The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1880-09-03

are blooming upon your cheeks, while l
have already the SHOWS of age upon my
brow, within my heart the glow OF
love, without, the frosts of icy night"
AS long as he felt that he still had
the strength, he did not desist from his
endeavors to convert Sara; ali his ef-
forts, however, were wrecked upon the
rocks of her faith. She wished her grave
to be, she often said, in the same place
that her cradle had stood, wished to die
as she had lived.
Success had been abandoned even by
the jealous Ceba and he often thought
that he would break the correspondence;
at last he wrote her letter breathing
not only the keenest pain, but complete
dispair.
Long did this letter remain unanswer-
ed. Ceba was consumed with restless
ness because other silence.
Upon the horizon of Sara's life, dark
clouds had suddenly gathered For
weeks she lay helpless in the grasp of
sickness scarcely convalascent she
was fated to suffer the wrongs of envy
and jealousy. Her own coreliglonists
caused her to suffer the keenest pain;
few narrow minds were envious OF the
happiness and the honors she enjoyed,
and as her life was pure and spotless
they attacked her religious views. AT
ter the accused had silenced her adver-
saries in the Giudecca. she was threat
ened with more serious accusation
there was not much wanting to deliver
her, as hereto, into the hands of that
horrible tribunal, the Inquisition.
| A young fanatical priest, Balthasar
Bouifacio of Rouieo. later Bishop of
Copodistfia. who, during his stay in
Venice, had often participated in the
learned discussions of Sara. and had
listened to her eloquent defences of
Judaism, published, toward the COM
mencement of 1912, treatise on the
immortality of the soul, in which he ac-
cused her of denying this truth, holy to
both Judaism and Christianity. 10th
as Sara was to expose herself to public
ity, she could not remain silent after
such an accusation gathering all her
scattered strength,-she had not entire
ly recovered from her sickness
wrote in two days, defence full of
dialectical keenness and cutting irony,
in which she, as with one blow. annihi-
lated the insolent calumniator, and
won brilliant victory over his ignor-
ance.
This dissertation, save several SON.
nets and few letters directed to Ceba,
the only product Of her glorious intellect
left to us, appeared as "a Confession of
Faith" in Venice, in 1921, and was ded-
icated to her father That father who,
since her earliest youth, had guided her
mind and her heart and whom death had
snatched from her so long ago, he whose
memory was so dear to her, whose loss
she still daily mourned. to him she, in a
manner, appealed to be witness of her
struggle for faith.
Fervent and child-like is the dedica-
ton, which cannot be read without
emotion
'To you, my beloved father, who gave
me life, who, robbed of your earthly
raiment, dwell with celestial spirits and
will ever dwell in eternity, to your ten
der memory do I dedicate this little
gift, for to you is due the fame, if. per-
haps, such should cling to me and this
may console you in not leaving a son to
bear your name. May this treatise be
a pledge of the precious remembrance
of the inexpressible tenderness which
you ever cherished for me. Then ac.
cept this feeble proof of child-like love
from the hands of her who was once se
dear to you Should God still have ir
store for me days Of life and health
in which to give import to the talen,
He has given me, your name with min.
shall live forever, into eternity"
| Owing to the interest which the an