194
PARTISAN REVIEW
them, even the specialists, left with a shrug of the shoulders and a
faint expression of dread.
No one could put an end to this
shrill
and maddening con–
cert. Only the strongest drugs provided a few hours' rest, and the
dose of Luminal that one can daily prescribe for a woman in her
sixties without endangering her life is, alas, slight. But it is anguish
to have a woman in the house screaming with all her might: on the
second day the family was completely disorganized. Even the con–
solation of the priest, who was accustomed to attend the celebration
on Holy Eve, remained unavailing: my aunt screamed.
Franz made himself particularly unpopular by advising that a
regular exorcism be performed. The minister rebuked him, the family
was alarmed by
his
medieval views, and
his
reputation for brutality
eclipsed for several weeks his reputation as a boxer.
Meanwhile everything was tried to cure my aunt's ailment. She
refused nourishment, did not speak, did not sleep; cold water was
tried, hot water, foot baths, alternate cold and hot baths; the
doctors searched the lexicons for the name of this complex but could
not find it. And my aunt screamed. She screamed until my Uncle
Franz- that really kind, good man-hit on the idea of putting up
a new Christmas tree.
III
The idea was excellent, but to carry it out proved ex–
tremely hard. It was now almost the middle of February, and to find
a presentable fir tree in the market at that time is naturally difficult.
The whole business world has long since turned with happy alacrity
to other things. Carnival time is near: masks, pistols, cowboy hats and
fanciful gypsy headgear fill the shop windows where angels and
angel hair, candles and mangers, were formerly on view. In the
candy stores Christmas items have long since gone back to the
storeroom, while fireworks now adorn the windows. Nowhere in the
regular market is a fir tree to be found.
Finally an expedition of rapacious grandchildren was fitted out
with pocket money and a sharp hatchet. They rode to the state forest
and came back toward evening, obviously in the best of spirits, with
it,
si1v~r
fir,
~ut me!\llwhjI~
it
wa:?
d~~9Vereq
that four gnomes
l
si~
