A Foreign Shore

by Catrin Collier

  ‘I do hope you and Ruth will visit me often before then, Dr Kharber.’ Catherine handed him a glass of tea.

  ‘You hope Alexei and I will change our minds about wanting to marry during the six months, Nathan?’ Ruth confronted her brother.

  ‘Frankly, yes.’

  ‘We won’t.’

  Catherine admired Ruth’s spirit. She knew enough about the Jewish way of life to understand how much courage it had taken Ruth to question her older brother. ‘So, Ruth, you want to marry Alexei as much as he wants to marry you?’

  ‘Yes, Mrs Ignatova. Although I admit, until now I didn’t believe it would be possible.’

  ‘What’s changed to make you believe it’s possible now?’ Nathan interrupted.

  ‘Mrs Ignatova inviting us to drink tea, so we could talk about Alexei and me marrying,’ Ruth said.

  ‘I like ambitious young women who are prepared to work outside their homes, as you are in the hospital, Ruth. I’m also glad you haven’t been put off by that dreadful incident with the Cossack soldier.’

  ‘He frightened me but not enough to stop me from working. If I allowed him to do that he would have succeeded in his aim of ruining my life.’

  ‘You and Anna were very brave.’

  ‘Anna, not me, Mrs Ignatova. I’m not sure I would have been able to kill a man.’

  Feeling a change of subject necessary, Catherine picked up a plate of cakes and offered them to Nathan. ‘I admire your spirit in accepting Alexei’s proposal of marriage, Ruth. Too many young girls – and boys – allow their elders to make their important decisions for them.’

  ‘Surely you can’t approve of Alexei and Ruth marrying, Mrs Ignatova?’ Nathan set down his tea.

  ‘It’s occurred to me that if you added up your, Ruth’s and Alexei’s years, you’d still be a few short of mine, Nathan. May I call you Nathan or would you prefer Dr Kharber?’

  ‘I would be honoured if you’d address me as Nathan. It would imply friendship.’

  ‘I hope we will become friends, Nathan. Good friends.’ She leaned against the back of her chair. ‘My age doesn’t make me wiser than you, but I’ve had time to see more of the world and people’s follies as well as their generosity. I’ve also seen how much misery has been generated in this small corner of Russia among all classes, aristocrats, Mujiks, Cossacks, and Jews, when young people have been prevented from marrying the person of their choice.’

  ‘Are you saying you will give Ruth and Alexei your blessing?’ Nathan asked.

  ‘If they want to marry in six months.’

  ‘Knowing the opposition they’ll face?’

  ‘Every morning, winter and summer, I walk out on the balcony in front of my bedroom. For all but one of the years I’ve lived in the Dower House, the view has been the same, but when Mr Hughes started building his ironworks the countryside changed out of all recognition. In another year it will have changed even more. He’s transformed a rural backwater into a frontier of industry. Where hundreds of people lived, we now have thousands, and I suspect in a year or two we will have tens of thousands. Any opposition to Ruth and Alexei’s marriage that comes from the shtetl or Alexandrovka will be insignificant compared to the acceptance of them as a married couple by the employees of the New Russia Company. You don’t have to look any further than yourself, Nathan. A year ago, few people outside of the shtetl would have accepted a Jewish doctor. Now you’re running a hospital, and from what I’ve heard running it extremely well.’

  ‘You flatter me.’

  ‘My intention is to convince you that times are changing and there is room for a married couple in Mr Hughes’s Hughesovka who were born an aristocrat and a Jew.’ Catherine looked at Alexei and Ruth. They shared a sofa but, mindful of Nathan, were sitting at opposite ends.

  ‘I take your point, Mrs Ignatova.’

  ‘Catherine, please, Nathan. I have a suggestion. Why don’t we meet every Sunday at six o’clock? I often have lunch guests but I keep the evening free for family. That way, Alexei and Ruth could meet under your supervision and we could get to know one another better.’

  ‘With a view to us becoming one family?’

  ‘That is up to the young people, but after meeting Ruth and knowing Alexei as I do, I have no doubt that if we deny them our blessing they’ll simply marry and do without.’

  ‘I’ll call into your room in Mr Edwards’ house tomorrow,’ Ruth whispered to Alexei as they hung back in the drawing room at the end of her and Nathan’s visit.

  ‘No …’

  ‘I want to belong to you in every way …’

  ‘And I need to be able to look your brother in the eye.’ Hearing his grandmother and Nathan still talking to Boris in the hall, Alexei pulled Ruth behind the door and kissed her, long and lovingly.

  ‘Ruth?’ Nathan called from the hall.

  ‘I must go.’ She moved reluctantly away from him.

  ‘Six months will soon pass, and until then there’ll be lots of stolen kisses.’

  She fingered her lips before running from the room.

  Dower House, Hughesovka, May 1871

  John and Glyn entered Nathan’s house behind the hospital, took skull caps from the tray Ruth offered, and placed them on their heads. Ruth bobbed a curtsey before disappearing into the kitchen. A babble of feminine voices rose and fell when she opened and closed the door.

  Nathan greeted John and Glyn in the tiny hall and ushered them into his crowded living room. Rabbi Goldberg, Nathan’s Uncle Asher, and six elders from the shtetl were seated, waiting for their arrival. John and Glyn were amazed at the similarities between the furnishings of the Jewish house and those of the Cossacks. The same wall hanging, plethora of hand-made lace, and embroidered cloths and carved furniture furnished both. Only the Menorah – the Jewish seven-armed candlestick – and a leather-bound copy of the Torah wrapped in a fine lace cloth marked Nathan’s house as that of a Jew.

  A side table held beakers, plates, jugs of wine and water, cinnamon rolls, honey cake, and almond biscuits.

  ‘You are most welcome, Mr Hughes, Mr Edwards, please, sit down.’ Nathan indicated a bench set below the window.

  ‘Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Rabbi Goldberg, elders.’ John shook the rabbi and all the elders’ hands before taking a seat.

  ‘Nathan insisted we should, Mr Hughes, although I am mystified as to what purpose our meeting will serve,’ the rabbi countered suspiciously.

  ‘We should talk over what happened last month, Rabbi.’

  ‘When the Cossacks shot Mr Edwards and attacked Ruth Kharber in the hospital.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Cossacks can be violent. We are sorry Mr Edwards was hurt. Usually they only chose victims from our race. We are used to it.’

  ‘I am not used to it, Rabbi Goldberg. And if I can, I’ll not allow anything like those attacks to occur in my town again,’ John stated unequivocally.

  ‘We know you’ve sent more men to guard the hospital and for that I thank you. Nathan Kharber is one of us.’

  ‘Every man who lives in Hughesovka is “one of us”, Rabbi.’

  ‘A citizen of your town?’

  ‘Precisely, and one who deserves equal treatment along with every other citizen, no matter what his or her race.’

  ‘For us, Mr Hughes, that is a dream. We have always lived apart from our neighbours.’

  ‘That is what I would like to talk to you about. I would like you to consider leaving your shtetl.’

  ‘You want us to leave our homes?’ The rabbi’s face darkened.

  ‘No, Rabbi Goldberg, I want you to move your homes, your shops, and your businesses into the town.’

  Asher Kharber rose to his feet. ‘I’ve heard enough. Not even the Cossacks wanted to drive us from our shtetl.’

  ‘Please, Uncle Asher,’ Nathan pleaded, ‘listen to Mr Hughes.’

  ‘What I’d like you to do, gentlemen, is move your homes to an area I’ve outlined solely for your use.’ John nodded to Glyn who prod
uced a map case and opened it on a table.

  ‘This is the town as it stands. This section at the lower end of the street below the hospital could be yours. I know Jews have to live within walking distance of the synagogue, and you could build a fine brick or stone one here. There is an abundance of land so the rabbi could also build his house and a school if you want a separate one for your children.’

  ‘We have a synagogue and school in the shtetl, we have lived there for generations,’ Asher protested. ‘So why should we move to suit you and your plans, Mr Hughes?’

  ‘First, if you lived in the town, you would receive the benefit of the protection of the company’s officers who patrol the streets. Here, on the boundary between the lower end of the main street and the area you could occupy, I intend to build a fire station which will be manned by company employees. It will be their job to keep the town secure as well as douse any fires.’

  ‘And the shtetl?’ Rabbi Goldberg asked.

  ‘I would purchase the land the shtetl stands on from you, so you in your turn could purchase land in the town. You have my word that no one will be out of pocket and all your people will make enough money to either move your existing wooden houses or build new brick ones. The company would also make a substantial contribution to the building of the new synagogue and school.’

  ‘What would you want for this largesse, Mr Hughes?’ the rabbi asked.

  ‘I would like you to move your businesses into the town. Every day more and more people flock into Hughesovka. They need bakers, butchers, tailors, shoemakers. You have the expertise and the businesses. But the shtetl is too far from the town for most people to walk there after a day’s work. If you move into the town, Hughesovka would have a business and commercial sector worthy of the name. Your tradesmen would benefit and so would my employees.’

  The elders looked at one another.

  ‘You really want my people to live in your town, Mr Hughes?’ Rabbi Goldberg checked.

  ‘I do, Rabbi Goldberg.’

  ‘As the equal of every other citizen,’ Nathan added.

  ‘This needs to be discussed at a full meeting of the elders in the shtetl.’

  ‘Thank you for listening to me, Rabbi Goldberg.’

  ‘When would you like us to move, Mr Hughes?’ the rabbi asked.

  ‘That is for you and your people to decide, Rabbi. I have no timetable in mind but, ever the optimist, I’ve set money aside to finance the transfer of your people which can be accessed immediately.’

  ‘What would you do with the land the shtetl stands on?’ Asher demanded.

  ‘Use it to expand the company. We haven’t decided on a definite location for the railway station as yet, but the land could be utilised for warehousing, a goods yard, or even factories, after it’s cleared of course.’

  ‘And the shtetl cemetery?’ the rabbi asked.

  ‘Will be treated with the respect it deserves. It’s no further from the town than it is from the shtetl. Your present synagogue and school are made of wood. We can either move those buildings into the town or erect temporary new ones until brick replacements can be constructed. I’ll not deny there’ll be problems relocating a community the size of yours, but I’ve yet to encounter a situation that can’t be solved by throwing money at it. As the company and the town will benefit as much as the people in the shtetl from this plan, it’s only fair the company contribute to the cost of the move. Good day to you.’ First John then Glyn shook hands with everyone again before they left.

  ‘That went well, don’t you think, Glyn?’ John said when they were on the street and out of earshot.

  ‘I’ll let you know when the first family moves into town, sir,’ Glyn said cautiously.

  Asher Kharber’s House, Shtetl

  June 1871

  ‘We’ve been waiting for you to start the Shavuot feast,’ Asher complained to Nathan when he entered his uncle’s house.

  ‘I’m sorry. I had business with Levi and Abraham Goldberg.’ Nathan removed his hat and coat, hung them on a hook at the back of the door, took his skull cap from his trouser pocket, and placed it on his head,

  ‘The elders have agreed to the move. The first buildings will be transported into the town next week, so what did you have to discuss with Levi and Abraham Goldberg?’ Asher asked.

  ‘I can guess.’ Leah beamed. ‘You and Levi have set the date for Abraham’s wedding to Ruth?’

  Ruth trembled as she tried to concentrate on laying the table.

  ‘There won’t be a wedding between Abraham and Ruth,’ Nathan faced his uncle.

  Leah turned on her niece. ‘You stupid, ungrateful girl …’

  ‘Please sit down, Aunt Leah, Uncle Asher. We must talk before we eat.’

  ‘The food …’

  ‘Please, Aunt Leah,’ Nathan pleaded. ‘This won’t take long. All the decisions that need to be made have been. All that remains is to tell you about them.’

  ‘You made decisions without consulting your uncle. Decisions about Ruth, when we brought her up, treated her as if she were our own daughter. Do we need to remind you your uncle is head of this family, Nathan?’

  ‘The boy is of age, Leah. It could be argued he is in charge of his own small family now my brother is dead,’ Asher said.

  ‘We were good enough to take care of Ruth all the years Nathan was away having a fine time in Paris but now we’re not good enough to advise her.’ Leah sat on the bench next to Ruth.

  ‘Abraham Goldberg is highly respected among our people,’ Asher said to Nathan.

  ‘I know, Uncle Asher.’

  ‘He’s as learned as his uncle, the rabbi, and it never hurts to have a rabbi in the family. He’ll be as wealthy as his father one day. Perhaps wealthier. Butchery is a good trade. Once married to Abraham you’ll never starve, Ruth. There’d be no need for you to continue working at the hospital.’

  Ruth kept her eyes downcast. She’d been dreading Nathan approaching her uncle and aunt as much as she’d been looking forward to marrying Alexei.

  ‘No one makes Ruth work in the hospital, Aunt Leah,’ Nathan protested. ‘She wants to earn her own living.’

  ‘Caring for sick and naked men is not a suitable occupation for a young girl. There’s no point in a woman learning anything other than how to cook, clean, and run a house. When Ruth is married to Abraham …’

  ‘Please, Aunt Leah, may I speak?’

  ‘Let the boy have his say, Leah. I have a feeling we’re not going to like it but better he tell us the worst, than someone outside of the family,’ Asher laid his hand over his wife’s.

  ‘I met Catherine Ignatova and Alexei Beletsky after the Cossack attacked Ruth. Alexei loves Ruth, she loves him, and Catherine and I agreed that if they both felt the same way about one another in six months we would allow them to marry. Those six months will be up in September …’

  ‘Love!’ Leah broke in. ‘What do children know about love? Ruth is seventeen. Alexei Beletsky not much older.’

  ‘She will be eighteen next month, Alexei is twenty, and didn’t you just say that Abraham Goldberg would make a suitable husband for Ruth – so you must consider her ready for marriage?’

  ‘Abraham Goldberg is of our faith. A sensible man. A wealthy man, an older man who can guide Ruth in the ways of the world.’

  ‘Ruth doesn’t want to marry him, Aunt Leah.’

  ‘It’s not for young girls to decide who they do and don’t want to marry. I never heard such nonsense. Love comes after marriage. I didn’t set eyes on your uncle until our wedding day and we have been together forty-two happy years. We accepted the wisdom of the matchmaker, our parents, and the rabbi. They knew what was best for us. Ruth should follow our example and allow her elders to guide her. Whoever heard of a young girl choosing her own husband? Or a marriage between a Russian Orthodox aristocrat and a Jew?’

  ‘Aunt Leah, I gave Catherine Ignatova my word that if Ruth still wanted to marry Alexei in six months, she could. They will marry in September.’<
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  ‘I never thought I’d live to see the day when you’d allow your sister to marry outside of our faith, Nathan.’ Asher’s softly spoken reprimand was harder for Nathan and Ruth to bear than their Aunt’s shouting.

  ‘It’s either that, or lose her, Uncle Asher.’

  ‘Better you lose her than allow her to turn her back on God. From this moment you are both dead to me and your aunt. You are no longer welcome in my house.’

  Ruth kept her eyes averted from her uncle and aunt as she went to the door and retrieved her shawl.

  ‘Ruth will be marrying out of our faith but …’

  ‘It’s not enough that you work with Christians. Now you refuse to go from my house when I order you.’ Asher stepped towards Nathan.

  ‘There is one more piece of news you must hear before we go. I will not be marrying out of our faith. My wedding to Levi’s daughter, Vasya, will take place in the synagogue next Thursday evening. I would be honoured if you and Aunt Leah would attend and give us your blessing.’

  ‘Nathan … no.’ Ruth turned to him with tears in her eyes.

  ‘Vasya is a good woman.’ Nathan took Ruth’s hand.

  ‘What of your children, Nathan?’ Leah demanded. ‘You’re twenty-seven; she’s more than ten years older. A dried-up spinster who never found a man …’

  ‘That’s enough, Aunt Leah. She is to become my wife. The wedding will be at seven o’clock. Afterwards Levi has invited everyone from the shtetl to his house to celebrate with food and drink.’

  ‘Does he know about Ruth and Alexei?’ Asher demanded.

  ‘He knows and he, Vasya, and Abraham have invited Ruth to the wedding. Come, Ruth.’ Nathan opened the door and ushered his sister outside. He’d left the hospital troika in his uncle’s yard. The horses pawed restlessly while he helped Ruth into it and pulled a rug over her knees.

  ‘You’re only marrying Vasya because I refused to marry Abraham. You’re saving face for the Goldbergs …’

  ‘I’m not as brave as you, Ruth. My faith is the foundation of my life. I cannot forsake the God of our fathers.’

  ‘But Sonya …’

  ‘I made no promises to Sonya, nor she to me.’