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

in quite seclusion,- studying and COM
posing. In 1915 he appeared as the
author of new epic, whose subject mat
ter, according to the cnstom and incli-
nation of the day, he had taken from the
Bible. This epic, Esther" although
containing much that was artificial, yet
written in high intellectual strain, was
received with sharp criticism on one
hand as we'll as with an overflow of praise
on the other. Sara Sullam belonged
to the sincere admirers of the Cebaish
epic. A Christian author. a clergy
man, clarifying a heroine of the Jewish
race, appeared to her as homage done
to Judaism Esther enraptured her
heart which was filled with love for her
faith and her people. In her enthusi-
asm she could not withstand the desire
to express her joy to the author,-pe
sonally unknown to her-that he had
chosen Jewess as the heroine of his
epic; so she addressed to the then fifty
three year old Ceba letter, in which
she assured him that the poem never
left her during the night it lay beneath
her pillow, to be reread upon awaken
ing" No sooner had Ceba read this
letter Of the Jewess. overfowing with
thanks for his epic, than he was possess
ed of the idea to save this beautiful
soul for Heaven. Already in his first
letter to her (May, 10Th, 1618) he urg-
enty requested Sara to continue the
correspondence so dear to him but
also to consider what Queen Esther said
in the nineteenth song of his epic, and
to forsake the old way. Sara replied,
at once briefly and exclusively, saying
that he who forsakes the old way for the
new, must ever bitterl shis-sslf-
| delusion.
Hereupon followed An Interchange Of
letters between Cebasand Sara Sullam
which, uninterrupted, lasted four years,
and which the author himself published
some months before his death. It is a
pity that only the letters Of Ceba and
not those of Sara were preserved. The
latter, in consequence Of the watchful-
ness of the inquisition, never appeared
in print
The less prospect there seemed for
Ceba's success in converting the beauti-
full Jewess, the more was his ardor slim
ulated, until it grew into passion.
That it reached thus far was, undoubt-
edly, to great degree Sara's fault.
Instead Of dropping the correspondence
as soon as she perceived the intention of
the author, she, not without vanity, en-
couraged an intercourse which, innocent
as was its nature, was destined to cause
her many sorrowful nights.
It might be deemed natural and even
pardonable that Ceba cherished the
wish to see this wonderful Jewess !;
owing to his health, however, which
would not permit him to go to her, he
was forced to satisfy himself with seeing
her through the eyes of his old and
trusted servant, Marco. This Marco
had been with him from his youth and
to him he discovered his most secret
thoughts. In November Of 1913, Sara
had sent Ceba, as souvenir, small toi-
let-box, upon which she had painted,
symbolically, the cardinal virtues Of
man. TO respond to this courtesy he,
several months later, (about carnival
time) sent her, through Marco, basket
of the choicest fruits to be found in
Genoa, an ode expressing the tender
est regard for her and Spanish book.
Filled with enthusiasm the servant,
upon whom Sara had bestowed generous
gifts, returned to his master. He could
not find words enough to express to
Ceba Sara's noblemindedness her love-
illness and the wonderful charm of her
voice as she recited the most beautiful
parts of Esther -
With each letter that Ceba received
from Sara, his wonder increased, won
der at her great learning her familiarity
with the philosophical authors of an