The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1879-12-05

and during that time [ could not re-
member one single week in which that
girl did not put me either in heaven or
in hell. There was no walking on earth
with her. do not believe that another
person could hold out five months in
my position. At my first appearance in
the house she behaved toward me with
proud Indifference. | was poor and in
the employ Of my uncle. and thought
that she had a right to treat me in such
a manner. | held myself at a respect
full distance from her Then she took
it into her head to school me- She pro-
posed to instruct me Latin | submit
ted. For about two weeks [ had to la
Dor on Kikero, Kyrus, etc. if | said
Cicero or Cyrus she became angry. -
She wanted me then to give up reading
Hebrew works the gross Asiatic imag-
cry would spoil my taste, she opined.
[ allowed myself the liberty to contra
dict her and to explain my views of the
imagery of the Hebrew tongue and of
the works | read. She called me stub
born and uncultured. maintained that
if she had known the Hebrew tongue,
she might designate my refusal to com
ply with her orders by milder terms.
She became angry for my exceeding
politeness, and ignored me for few
days
About a week later she said to me
at the table:
." | have never seen such a tickle
minded young man as you are. Why
have you discontinued reading Latin p
60 [ have not discontinued, COUSIN I
answered since lsaXaaxeaasthe last
time with you, I haves studied through
several chapters of that book with the
aid Of dictionary
"She desired to examine me, and was
highly pleased with the results of the
examination She proposed then to ex-
change lessons with me [ should read
Hebrew with her and she would read
the classics with me. She would begin
reading Job, or the Song of Songs, be-
cause Voltaire spoke highly of these
works.
" Never mind Voltaire, I said, his
opinion is not decisive in these matters.
The book of Samuel would be more
practicable for beginning according to
my humble opinion.
"' Why do you prefer Samuel to the
other books 2 she asked.
"' For the same reason that you pre-
ferred Julius Caesar to.Cicero beginning
to read Latin with me-.
" She assented with pleasant smile,
and we became friends again From
that time she began treating me as her
equal, and well, [ liked her company.
I have often been admired for my cor
rect Hebrew reading, for dramatically
accounting the words This, my attain
ment is due to Josephine. Endeavoring
to teach her we'll, | exercised correct
reading for myself; trying to avert her
onslaught at a possible mistake, [ have
forced myself to give up all popular
abuses of Hebrew Grammar, which our
best scholars sometimes make. She
could not object to pedantry in this
way, as | have not objected to her mode
of reading Latin. She made exceeding
ly rapid progress. She understood the
Bible and began to read commentaries
and ethical works in about seven or
eight months. But this new achieve
ment, like all the others, passed by her
heart and entered herr head as a new
element in the chaos She understood
the grandeur Of Hebrew poetry, the
depth of Jewish philosophy. You would
laugh if | were to ten you all the
amount Of reading of the Hebrew and
Rabbinical literature she has done in
four years. All this remained in her
memory, but to no purpose and for no
object. In her heart she remained (and
[ believe is still) the same as she was,
the same as she would be if grown up