Hester Street

Ah, Mamie. Mamie,

you should be nice to Mr. Lipman.

Why, may I ask?

Ain't you never heard of Lipman

and Davidowitz, men's clothes?

That's the same Lipman!

Where is this?

The old country, huh?

Is this Poland? Is this Russia?

She's a hundred percent right, Joe.

In America, you marry for love

and that's all.

Who said different?

Furthermore,

I got quite a bit saved myself already.

An orphan got to get her own dowry.

Dowry! I thought this

was America.

I don't want no man to say,

"I had to take her just as she was,

without a penny."

So, so where you live?

I board in.

No! Me also!

No!

I sleep in the parlor

with my landlady's two daughters.

I, I got a bed all to myself.

No.

Well, it ain't actual a bed.

It's a...

It's a lounge.

What a bluffer you is, Jake.

You treatin'? Give a look.

What'll it be?

Where's that waiter?

Ladies and gents, meet Schloime Navasky.

Just come over this very day.

Oh! Oh! Oh! Hey!

Sit 'im right down here.

Sit!

Scared to death.

Look at him.

They must have oxen

in steerage these days.

Oh, he's laughing! Look at him!

Waiter, another glass tea.

Oh!

Careful.

Oh! Is that a sight?

Pincus Levinsky.

Oh! I know Charlie Levinsky.

I know a Kaminsky.

I know Sora Gilinsky.

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

He will soon learn, in America there is

no such thing as relatives, eh?

Ah, here.

Take two. It's America!

Huh?

Oh, his hat! Oh!

Hey! Welcome to America!

No, Jake, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

What's the matter?

You got somebody else?

Look who's talking.

Me?

Shh!

What about Fanny?

Fanny?

Shh!

We work in the same shop,

and that's all.

Huh!

Let's go inside.

Let me explain.

No. My landlady.

All right.

Good-bye.

Jake. Wait.

For what?

Poor little orphan.

When you come over?

Seven years.

I come all alone from Poland

when I was 16 years old.

You speak English like a Yankee.

Thank you.

I would think you was born here.

Hey!

Ma?

Over here.

Bernstein, what was you

in the old country, huh?

A yeshiva student?

Sit on your tochiss all day

in the study house, huh?

And the women is bringing the food

for the scholar,

and everyone is fighting,

"Stay by my house, stay by me!

And please do me the honor

to marry with my daughter."

Well, I wasn't no boss in Lithuania.

No, sir.

Give a guess what I was.

A peddler.

Ah! I told you already?

Hmph. Some country, America.

The peddler becomes the boss,

and the yishiva bocher

sits by the sewing machine.

Some country, huh, Jake?

You betcha!

This is one of the locusts from Egypt.

Huh? Look at him.

Boss, what time?

Is 12:
00 yet?

What if it is? After 12:00,

starts all over again, ain't it?

Half after.

So you will ask, huh?

First thing I get to the house!

Good.

Fanny!

What's the hurry?

You're finished with Fanny, huh?

Why? You want Fanny?

That kind of a woman,

that's not for me.

So what kind of woman is for you?

Bernstein.

So you went to the marriage broker, huh?

Mrs. Kavarsky!

A man works in my shop,

and he needs a home. Do you got?

You better be looking yourself,

Mr. Podkovnik.

They took your landlady away

to the hospital.

Her sister come for Feigle already.

Oh, wait, wait.

It come this morning so I keep for you.

Go. Leave me in peace.

What's the matter?

Read it.

Who?

My wife?

My son?

Your father has been freed.

May he have a bright paradise.

Oh, excuse me, missus.

Who is the landlord in this house?

Epstein.

Would you...

Would you tell him Podkovnik

will take the place?

Oh? For what you need

a whole apartment?

Mr. Podkovnik getting married maybe?

It's too much trouble?

Don't get excited.

Right away. I'll tell Epstein.

The furniture, can I keep?

If the sister don't come for it,

I said I would sell it.

But who wants?

I want.

Twenty-five dollars

would be a bargain.

All right, I buy it.

I got you a room.

Huh?

I got you a room. Two dollars a week,

meals and washing included.

Thanks, Jake.

By the neighbor lady?

No, with me.

Well, well, well!

I was thinking

maybe you moved to Chicago?

I, uh...

I've been busy, Mamie.

That's nice.

Don't even bother to clean yourself up

when you call on a girl.

Mamie, I gotta talk to you

about something special.

Oh!

Mamie...

Ah, Mamie, about this money

you got saved.

What about it?

I got a chance for a big bargain.

Oh! What?

Furniture!

What kind of furniture?

What kind?

A stove,

a table, chair, pots, pans.

Mamie, I gotta have my own place.

Jake.

You give?

Jake, you monkey!

I'll pay back every penny.

I swear.

Don't bother yourself.

Eh...

You got in your pocket, maybe?

What?

The money.

Oh, you want it right away?

You betcha!

Come upstairs.

What about your landlady?

Oh, this is a different thing now,

ain't it?

Listen. Better you should get, huh?

Anything you say, Jake.

You're the boss now.

Three years I sleep there.

Now where will you sleep?

For who is the little bed?

My son.

What son is that?

I only got one son.

Jake, what is this?

Did I ever say I was a single man?

Well, did I?

Yankel!

Yankel!

For what purpose

are you bringing this woman in?

For what purpose

are you bringing this woman in?

Uh, for the purpose,

she's my wife.

And that's your son?

Sha!

This woman is my wife and that's all!

Where's the marriage certificate?

This is my missus.

This is Mr. Bernstein.

Gitl.

Yankel.

Yankel.

Look at him.

A little Yankee.

Yankee?

Listen to him!"Yankee."

Joey.

Joey!

Joey.

Come. Come to Papa.

Say it, Joey. Horse.

Horse.

Horse?

Jake?

Jake!

Good morning.

What's the matter? You didn't come

to the dancing class for a long time.

The ladies keep asking,

"Where's Jake?"

Horse, Ta'teh.

Horse.

Mister, give him.

Ta'teh?

What else?

Upon my word!

What is wrong, if I may ask?

You got a boy.

That means you got a wife also?

Certainly! Upstairs.

They come yesterday only.

Yankel.

Gitl.

Yossele.

Stove.

Stove. Stove.

Lunch.

Table.

Bernstein, you want

she should be green always?

Good evening, missus.

Gitl?

Good evening.

Joey! Come. Come on.

Here, sit.

Mmm! By gum, this is good!

This son of mine going to be president

United States. No, Bernstein?

No. The president must be American born.

It's written in the Constitution.

Bernstein, you wish you had a son

like my Joey, huh?

Get married, and you soon will.

How come you so particular?

What you say to the marriage broker,

he can't find you a wife?

Listen, go back again.

Say, Ill take whatever you got

as long as she got two eyes,

a nose and a mouth."

Look at him, shvitzing!

Come in!

Come in.

Good evening, Jake.

Mamie.

Ah, Miss Fein,

my wife.

How you do?

Pleased to meet you.

Say, Im glad to meet you."

She is still a greener.

Never mind.

She'll soon "oysgreen" herself.

What a darling!

What a darling.

What's his name?

Joey.

Joey! Joey, come here. Come here.

Are you a good boy, Joey?

Give me a kiss.

Mmm! Oh, that's nice. So nice.

Here.

Mama.

Mamie.

About the $25.

Huh! I should cough.

A couple of weeks.

No, sir. Now!

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