Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-04-16
From the Hebrew LaadeF.l
A HEBREW LEaEND.
A Rabbits Life,

tiiA''GC MilCh ne uSed morning and evening
10 eau the faithful to prayer, rising and fall
ing in measured cadence.
That ne'ise will not let me Sleep" said he
to his daughter, who also heard the slight
tapping.
Some one in the street must be DYING"
said the girl shudderiug; and suddenly She
exclaimed, terrified: ".Sctnluh Israel! it
must be the rabbi -
just then the hammer was motionless :.
but without some one loudly knocked at the
window, and voice was heard shouting ::
Awake awake and call the people to the
synagogue; Ma!iHl must lie said, for the rab-
bi is dyingw
The silence of the night was broken by the
three wellknown raps that were heard at
each door, and the daughter of the .Schulk>
I04ter trembied in every limb as she heard
her fathers steps sonorous on the hard pave
ment as he hastily passed from house to
house. When the sound of the last rap died
away, she thomght: Now the rabbi has ex.
pired! y And she shed bitter tears.
But the recital OF Nikiul still held back
the soul of the rabbi, though the shades of
death that hovered around him were not dis
PEELED. Towards dawn he was sinking fast.
aud his disciples were loud in their lamenta.
:. tons. They took wax and n wick measured
the dying man, aud then made huge waxen
taper of his height. This taper was wrapped
in shrouI aud Carried to the cemetery
where it was lowered iuto a new made grave.
For all that, it seemed as though the same
measurement were finally to be used to de-
termne the size Of the rabbi's coffin.
"Great God! great God - cried the disci
pies, what shall we do to prevent his deathf"
Come let us gather in years for him."
said one Of them; perhaps our Father will
hearken to our prayers"
Then one of the youths went from house
to house, carrying paper on which the in
mates were to write the number. of years,
months, or weeks Of their own life which
they would give towards lengtheniny that of
the rabbi. The .SchmlkIoptt,'s daughter was
standing at her door just as the Young man
passed by with his paper.
"And you, said he 10 the lass, sswhat will
you give toward the rabbits days 2"
My life my whole life :" sobbed the girl.
"Shall it be written thus 2"
''Hcs, write, write !"
And the young man put down the words
as they fell from her Ii ps
From that moment the rabbi grew conva.
lescent and soUn recovered. On the morrow
the corpse of a maiden was laid in the GENE.
terry; 1t was that Of the .SchuEiopEcr's
daughter.
The young girl had hesitated but little
when called upon TO leave this earth, and the
rabbi knew not how to erase his own name
from the book of life. When in the early
stages OF recovery he was overjoyed aud ever
i'll good spirits Ere long he grew mourDful
and pullor blanchcd his cheek. None were
aware of the cause of his durkeuing sadness
Nor was it known that, at the midnight hour.
when the rabbi was seated at his desk study.
ing the GcHGr0 that lay open before him.
he heard rising from below gently chanted
song and that, whenever he opened the
window, he beheld maiden whose lev.
dcath!ke smile shone through the veil OF
darkness.
Now thought the rabbi, "now she might
be Tree and gladsomc as the bird that hutteps
in mid air"
And, amid the gloom, hot tears da,npened
the pages of the tone.
Once. towards midnight, loud cries of an
guish resounded from without-strapge ex.
cI"matlons, such as are wreuchcd from Il
mortal by physical suffering Aud. a few
minutes having elapsed, he Heard the wail;pr
of a new born child.
Curse upon me- exclaimed the rabbi.
: lis robbed her of this JOY -
And every night he heard the waiIino, of
the chill, ever and anon interrupted by
heavenly cradie-song; and the chant made
him weep aud weep again. Six times heard
lie the cries of pain; then sounded the wall
OF the infant; and then the cradIe-soDg once
more, and i pause. Again was Il HYMN of
JOY waited ca the midnight breeze, az the
rabbi thought:
Now her first child stands in the houge of
prayer aud reads his portiun-aud It's | that
robbed her of her pride :"
Silence reigncd again. Some years rolled
Il.
cd The rabbi murmured:
Now she would have led daughter un-
der the nuptiaI canopy Curse upon me,
that robbed her Of her joys ~
When the voice was heard again. there
sounded neither lameuts nor sobs, but ever
rapturous song. And the rabbi fbuuubt.
''She would have been happy mother-had
not destroyed her happiness q"
Thus did the rabbi live the life of the
maiden. He would have given much to have
hearkened, if but once, to some bitter plaipts
IN lieu of such hymns Of bliss. He might
then have known that she would have learned
the bitterness of earthly misfortune. But
his prayer was never granted. and he wIIis
pered, drenching the Gem05G with his tears.
What . would she lave been SO happy ~
And then he lcnged for death. for the yis.
ion made life hideous. let death came no.
at his bidding. and he grew decrepfd. The
aged OF the community were buried long be-
fore he, and the very beings whom in their
childhood lie had blessed, came. to him. sad
aud iufr'n, shaking their crutches in derision
at Death, but dying away at last But he,
he could not die!
when will the hour strike, maiden ?' he
often exclaimed; "bow long wouldst thou
At length, at midnight. cry of agony
awakened the slumberiDg echoes.
she is no more" said the rabbi; Goods
And when the gray dawn put to fight the