Oldnewland* By Dr. THEODOR HERZL Book III THE LAND OF BLOOM CHAPTER V
THERE was not sufficient room in the small villa which the elder Litvak had hired, where his wife was undergoing the cure, to accommodate all the guests. Only Miriam resided with them. David and his friends occupied rooms in a hotel near the springs. The baggage had been sent there, and they repaired to their rooms to get rid of the dust of travel. Everything was in order and readiness for them. In the hall of the hotel they were received in a very friendly manner by an old lady and two gentlemen. David introduced the visitors. The lady was an American Jewess, Mrs. Gothland. There was something so sweet in her character that everyone was immediately impressed by her. Her gray hairs did not conceal her natural vivacity.
Of the two gentlemen one was dressed in a long, seamless, pocketless cloak common to the Anglican clergy. He was the Rev. William H. Hopkins, cure of the souls of the English church congregation of Jerusalem. He had a long, white, prophet-like beard, and beautiful blue, dreamy eyes. To his surprise, he greeted Mr. Kingscourt most heartily, but mistook the old man for a Jew at first. The other gentleman in Mrs. Gothland's company was the architect's brother, Steineck, professor of bacteriology, a jolly, ripe and confident scholar, who spoke as loudly as though he were ever addressing an audience hard of hearing. Generally, in five minutes' conversation, he quarreled with his brother, although they idolized each other. It was so on this occasion.
The architect had introduced the strangers and suggested that they should visit the Institute Steineck, the renowned work place of his brother.
The professor objected and shouted, "I am ready, do you understand? But there is nothing to be seen at my place, nothing worth while: a house with a number of rooms and guinea-pig stalls. In each room there is one man who is experimenting. That is all. You understand? My brother always puts me in these predicaments."
Mrs. Gothland laughed. "The gentlemen will not believe you. They know that your institution is worth seeing."
The professor laughed in return, loudly enough to shake the hall. "False! Do you want to see microbes? It is the character of microbes that you cannot see them with your eyes merely. Very fine things worth seeing! Besides, you know my viewpoint. I don't believe in microbes. They help you and attack you. You understand?"
“No!” exclaimed Kingscourt, aroused. “I don’t understand a word. Seems to me a kind of chemical kitchen. What do you cook there, professor?”
* Copyright, 1902, by the Federation of American Zionists, for Dr. Theodor Herzl. All rights reserved. Published October 15, 1902.