Uncle Moses by Sholem Asch

Author:Sholem Asch [Asch, Sholem]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Left Of Brain Onboarding Pty Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VIII

Coney Island

By the time they had reached Coney Island beach Charlie himself had forgotten to chat with Masha. He became an “American boy.” No sooner had he jumped into his bathing suit and felt the ocean atmosphere upon his bare arms and legs than he was filled with vibrant energy. Impatiently he waited for Masha to come out of the woman’s section. A multitude of persons swarmed upon the beach, which looked like a continuation of the ocean. And often the multitude rivalled the ocean, seeming more active, more numerous than its waves. But neither the sea nor the crowd disturbed Charlie, who always felt at home amid masses of people. He loved to see the crowds bustle about; the countless colors of the kaleidoscopic maze that glittered upon the sea-shore stirred him to an intense joy in living. The half-nude women in red, blue and parti-colored bathing caps, and the naked children who ran about holding cake and candy in their hands, filling the air with joyous cries, the family groups nearby, made him think that he had come to a vast freedom-jubilee. The multitude it seemed, had gathered to celebrate a great holiday. All were naked, eating, bathing, swimming. On this holiday everything was permissible.

And he shared the revelry of the vast concourse. He enjoyed watching persons at their pleasure. Never had he beheld such crowds enjoying themselves together. He had always seen them at work together, suffering together, mourning and ailing together. Here, however, the vast masses of persons, half naked, men and women in one another’s company, with the children everywhere, —were eating together, bathing together, frolicking, laughing and playing together. And joy was universal. He was infected by the festive spirit; it woke all the zest of his youth. He wished to plunge at once into the midst of all this gladness, —to join the play and the merriment, to leap into the water, swim out among the bobbing heads and arms whose shrieks of joy floated over the waves. And here he must wait for Masha…. It occurred to him for a moment that he was in love with Masha; —that he had come to this picnic, —to this holiday of nakedness and unrestraint, and that he wished to plunge into it without delay.

In the meantime Masha was trying to find him in the dense crowd. Charlie did not see her. As if entranced by happiness, by the sight of the multitude, he walked from group to group, watching the half dressed men, women and children eat together, scattering the refuse about, looking on gleefully as he beheld them all snuggling and rolling about in the sand indiscriminately. Masha had caught sight of him and followed him for a time, at last succeeding in catching him by the hand.

“Where have you wandered to? I’ve been hunting for you everywhere!”

“Oh, Masha, hurry, hurry!” And he seized the girl by the hand and ran with her into the water.

A wave came rolling toward them, carrying in its trough a group of human beings and water sprites.

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