wrote, 'him that he. would be very happy indeed to trans- mit Aaron's letter to Me distinguish - 'e3 brother Simeon Witkowski, and • would be happier still to. see the bro-' there reunited. The letter would be forwarded' to his brother in.'the'speed- ' • fest manner possible, though *Mild *ld have to be in a� roundaborft Way as Simeon's whereabouts. were still kept secret for precautionary reasons:, 'It • ended with warm congratulations to Aaron Witte'on his brother's success- fel escape from the Siberian dungeon. • There • began for the. Wittes -an ag- onizing period of constant watching for the mailman. Aaron • would now Dome from the country earlier than • usual, and his first question was whe- ther Simeon had written. But Sim- ' eon did not write. The 'winter went: and • spring •carne, and the Passover. The joy of the festival was marred by the silence of the brother. • May came and went, and then June. Still there was no letter from Simeon. Aaron was -beginning to lose hope of -ever hearing from his brother. He 'determined' to 'write to the secretary • of the London group once more. He would wait a few more weeks and then he would; write. Early on .a Sunday morning„in the .last part of June; Aaron emerged • from the barn where• he had .just completed his morning chores and was heading for the house, when he' f ,ti ,LEGAL McCONNELL & HAYS Barristers, Solicitors, Etc. Patrick D. McConnell - H. G1enn,Hays SEAFORTH, ONT. Telephone 174; A. W. STLLERY Barrister, Solicitor, Etc. SEAFORTH - :ONTARIO ” • • Phone : 173; Seaforth ' MEDICAL SEAFORTH .CLINIC. DR. E. A. McMASTER, M.B. . Physician DR. P. L. BRADY, M.D. Surgeon • Office hours daily,- except Wednes- nay: • 1.30,•5 p.m., 7-9 p.m. Appointments for consultation may be made in advance. ' JOHN, A. GORWILL, B.A., M.D, Physician and Surgeon' IN DR. H. H: ROSS' OFFICE Phones: Office • 5-W; Res. 5-J Seaforth MARTIN W. STAPLETON, Ben, M.D. Physician. and. Surgeon' Sticcessor to Dr. W. C. Sproat Phone 90-W Seaforth DR. F. J. R. FORSTER Eye, Ear,.Nose and Throat ' Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto: Late assistant New York Opthal- mei and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye and Golden Square, Throat Hos- pital, London, Eng. At COMMERCIAL HOTEL, SEAFORTB, THIRD WED- NESDAY In each, month, from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; also at Seaforth Clinic first Tuesday of each month. • 5;3 Waterloo Street :South, Stratford. . JOHN C. GODDARD, M.D. ' Ppysician and Surgeon Phone 110 Hensall • 4068x52' DR. F. H. SCI4ERK Physician and Surgeon Phone 56 - Hensel' AUCTIONEERS • HAROLD JACKSON r speeialiet in 'Farm and Household Sales. • Licensed in Huron and Perth -Coun- ties. Prices "reasonable; Satisfaction guaranteed. For information, etc,, write or phone HAROLD 'JACKSON, 14 on 661, Sea - forth; R.R. 4," Seaferth, PERCY 0. WRIGHT 4Licensed . Auctioneer, Hoitsdfold, farm stock, implements and purebred sales. Special training and -experience* enables- me to offer you sales service thae... is most effici- ent Etna atisfactory. PRONE. 9be r 2,2, Bengali. W. 8; O'NEIL, DENFIELD, ONT. Lietinsed Auatibneer Pare bred s'alea, also ,traria Stook and implements One ...per Dent. charge. Satisfeotl4T1 i uftranteed, For aaie dates, hone' 284, Branton, at *iy eacpenleo._ observed a• middle-aged Jew of $)'veli stature and sparing dimensions. G.om- inn up the street.. The man's "fade tl'as framed by a 'effort, darl� beard,' In his hand he carried 'a grip, and he walked rather laboriously, for the street ran uphill. " Aaron had known a travelling, opti- cian who had looked very much like this man. He took the stranger -to be an out-of-town pedier who was go- ing to some Jewish family he kuew to spend the Sunday with them. So he went into the house. He had scarcely, however, had time to take off his overalls, when there was a knock et the door. The man whom he had, seen on the street a few moments before stepped into the room 'and let 'his satchel tumble to, the floor. Between paroxysms of .rap - .id asthmatic -breathing the stranger asked for Aaron Witkowski, . "I am Aaron Witkowski—sit down, let me. gine ,you a glass of water—" Aaron started to go ,after water. But the„ man caught his wrist and held it fast until the spell of violent breathing began to subside. Then he. gasped: "I --I'm Simeon." CHAPTER IV SIBERIAN' ECHOES When the wave of excitement oc- casioned by Simeon's unexpected ar- riyal had subsided, Aaron. took his brother for a stroll in the fields. He wanted Simeon all to himself for a time, the listen end talk to him undis- turbed. They pent' the greater part of the- afternoon',—of the first after- noon—either 'sitting in the shade of a tree along the quiet• country road, or walking slowly, in accordance with the 'dictates of Simeon's asthmatic lungs. • From time to time Aaron gazed at 'his brother, with unbelieving eyes. Of course twenty; year§ had elapsed since he had seen hinn, and Simeon was -now a man of forty. None the less Aaron could not reconcile himself to the thought that Simeon was really a middle-aged man. He hat somehow preserved him in his memory as a boy. The picture which„ hung on tbe' wall in his parlor had, helped fix that impression.. • Simeon, in turn, had to watch him self constantly . against . addressing Aaron as "Father." For Aaron, ex- cept for the fact thathe wore a short American• coat instead, ofa flowing.: ghetto gabardine, was a picture ..of their father as Simeon had seen him last. • The talk, spasmodic- and .fragu7en- tary, .,was mostly by Simeon and ran ebaut home; their Russian home from which he was banished; and about their father? Their' mother had died while Simeon was still in Russia. Avoiding Aaron's gaze Simeon kept on plying his brother with questions about their father. Who was with him when he died? And what did he say in his last hours? .Was he angry with him, Simeon? tnehad"he forgot- ten him? And where was he buried —anywhere near their mother, or was there a big gap 'between his and her grave? Sii{teon showed a surprising memory with regard to the geography of the cemetery •of their native town. Aaron described to- him minutely the location of his father's grave. This intensified, memory of his about` scenes -and places in his old home astoutded Aaron, Simeon ,,ask- ed about the playmates of his child- hood, hildhood, remembering the name, nick- name end •pecul-iarities of eacf... A thousand inconsequential things, which Aaron had long forgotten,. were as fresh in leis brother's mind as.if they had happened only yesterday. ' • As Simeon spoke of these things and dwelt on half-forgotten incidents of his childhood, Aaron realized that, his brother must have thought often of. those scenes, places and persons in the many years of his confinement in Siberian" fel-tresses. . He ,felt like ?taking the lean, almost puny, body of his younger brother in his own strong arms— In spite of his beard Simeon appeared to him .like a child in need of kindness and pro- tection. Wild bowers were • growing along the road. Simeon stretched out his hand to pluck one of them. es he did so his wrist came out from under .his cuff, and Aaron perceived a dark reddish 'circle about it. He •wondered for some moments where Simeon could, have got such an ugly. scar. He scanned their childhood and could not recall any such accident to .his bro- ther. Then the signelleance of tbe scar came to^ -him with a flash. The Siberian chains the poets sang about were not . mere phrases—they were real. They had eaten themselves into the flesh of Dais brother'. Simeon would bear the marks of these challis for- ever, Aaron's eyes became full and hot. 'He lost all control over himself and began to sob: . . , Simeon thought it was the ques- tions about their father, which he had asked, that had so unnerved hie'bee- ther. He began to mumble _in broken phrases, humbly, apologetically. ' It was not, his lack of love or loy- alty, 'to his .family that had caused him to sadden his father's old age, Simeon explained. He would have giv- en his life to have saved.- his fsther the bitterness of his last years. , But he oeuld not act otherwise. et was a holy„ war the revolutionists were carrying on—a war for the free - done of • •their• country, of the Russian people. The steppes of Siberia were strewn with the bones• of soldiers of freedom like himself., , . . For 'ev- ery lonely grave of a revolutionist hi the Siberian steppes a father was thourning and a mother Was crying her eyes out and, wasting her life away... Simeon became animated, 'Various teats' frond the Talmud; from Hebrew history came to his Mind—it fluid which Ire hh'ct in Netherton erton with 119 brother. Re summoned these hietbrie incidents as if to clear hiimseif X111 T, Aaron's eyes+-' "What of the Maccabees?" he este ed. "Were not they the revolution- ists of their day? Were not the an- cientenewish patriots hunted down by tire tyrants of..their age? Were they not burned, hanged, crucified for their championship of the cause 'of the people? ' , • "No doubt their mothers wept their', eyes out for them..:: No doubt. the fathers of these martyred saints went to their graves before their time; but such is history. . .' . The human race has bought every inch of, free - dem with the •blood and sacrifice of its young sons and with the tears of its old men: . " It was Aaron's turn"to talk and set his brother's mind at ease. The least effort at 'speech, however, would have precipitated another storm of tears. He put his arm about Simeon's'shoul- ders and they walked in silence, to- ward the city,, for the sun had already set: When the -Witte home came into view Emil ran to • meet them. In Mite weeks that followed, Emil, who was noir' nearing his seventeenth year; became the inseparable compan- ion of his uncle. Simeon ,.from: the first discovered' a strain in his nephew that pleased him. Uncle and nephew often talked about Russia. Emil's remembrance of the "old country" was still vivid. As he spoke he would occasionally drop a phrase rich in. imagery. With' such a' phrase as a cue Simeon waned seek to. pry open the boy's soul— "What do you think you are going to make of yourself here?" Simeon once asked. ' Emil had not thought of his future yet. That set :him thinking. But Simeon was not ,solely impart- ing -information. He was trying to. gain an idea about the United States from his nephew; He made Emil tell• hint- of the American schools, .of the aims and ideas of' .the pupils, and of the -outlook and philosophy• of their teachers, His questions were stimu- lating and kept .Emil's mind on the alert. •- What Emil and his father, in fact the entire Witte family, wanted to know most was the story of Sitneon's confinement •and exile in Siberia. Sim- eon, however, always managed ,to di- vert such questions. He spoke rarely about himself, • end 'never about his -experiences. • It was only when he narrated the ,suffering of a friend, the. agony,' of a comrade dying in a mine, that'they got a glimpse of what , he had ;one through He talked about Siberia to Emil like a teacher—im- personally. He -often-. used the Siber- ian .fortresses he knew as a pivot about which he' revolved the history of Russia. He explained to his eager- Iy listening nephew the significance of•the revolutionary movement in. that country — a movement ,...,.which sent transport after transport of prisoners "made up of the best blood and brains of the country, to- the remotest Asi- atic dungeons. And just as when• speaking to his brother- Aaron, Simeon sought to bring home to .' him the revolutionary movement by comparing it with ev- ents fn Jewish history, by drawing i1-• lustrations fror+n Hebrew lore, so in speaking to ,his nephew he chose ex-• amples •and drew illuetratione from ancient and American history. • Simeon's tall; was a sort • of run- ning comment on history, The facts which Emil had studied in school as- sumed .a different meaning, a new sig- nificance after 'they passed throegh 'the .welter of Simeon's observations. To Simeon human history appeared. largely ;as a' struggle between class- es. Most .concrete form this struggle assumed in Greece where the helots,. or slaves, toiled and Invade food, and clothing for their masters, while the latter occupied themselves withsport, war and learning. 'The ' conditions Which prevailed then—one-half of the people in acountry toiling until their backs broke, and the other half liv- ing in, ease and even idleness—these conditions still prevail, he said. The Greeks transmitted this system of expt'oitation to the' Romans: The latter perfected the system -of ensla.'- Mg the poor and'the weak with- a ser- ies of murderous, wars.. The Romans, after conquering':their weaker neigh- bors, acquiring their lands and sub- jugating their peoples, then proceed- -ed to build up a system of law which made not only lawful, but fairly sac, red, the possession of that which they had so unjustly acquireffe That was how the institution of private proper- ty was born: . In his' talks with his nephew Sim - •eon often, delved into history. He gave the youth an entirely different view of the growth of royal families and monarchies than that riven be his -teachers.. The "sunning qne,'` the most brutal, merciless conqueror, be- came the. -king, 'Simeon explained. The Weaker ones, those less "sun- ning," were made the vassals, serfs, slaves. The revolutionists of all ages and •of all countries were merely try- ing' to restore to the oppressed and disinherited masses the possessions and rights of . which they had been robbed by the mighty arid the cun- ning. Little by little Simeon unfolded the theories of Socialism to his nephew. "The helot of Sparta," he,told Emil once, "and the factory Worker of St. Petersburg, London, Paris, New York, are. first cousins. There is •a degree .of. difference .in the dependence of each, but dependent they all are. So- cialism is fighting. against this ecbn- ordic dependence, ' "In Russia," Simeon continued, "the struggle of the masses is doubly com- plicated: In addition to their econ- orics enslavement the masses there are held in bondage by a powerful autocracy. The nihilists in, fighting one of the strongest ob'etaclee in the Way: 'of. tbb greater and principal' war —the .war against the ecotiont'iC and social •system which makes. the bread ,and'erfistence of rthousaiide dependent ,a fn,rc �i3)li. NURO T EXI'QSI,TOR OTTAWA - The Political Scene The political 'prophets' and• "slop-- titers" are still 'discussing last week's try -election, in Pontiac and its•.signih- cance in relation to the hopes bf aur leading political parties.. There is general agreement that it was 'a bit- ter disappointment to the three lead- ing parties the t Liberals, • 1 because they lost a seat that was considered' reasonably safe.; although held by a minority yote'•in 1945; the •Progres- sive Conservativen because, after au intensive and hard-fought • campaign, they ran a bad third compared to their second .place in 1945;,. the C.C.F. because of a substantial loss from the vote given to 'them in the previous election. What .does it mean? Is the Social Credit becoming- a fourth na- tional. •party? Is there any hope of steady administration with so many parties? Is socialism a spent force? What effect will this have on next upon the whim or',will of one man:" As they' were sitting once at the edge of the lake which skirten Spring Water, Simeon said: "In America you don't hear much about Socialism yet, but you will be- fore long. Yours is still a young coun- try. Your resources are still ample and afford every one a comfortable living and a fairly secure old age, ev- en under the iniquitous system of private property. But a time' will come when the -present opportunities will be limited, when the resources will be absorbed by a few. Your land will be grabbed by `cunning men,' Who instead of becoming political kings will become economic masters. They will control your industries and• clip the wings of your freedom with the sword of economic supremacy. , "There is a serenity over " your ,country at present," Simeon went on; "which has something healthy , and, soothing about it. There is a liberal spirit in your press which lifts your country ,above all others. But the time Is coming when your masters and your worlrmen will draw up the' battle lines against each other—great strikes will come and your universal. serenity will evaporate. You will have your 'classes' and your `masses' in' the country with the defenders of the one and .the champions of: the other. "In the twentieth century: your dun geons Wil'1 be -Oiled with agitafors,- with champions of the masses, just as the Siberianmines and prisons were filled with Russian' nihilists, iu the nineteenth. . Emil listened to his uncle's' dis- course attentively. Not all of it was quite clear to biae But Simeon had' warted him that Tie would -not under- stand it all—yet. These ideas would recur to him, however, he said as Emil grew older and gained in experi- ence. They would , go over into con- victions that would exert a far-reach- ing influence over his life and his -fu- ture. ' It had grown dark in the'meantime. From• the lake a delightful breeze was blowing.•• Emil was looking straight ahead at file waters through which the moon had eut a silvery path. Simeon studied his face in the growing meat. The uncle finally broke the silence. "You will write about these things," he said, "about these very, struggles between the masses and their mas- ters. For you are going to be a writ- er— That, I think, ,is your oiling in life." Emil' trembled at these words,... A faintness overcame him.. He felt -as. if he were being. consecfated to a' high and holy office. • Years after, when Simeon was dead and Emil was seeing rife witb the eyes of • an aggressive Amei'rean re- porter. in Chicago and "New York, he after pondered over the words utter ed by his' uncle os that summer eve ning as they were sitting on. the edge of the'4ake in Spring Water. As the reporter saw mounted police ride into crowds 'of strikers, clubbing and in- juring the •ragged, desperate, hungry people he recalled Simeon's. predtc- titlri: And 'the humanity for. ,which 'his uncle had gone to Siberia—the love oC freedom and the welfare of the masses—served like a pillar of Are to the young reporter. It kept his heart warm and his faith in man intact. I£ kept him from, sinking into the doth of cynicism and indifference into which they sought relief in drink. In the latter part of September Sim- eon announced that be would leave in a week. Aaron listened with bowed head, but no longer tried to dissuade his brother, Simeon had made it clear to Aaron soon" after his arrival in Spring Water that he had no intention of settling in America. 'In fact there was no settling for him anywhere. As, tong as autocracy held sway in Rus- sia there was work for him to do, (Continued Next Week) - WHFN, IN TORONTO • Make Your Homs Rotel •e II IIauertry LOCATED on veld• SPADINA AV$- Af Coflilla Seen :.: RATES ... sine m$I.SO- $3.50 Double $2.50- $7.00 Write for Polder We Advice Early lteservaion A 1.HOU DAYS SIGHT-SEE'ING roma WALfIO Disvi.Nce A. Pt. Pe(;illin frifii iiij ~ •n1 et Meed?'s'' hy^eleetion viii, Parlcdale, Ou tario, and l''ortage La Prairie,, 1Viaui,' lobe.'?. , Cot t i1uiy .th@ ;Social ' Credit Patty is iusgihed in !its' feeling of e1a,: axon daIlteaattaeowe, ttohehewylngnn)aidt g.CI-Re nc- qut~stion..a statement that he won the eiedtior) by cop en, t> titling on local isi i ea w ile eke •outer parties, taihed in national and ttrtere5t*1$ tern,¢e, trio prsattad much aarterest,. ,�lri analysis of the''vote sit ws titt;vly !thaw t ee vote, of 4,4815„•which was given tor. t e. "'Bloc Populafre Canadienne,” Que, bee's intro nationalist ,party, wept solidly -4o Mr. Caoitette. The Liberal organization certainly 'ranee' to get out ,all the Liberal vote; the total vote; cast in -this by-eieitiort, as com- pared ompared with the general- election of 1945, la down about the sante amount, as the Liberal 'vete is reduced, The Duplessis organizateoa in Quebec noes. failed ire its attempt to stipport the. -Progressive Conservative party. Real Caouette, the winner, was by far the best known 'candidate having cam- paigned in two previous elections in this large constityenvy which could not a1i , be "covered" in .one election campaign,•. The. Progressive Conserva- tive Party is particularly downcast over its failure to gain from the gov- ernment , loss and the anti-Bracaen pines Within- the 'party have been strengthened. They have additional ammunition in the Liberal victory in the last weeks provincial by -election - ie Prince Edward Island. Progress in Democracy It is now possible to .summarize all - Canada press comment• --•mi the last session of parliament. Perhaps the mose general comment —' emerging through much criticism of detail— was: (1) that' the work of, the ses- sion showed the successful manage- ment, by the government, of the na- tion's business in this first difficult year of transition, end reconstruction; (2) that the opposition •in parliament, although much improved; is still woe.- folly oe=fully weak; (3) that the government, deserves commendation for the extert to which it was able to maintain our price structure; (4) that the govern- ment took a bold step, in offering sep- arate taxagreenlents to the provinc- es—there was no general approval of the offer. - Almost all papers agree that a dras- tic revision of our parliamentary rules must henrade':i' free democ- a•acy is to functiont "Its greatest possibility. There is Much agreement that the - differences' between our var- ious political parties is more clearly defined, now than ever before but most papers supporting the Progres- sive Conservative party see the Lib- eral party veering sharply to the left. Some papers believe' they see now 'emerging the issues on which the public life et Canada will turn for the next few years. • ' . • Major' Trade Changes ;- The The leading Canadian economists all agree, and our history confirms, that the national income_of-.Canada.-:.:, the measure of our collective standard df Itoang depends on the extent of Canadc,' eral ag. we retty is the aed, agrt Iu t1, at'—reined—no 11gf OF -mil- - place ;the stitnulurnr:Ctelal tr rr Fortlirs,yeason it ie,ikiiF )estipg to. note- the major • changes In' the trend tet our trade. 9or firltisil- Empire, countries mere are sub§tantiai Sn-, pre?ieee i?R 'our trade with Austral�aa Hire✓ fiFw• 2;eglanli Setnn e'treea and Lite tknifpg lKingnnta .—.a 'decreases" in our -;trade With ,'British India; Ceylon,- Newfoundlax d and Trinidad. For nou• Bxit1 la cn:O fes we have inc eases With Belgium,. prazil, China. Crerfio- slovakia„ Denmark; F. tine°, Sp lit, creases' for. ,Argeutin.a, S.weden,• Turkey, The . Netherland§ reli'#h ;Wet ,Indies and 'many senalber e.Pupitries—witkt de=; Panama. tum citta (TO OUR FRIENDS FROM THE Good hunting anti our wise garne lawn g; r and more friendly visitors from south of toe °boric. They're doubly welcome •gs fine 'sportsmen a;p because they help our economy: It's up to' each ori of us #o encourage their visitt8 ...give, them a r is welcome every time Ontario profits almost as Every tourist dollaris much from tourist' busi- shared this way:1. Hotels; nese as from gold mini*. 2. Stores; 3. Restaurants; It's up to us to keep this 4. Taxes, etc.; 5. Amuse - business growing. menta; 6.. Garages. TUNE IN CFRB. "Ontario itali fey paa,p ilMrs,,, Fri. Sd: rusuSllED s4 • . • ET-MS.13C INTEREST SY JOHN.•.LAZATr UNITED Today more people aro using more telephones to make moYe calls than ever before to—You'd hardly think rt... but sible in post-war a�orta year si1Yl' -min view oc p in any our re the irtwas asge new customers Were the e first eightOmonths of 1946 we l while in the added 90,000. ed Beferetveo ar eY Te Mare Telephones telephones. 280,000 telco 1,140,000. . Aero Cells --Tile nhut Gals has • increased proportionately 300t Dis- tance call's have gone up Telephone Operators are doing a wonder• fu]; lob with this new hood of calls, keeping service standards high and call the delays tto a rninimuni- lien to put every d wish, we most , fastas erwel es ndsw tchboards.Ourhuge- service tine had 10 wait r seas new lines and o t ait u til r rdets were fue bed- Nov, i 'lng wear order rough is fast as the material rushed er7cnit. situation will It Alm 08�f)A r11.TO1tP80NI COMiP ..::1%r Y$�• n zt ;P. ty�