As It Was Written: A Jewish Musician's Story

# "As It Was Written: A Jewish Musician's Story"

By Sidney Luska (Henry Harland), 1885/1900. Street & Smith Publishers.

A romantic narrative centered on Ernest Neuman, a Jewish violinist and music teacher in New York, who encounters the beautiful Veronika Pathzuol during an evening of musical appreciation. Their meeting leads to an invitation to the modest apartment of Veronika's uncle, Baruch Tikulski, an eccentric Jewish composer working on an unpublished symphony. Through musical performance—Neuman plays violin, Veronika accompanies on piano and sings in contralto—the two develop immediate rapport. The narrative establishes that Veronika supports herself and her uncle through exhausting work: teaching seven hours daily, singing in church and synagogue services, and performing at concerts. Tikulski, absorbed in his compositional ambitions, depends on his niece's earnings while pursuing his magnum opus. Neuman falls deeply in love with Veronika during their first meeting and is invited to return Wednesday evenings when they are at home.