78 ADVENTURES IN IDEALISM 



'all the Dennisville men we employed, unless they 

 learned to treat our people more tolerantly. 



Although the boycott was taken off at once and 

 a number of the most representative members of the 

 Dennisville community came over and apologized, my 

 husband and the settlers had had their pride so deeply 

 hurt that they knew they would never go back to that 

 shop. When one of the settlers, who had been a bar- 

 ber in Russia, Mr. Shapiro, volunteered to open a shop 

 of his own they caught at the opportunity. The right 

 inducement was offered him, and in a few days the 

 first barber shop was opened in Woodbine. 



The Post Office had been established in the center 

 of the village. The first Postmaster, a native Ameri- 

 can, was always complaining of the curious way in 

 which the settlers would seal their letters, with stamps 

 on the reverse side of the envelope. To his great dis- 

 gust and annoyance the letters received from Europe 

 would also be sealed in the same way. He asked my 

 husband once: 



"Why does the Jew put his stamps on the flap of 

 the envelope ?" The answer my husband gave seemed 

 to satisfy him. 



"In Russia," he explained, "the post office clerks 

 often tamper with and open letters coming through 

 their hands, and to prevent this the stamp is put on 

 the letter as a seal." 



Many customs of the Jews seemed peculiar to the 

 native, especially the demonstrative and affectionate 



