large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_05_aaronsohn_64kb_16
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_05_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
They realized that for thirty five years these old men, my comrades, had been struggling and suffering for their ideal  a regenerated Palestine; now, in the dusk of their life, it seemed as if all their hopes and dreams were coming to ruin. THEY REALIZED THAT FOR THIRTY FIVE YEARS THESE OLD MEN MY COMRADES HAD BEEN STRUGGLING AND SUFFERING FOR THEIR IDEAL A REGENERATED PALESTINE NOW IN THE DUSK OF THEIR LIFE IT SEEMED AS IF ALL THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS WERE COMING TO RUIN
LLUSTRATION: HOUSE OF THE AUTHOR'S FATHER, EPHRAIM FISHL AARONSOHN, IN ZICRON-JACOB] My father, an old man, knew nothing of what had happened, but the rest of my family were tremendously excited. I made light of the whole affair, but I felt sure that this was only the beginning. Sure enough, next morning--the Sabbath--the same officer returned and put three of the leading elders of the village, together with myself, under arrest. After another fruitless inquisition at the hotel, we were handcuffed and started on foot toward the prison, a day's journey away. As our little procession passed my home, my father, who was aged and feeble, came tottering forward to say good-bye to me. A soldier pushed him roughly back; he reeled, then fell full-length in the street before my eyes. It was a dismal departure. We were driven through the streets shackled like criminals, and the women and children came out of the houses and watched us in silence--their heads bowed, tears running down their cheeks. TION OF ARMS WAS AND STRENGTH WAS GIVEN ME TO HOLD OUT UNTIL THE OFFICER GAVE UP IN DISGUST AND LET ME GO HOME MY FATHER AN OLD MAN KNEW NOTHING OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED BUT THE REST OF MY FAMILY WERE TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED I MADE LIGHT OF THE WHOLE AFFAIR BUT I FELT SURE THAT THIS WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING SURE ENOUGH NEXT MORNING THE SABBATH THE SAME OFFICER RETURNED AND PUT THREE OF THE LEADING ELDERS OF THE VILLAGE TOGETHER WITH MYSELF UNDER ARREST AFTER ANOTHER FRUITLESS INQUISITION AT THE HOTEL WE WERE HANDCUFFED AND STARTED ON FOOT TOWARDS THE PRISON A DAY'S JOURNEY AWAY AS OUR LITTLE PROCESSION PASSED MY HOME MY FATHER WHO WAS AGED AND FEEBLE CAME TOTTERING FORWARD TO SAY GOOD BYE TO ME A SOLDIER PUSHED HIM ROUGHLY BACK HE REELED THEN FELL FULL LENGTH IN THE STREET BEFORE MY EYES IT WAS A DISMAL DEPARTURE WE WERE DRIVEN THROUGH THE STREETS SHACKLED LIKE CRIMINALS AND THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN CAME OUT OF THE HOUSES AND WATCHED US IN SILENCE THEIR HEADS BOWED TEARS RUNNING DOWN THEIR CHEEKS
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