Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-05-07
II II Z II E MPT Z r.
4 HEBREW TALE.

TWAS fast approaching the eleventh hour;
the busy hum of the Holy City had sunk into
comparative stiffness, and, save some strag
Cling waytarer and field-laborers returning
from their daily toll, few passengers were to
be seen in the streets of Jerusalem. One
middlc-aged man alone kept his seat in the
Watergate looking with placed smile along
the rugged road which led down to the valley
of JehosIaphat. A silver gcrah was held
between his flyers, as in the act of giving
aims; but for some minutes no object ap-
peared on whomit might properly be bestow-
ed. lie rose from his seat, and gathering
his flowing robe around him, was prcparug
to depart, when the figure of AN aged man
lettering slowly up the steep, arrested lis al
tentlon. The old man was meanly clad, and
as he lcant feebly on his staff to take breath,
after his toil-Somc ascent, his glance rested
upon the person of the sage Rabbi Ablmelech
for i, was he who sat in the gate distribute
ing his aims to the poor, the hungry, and the
waytarer.
"The lord direct thy goins-out and thy
comings-in," said the rabbi, with self
satisfied smile, dropping the coin into the
extended palm ofthe stranger. "Lo | have
tarried from the ninth hour, until the towers
and pinnaccs of the temple have thrown
their dark shadows across the brook of Ccd-
ron, even unto the base Of the Mount of
Olives, to bestow this last of forty gerah in
an aims, according to vow which made
last PentccoSt; and behold, thou art here to
receive it,"
"Precious is the gift which comcth from
the heart more precious than the Arabian
frankincense, and sweeter than the rich
honey of Hebron. If might know nv
lords name my heart would not forget !,
when i lift up my voice in prayer tothe Ruler
of Israeli" said the stranger respectfully.
81 am called the Rabbi Abimelech."
"Hc whom men term the siness-whosC
voice is as the neighing of a war-horsc IN tn,
temple ; whose works are the works ofrigh.
teousness; who clothes the naked, feeds the
hungry, and gives aims of the tenth mart o.
his substance!" asked the stranger
"The samc," answered the self.gloriGc,
rabbi sand now let me pray of thee IN,
name and in what city art thou dweller =
"Alas!" answered the stranger, 81 am ;
reProach to my kindred, and my name is ;
deGement to the lips of an Israelte."
"unfortunatc man, in what hast thou of
Tended against the law"
SIN this thing have defended. Behold,
went forth at the last vintage season into tn
S Vineyards and the vinlagers were pressing
0 'he grapes IN the wine-presses; and the re'
n WINE ran INTO the watts, even the red wine o
Lebanon and being weary with the toll an,
heat OF the day, was tempted, and, in m,
toolishness, did drink of the wine wbcl
0 should have been an abomination unto me
seeing that | anna Nazarite from my youth.
The scrupulous rabbi shrunk from the de
graded lsraelile as from "A tainted leper, am
elevating his brow, said, with a sanctimo
NOUS air, "The way of the wise man
. pleasant, but the feet of the fool-treadeth i
r the mire."
"Stop," said the stranger, as the rabl
was departing. at is not also said that tn
vain-glorious man shall fall in the snares @
his own proud hearth Rabbi Abim ,ieclI, Tn