Droibnik's inheritance. There was no eating for him, no
drinking, and no sleeping. The scissors squeaked, the needle ran hither
and thither, up and down, the inheritance sighed and almost sobbed under
the hot iron. But how happy was Yitzchok-Yossel those lightsome days and
merry nights? Who could compare with him? Greater than the Kabtzonivke
village elder, richer than Yisroel Dintzis, the tax-gatherer, and more
exalted than the bailiff himself was Yitzchok-Yossel, that is, in his
own estimation. All that he wished, thought, and felt was forthwith
created by means of his scissors and iron, his thimble, needle, and
cotton. No more putting on of patches, sewing on of pockets, cutting
out of "Tefillin-Saecklech" and "little prayer-scarfs," no more doing up
of old dresses. Freedom, freedom--he wanted one bit of work of the right
sort, and that was all! Ha, now he would show them, the Kabtzonivke
cripples and householders, now he would show them who Yitzchok-Yossel
Broitgeber is! They would not laugh at him or tease him any more! His
fame would travel from one end of the world to the other, and Malkeh the
orphan, his bride, his wife, she also would hear of it, and--

She will come back to him! He feels it in every limb. It was not him she
cast off, only his bad luck. He will rent a lodging (money will pour in
from all sides)--buy a little furniture: a bed, a sofa, a table--in time
he will buy a little house of his own--she will come, she has been
homeless long enough--it is time she should rest her weary, aching
bones--it is high time she should have her own corner!

She will come back, he feels it, she will certainly come home!

The last night! The work is complete. Yitzchok-Yossel spread it out on
the table of the women's Shool, lighted a second groschen candle, sat
down in front of it with wide open, sparkling eyes, gazed with delight
at the product of his imagination and--was wildly happy!

So he sat the whole night.

It was very hard for him to part with his achievement, but hardly was it
day when he appeared with it at Reb Binyomin Droibnik's.

"A good morning, a good year, Reb Yitzchok-Yossel! I see by your eyes
that you have been successful. Is it true?"

"You can see for yourself, there--"

"No, no, there is no need for me to see it first. Dvoshke, Cheike,
Shprintze, Dovid-Hershel, Yitzchok-Yoelik! You understand, I want them
all to be present and see."

In a few minutes the whole family had appeared on the