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

i c1ent times and her knowledge OF the
history and literature of her people.
He soon discovered that with woman
so spirited and intellectual he would
never succeed in his endeavors to con-
vince her understanding, hence he sought
to work upon her feelings and nature !;
he resorted to prayer. Sara, it is true,
gave the author allowance to pray for
the welfare of her soul, under the con-
dition that she too should pray to her
God that Ansaldo might be converted
to Judaism. The fanatic He also in
duced an esteemed though bigoted
Genoese to mingle her prayers for Sa-
ra' soul with his own ; yea-of'what is
blind ardor not capable ?-he even saw
in her maiden name, Coppia, as she was
wont to write it, an omen of favorable
result; this name served to awaken the
hope that, some time, he might yet see
Sara Christian and couple (coppia)
her with one. To dispel also this illu-
sion she changed her name in SO far
that, thereafter she always signed her
letters Copia-with but one p..
In all constancy to her faith and with
the consciousness of inviolable fidelity
to the husband whom she ardently low
ed, and who, like her, was annoyed with
importunate efforts Of conversion by
Ceba, she, nevertheless, devoted her
i spiritual reverence to the author, now
rapidly approaching his end. The cor
respondence did not flag in earnestness
or interest. Sara assured Ceba, who
was mourning the loss Of brother,
that she would consider-it happiness to
lengthen his life with forfeit Of
j her own; she urgently requested his
I picture: He sent \. 70 her with an
1 ode more beautiful than any he had
ever composed and accompanied by a
letter which, owing to his extreme
weakness, had to be penned by a
strange hand. Once again he urged
upon her his dearest wish; he could die
peacefully only then, he wrote, when he
was confident of being united to her in
heaven.
Sara expressed to him the sorrow and
pain occasioned by the knowledge of his
suffering, her joy on receipt of his pic
ture, but his suppliant request to speak
but the short prayer: Holy Mary, pray
for me-, she decidedly refused; this al
ready, as she asserted, was desertion
of the faith of her fathers. But she in
vited him to come to Venice to recruit
his health and strength, and early in
1921, she sent him her picture with the
following message: "'Tis the picture of
the friend who has enshrined your face
deep within her heart, and who speaks,
as she places her hand thereon Here
dwells, O honor him, my idol"
The loveliness of the pictured face
that smiled from the frame, by far ex-
ceeded the idea he had formed from
Marcos description, and the picture
which he had not expected threw him
into indescribable excitement, the more
so, as death had but just robbed him Of
dear sister and his strength lessened
from day to day.
AT last we have seen each other, if
but through pictures" he wrote soon
afterreceipt of the present, but know
not which of us two was more delighted
[ must confess to you that it is not good
for me to see, in this world, either you
or your picture. I am in need of COM
posure and rest for the last hours of my
life, and you,-you have come upon me
from so many directions, at the same
time, that [ cannot escape your hands.
So little am [ my own master, that, at
times, looking upon your picture, | give
way to feelings which cause me to
blush for myselfi Glowing as love you,
suffering as l suffer, I know not how I
am still able to exist !; yet still l live
and pen letters, filled with tenderness,
as if the shades of death were not fall
ing upon me. You are but just in
the flower of your life, it's spring roses