Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-12-25


Very much she loves to hear my violin.
Her eyes shine like stars for my violin
It's delight to play to them. And
when l stop, she, the little one, talks to
me. Other times she is quite quiet.
But she is very old in her head. This
evening she asked me-say you what she
asked mel"
Chow should I know?" The pawn
broker laid his Talmud down, this time
for good.
"She asked Of me what l would like
most of all for the Christmas7"
"Hrmph!"
Yes, 30 strange, was it not?"
every strange. What did you tell
herr"
"Why, 1 said l wanted nothing, ex
cept the glorious Bonnet at the Athe-
nsum. CT steam yacht, OK such things.
But she stuck to the question. Mister
Powl, she said to me, l choose to make
you a present. l love your music very
much How like you this! and she
went into the closet where her bed is,
back of the stove, and brought to me q
silver ring. This was mamma's,' she
said to me. Will you take it, have
many other things of hers. This / want
to give to you. 1could think of nothing
else And here it is"
Paul held up his left hand. On the
slender little finger, that magician which
drew such wonde fn] throbbiDgs from
the fretted strings, was the ring-a
modest, lustreless circlet of plain silver.
~ have taken things like that for
eighteen cents" remarked the pawn
broker, calmly. But there is something
glistening in his honest eyes almost like
tears
"Yes," kept on Paul, not unmoved
himself, "I took her gift. How should
| help it7 Her mother brought it from
Brussels with her, che said. Poor child
| have great sorrow for her. Her heart
was all lead this evening. l asked her
trouble. She told me with frankness
when l came up fremont street to-
day., the little one said, and SAW all the
lovely sleighs and lovely windows, and
the ladies, and looked on girls not at all
older than / am with braids, and nice
hats and gloves, and fine, warm shoes
and brown stockings, | had to look at
my own shoes, and--I had to cry. lam
so poor and miserable. The good God
has forgotten me. l do not cry much,
and l work hard, but-but can't keep
it up all the time And then, Aaron,
she curled down upon the bench and
wept much. wept Also
A prolonged snort from the old Jew
alone broke the silence.
Paul continued eagerly: "Ss / slip
ped away, and came here to you. have
asked of you, my friend, many favors.
Your ear is never closed to me. Thus
ask of you another. There is not much
luck for me. l have only very little
money. What ! have shall go, every
kopec, to buy for her q dress. l have
enough. l have looked at the dress q
hundred times. 1t is picked ouu already,
Aaron. But l have nothing for the
shoes and for the stockings. These !
came to ask of you. We will give these
things together as a Christmas present.
What could be more pleasant Does
this please you!"
The Pole rose as he spoke and stood
with his back to the CRATE. He knew
Aaron's good heart well-indeed had
proved its generosity many times when
he was in need. He had no doubt of
the result of this appeal. He waited
for moment, then turned with second:
Chow does this please you?'
Then he saw that Aaron's fists were
clenched on the arm Of his chair, and
that his brow was knitted in a scowl. A
flash shot through his mind.
ooh, | ask your pardon, | ask pardon"
Without q motion, or even change OF
eye, the pawnbroker said:
"You are Christian; | am Jew.
| do not give Christmas gifts"
Paul bit his lip. He felt himself
turning red to the top of his skull. He
had never been quite so awkward before.
There was nothing for him TO say that
would help matters. so the two kept
silence-the young man staring into the
darkness of the further corner, and
cursing his stupid tongue; the old man
frowning at the Goals, and turning many
things over in his purturbed mind. So
they kept silence until the cracked bell
twanged eight, and the curfew bells over
the great city began to toll out their
mighty warnings of honest peoples bed
time. The sound aroused Aaron. be
held out his hand to Paul, saying:
"My friend, you have not meant to
wound me. With any other man in q
hundred of my race, you might say what
you did without care. l have been DIT
ferent. / have been called strict Jew
"A Jew according to the spirit and the
letter of the law. l have been this to
myself, even more than to my fellows