, 1877-01-14
CHICAGO JANUARY

character they found in Daniel Deronaa- Dan
iel Deronda himself seemed designed bS the
author to lay stress upon the peculiarly OF
Judaism in that its professors are not bound to-
gether merely by the tic Of a common religion,
but that they hare another tic almost as strong
that OF common descent. Mortlecai, an as
sstant in secondhand book-shop, vendor Of
watches, but sort Of Spinoza, d poet and phi
losoplier, into whose mouth some Of the finest
reflections contained In the. work were put, re-
minded them OF the fact that some OF the most
learned Jews, from the Rabbis of the Talmud
down to Moses Mendelssohn, had been follow
crs OF hanlicratts ortrades. This man had COM
pletelv seized the lofty spiritual character OF
his religion and the great future in store for it.
He did not think tic publication OF Judaism
meant the throwing-oH Of all its distinctive
rites and oDservances. He looked forward to
the Holy Land becoming m organic
centre for the Jews dispersed over the
whole worlu-to 4 new Jewish polity like the
that the outraged jew might have defense
IN the court Of nations as the outraged En-
glishman or American. And when he had ceased
the speech in which he expressed these asplfa-
tions to the members Of the Philosophers
Club, SO solemn was the effect produced that
no one yentured to resume the discussion. 1t
was as though they had comc to hear the blow
ing OF the scholar, the trumpet which is sound
ed on the New Year and on the day of Repent
ance. The author must have read, very e1ten-
siyely on the subject Of Jewish life and prayer,
but that would not wholly account for the
fidelity Of her descriptions. We must also as
cribe it to that porcr Of deyination which made
Schiller give the most vivid description Of the
Lake Of Luzcrne, though he had never visited
Switzerland. Names aud nllusions often be-
speak her familiarity with ancient customs and
little-studied literature. When Ur. Adler had
read few pages of the book, and met with
the name Klcsmer, he said to himself, ''Thc
author of this book Is deeply read fnJewish folk
lore" The name hlesmer, compounded OF two
Hebrew words, was given to the musicians who
used formerly to play at Jewish weddings. No
aptcr surname could be adopted to denote the
Hebrew extraction Of the clever Bohemian or
Polish musician OF the style of Rubinstein.
There are passages in the book in which we may
fancy that Polish A1agid is expounding q diffi-
cult Hagada. - 4 Rabbi said, The Omnipres-
cnt la occupied i'll making marriages." Was
not that nonsense OF blasphcmy! No; the
lcylty of the saying lies IN the enr OF him who
hears it. By marriages the speaker meant all the
wondrous combinations of the universe whose
issue makes our good and eVil.a Many theo-
rics had been started to explain how it WAS that
George Eliot wrote the Jewish episode OF her
book. Dr.. Adler was Of opinion that she
was induced to take her deep interest IN Juda-
ism by the fact that she, in common with every
profound thinker, could not fail to become in
has penetrated the thinking half OF the world
and nodded the forms OF the worlds religions.
And the central figure OF the great work thus
inspircd-a bo:,k which WAS certainly an English
classic-was person like themselves, Jewish
workingman. The lecture was frequently inter
rupted by applause, and at the end vote OF
thanks was carried by ucclQmatiOn.