n me, besides headache and
nervousness, had they not been so soon dispelled and superseded by a
host of strong new impressions. For these readings ended with my
visit, which was closely followed by the preparations for our
emigration.

On the whole, then, I do not feel that I was seriously harmed by my
wild reading. I have not been told that my taste was corrupted, and my
morals, I believe, have also escaped serious stricture. I would even
say that I have never been hurt by any revelation, however distorted
or untimely, that I found in books, good or poor; that I have never
read an idle book that was entirely useless; and that I have never
quite lost whatever was significant to my spirit in any book, good or
bad, even though my conscious memory can give no account of it.

One lived, at Uncle Solomon's, not only one's own life, but the life
of all around. My uncle, when he returned after a short absence, had
stories to tell and adventures to describe; and I learned that one
might travel considerably and see things unknown even in Vitebsk,
without going as far as America. My cousins sometimes went to the
theatre, and I listened with rapture to their account of what they had
seen, and I learned the songs they had heard. Once Cousin Hirshel went
to see a giant, who exhibited himself for three kopecks, and came home
with such marvellous accounts of his astonishing proportions, and his
amazing feats of strength, that little Mendele cried for envy, and I
had to play lotto with him and let him beat me oh, so easily! till he
felt himself a man again.

And sometimes I had adventures of my own. I explored the city to some
extent by myself, or else my cousins took me with them on their
errands. There were so many fine people to see, such wonderful shops,
such great distances to go. Once they took me to a bookstore. I saw
shelves and shelves of books, and people buying them, and taking them
away to keep. I was told that some people had in their own houses more
books than were in the store. Was not that wonderful? It was a great
city, Vitebsk; I never could exhaust its delights.

Although I did not often think of my people at home, struggling
desperately to live while I revelled in abundance and pleasure and
excitement, I did do my little to help the family by giving lessons in
lacemaking. As this was the only time in my life that I earned money
by the work of my hands, I take care not to forget it and I like to
give an account