The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-10-20
temple lieth waste, and shall we live in

temple lleth waste, and shall we live in
luxury and splendor?'
"I feel honorcd in being visited by
the illustrious Raschi," said Abraham.
''Shame! shame!' exclaimed the
Rabbi. "Aro you not ashamed before
me to exhibit all this profusion?'
Gods blessing has been on my
business" said the merchant.
"And how do you recompense Him?'
cried the indignant Raschi. "By ne
glecting the Giver, by squandering
the gift. Do you fast long? Do you
wear the stones with your knees"
MY business occupies my time and
demandsAny energies. 1 pray, but can
not pray for long. lean not fast, or
my business could not be attended to-"
"Do you eat'of meat, the flesh of
beasts nol slain by aJewishbutcher.?" ?"
"1 have even done So"
"Have you partakeu of the accurs-
ed flesh of the swine ?"
81 fear that I have"
"Have you neglected regular daily
attendance at. synagogue"
My attendance has been irregular. 4"
"Alas, alas - cried Raschi, throw
ing down his staff and raising his
hands to heaven. "Surely there is in
justice in paradise as well as on earth.
Here lives a wicked Jew, breaker of
the law, in splendor, as a king; in an
otherIplace is pious man, fearing
God, maceratlng his body, in want and
nakedness, crushed by poverty, and
the kingdom of. heaven receives both,
and sets both on level. Woe is meI'
and he would have rushed from the
chamber, had not the merchant stayed
him ...a.-l fl
Rabbi" he said; "Eknow my duty
to God and man, and I practice it as
best I cam
'.Profane ,one ~ exclaimed the old
man. Trust not your own strength.
When the ungoltiiy are green as the
grass, and when all the workers of
wicIedness do flourish, then shall they
be destroyed" But just then there
flashed before the Rabbits eye that
golden throne beside his own, on which
was written the name oftht.a merchant.
"Come with me- said Abraham,
taking the old mans hand; "to morrow
my daughter is to be married, and to-
day 1 am going to make presents to
the poor Of our tribe Tney are now
assembled to receive my aims"
"And to whom is you daughter to
be married Z" asked Raschi. ''To a
rich Gentle, may be?'
'sNo," answered the merchant,
mildly. "To my clerk. He is not
wealthy, but he is upright and useful,
and en- his marriage 1 shall make him
my partner
They descended the stairs to. the
hall, in which,,the poor were assembled
The rich Jew gave them abundant
aims, and as each received his gift he
left. One old woman remained. She
pressed forward, and Abraham exten-
ded to her a little purse.
"No," she exclaimed, thrusting the
money aside: Il have not come here
to beg, but for advice"
"Speak, wherein can I advise you !?
Draw nearer to me-"
The woman approached him and be
gan: Il am poor widow, hardly
supporting four children. All my
hopes were fixed on the marriage of
my eldest daughter, to him, to whom
my dear husband, now no more, had
:betrothed her. He was an orphan,
brought UP in our house, and when he
left us, he gained an honest and re
spectacle ,liveliho od,'. and I hoped,
when he m arried my Miriam, that we
should have been raised from our pen
ury. But, alas his eyes have been
blinded by prosperity, and he Is about
to marry a rich wife and desert my
daughter" -.- ~ .t.... 81. ..-e...
woman !! why do you come about
this matter to me?' asked the mer-
chant chow can 1 give your Miriam
back her betrothed" ...... ... g..
-Ft'You can do so," replied t he widow,
"for that young man will be tomorrow
your son-in-law," .. f~-..-.
Don abraham started back dIsmay-
ed. For some moments he did not
speak. After a while, however, he
broke silence, and said to the old wo-.
"Did the young man love your Mi
riam p
Stil SURE, ilG tlltl.
!sI'w will inquire into Ethe matter, y
said the merchant, turning away. y.3oC
"Well row." spoke Raschi rs they
ascended the stairs together. ''This is
4 bad business. However, I see what
must--be done. Be generous; give
the young woman, Miriam, decent
sum of money ...s .f..-
"Come here tomorrow" interrupt
ed Abraham 'tbe present at the we'd
ding. By that time shall have de-
cided, for myself, what is best to be
DONE" s. .sa.- .e..I
On the morrow at the appointed
hour, having finished his morning pray
ers, the Rabbi Raschi betook himself
to the palace of him who was to be his
comrade in Paradise. There he found
a throng of guests of all ranks, filling
the rooms. Music played, and tables
grnaned under viands of the richest
and most rare descriptions. Raschi
with difficulty pushed his way through
the crowd to the chamber of the mas.
ter. Don Abraham was dressed in Il
magnificent blue velvet robe, broider-
ed with gold pomegranates, of which
the seeds were rubiesr Around him
were clustered the grandees of the
town. On seeing Raschi he, however,
advanced towards him, and extended.
to him his hand ~ - .e.--....-. %.
The wedding ceremony soon began;
in the court all was prepared; an avn
ing was spread; the bride, vailed and
in white was led forward hV two Ia