New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-25
cessantly: sJerusalcm, Jerusaleml 20 TO
Jerusalemw

The subject onco preached by the enterprsing
Rebecca, was not allowed to be dropped again. She
returned to the charge often and so persistehiy
that she gradually accustomed her suDihissiiyto
spouse to accept her suggestion as an lrrevocaDIe
decision Soon it became no lon ger question OF;
| "Will you go 10 jerusalem !" but Of Wheh snaiI
! you startT And so 1t came to be decideu ulas
| as soon as winter was quite over and spring had
| set In. Mendele BIuhdorn was to start OH on his
| long Journey
When he had once signifed his assent to the pro,
| posed arrangement, and when his resolution had
! been made public. Mendole began to experience
sort of foretase Of the celestial joys In store for
! him. Hitherto he had played no particular part IN
his native place, nor even in his own family Botn
his wives had been stronger-mlnded than hmself,
and had henpecked him accordingly.
Now. however. all this was altered Mendele was
changed, or perhaps the change was in the inhab-
| tants of Blotatvn, for they looked at him WIN
different Dyes. What had been slowness before had
now become dignity, and what had seemed TO them
like stupidity was but the lofty indifference of an
immortal soui on the edge OF the grave; IN fact,
slipshod slippers. Mendee Bluhdorn was already
invested in the supernatural glory OF halo ana
wings, and regarded IN the light of n disenbodIed
| spirit Virtues which no one had hitherto dis.
covered in him were now brought TO light, and
! lament was made over the death of so Just man.
The widow in received visits of coincidence from
| the best Hebrew families of the place.
All THIS was naturally very sweet 20 Mendeie
| Blnhdorn, for he was enjoying privilege which IS
given to few mortals-namely, to stand beside tnelr
open graves and hear all the fine things winch are
said of them He therefore soon fell gracefully into
| his part OF disembodied spirit, and thought what
| Clever woman was his RebecCa to have had such 4
| grand idea. 1t almost made him forget the many
years i'll which she had had moi hing but sour faces
and sharp words for him. Now her words were Ike
sugar and honey, and her face like a smiling lnll
moon. Oh occasion. hOH ever, she Thought II
! seemly to drop few tears over the approaching
separation but she never repeated this experiment
for tho sOithearted Dlcndele overcome by the sBhC
! OF her distress, was nearly relinquising his p0uS
project, which had the effect of instantly drying
| her tears and causing her TO eXClaim:
No ala. far, irnrn mo a
! your holy wish. Go in peace and the God OF Abra-
! ham Will console me in my lonely widowhood."
The young man who had so ObIIglngly SKINNED
his Willingness to step into Mendole Buhdorn's
! shoes already installed as a member of the
! household, in OrIor 10 be Initiated INFO tne
mysteries OF the trade before the old mans depart
| ure
His Damc was Code Safran. and he had fresh
color and flaming red curls. From the very outset
ho displayed extraordinary genIns for hepkeep-
ing lie re-arranged the little window IN totally
new fashion. with most effective pattern OF rdlsls
and almonds in the centre, framed IN by aitornato
! bars OF white aud brown soap; and no pulled Inc
peasants and BATTERED the town dlmels with equal
success. No peasant was ever allowed 70 leave the
| shop without having purchased at least twice az
! mn n EOfk n he had originally intended to; and
| wheu the ladies did not find what they came TO
seek. Code Safran was sure to make them take
/ something else in its stead. His system was about
follows: IT, tor instance. customer inquired LOT
red pepper, he would answer brlskly " Red
! pepper. madam Well, not precisely red pepper.
| but we hayo hrst-rate rench chocolate ana the
! finest bottled capcrs; with which shall serve
! your
/ In the same way he sent away peasants in search
of blue calico furnished with scarlet knittlng-wool.
and or-blacking was made successful SUBSTITUTE
| for tUOth-bruoheS
! TO Heaven with easy mlnd Tor ms WIDOW
| prospects were fairly secured.
10 was on fine April afternoon that Mendele lcit
his native town route for Paradise, rI1 Jerusalem
/ When the hour of parting drew near. his heart
almost failed him. and il wanted but the shadow OF
an excuse to make him draw back at the eleventh
! hour.
he looked round the dingy little shop whore all
! his f. had been spent. aud lie lott himself
strangely moved lac thought that 10 should never
| see IL again. That bunch Ui tallOw-dlps when he
/ had hung up with his own hands, he would mover
take il dow - again he should not see the end OF
! that large Swiss cheese. lie looked down INTO the
barrel containing salt herrings. Only few OF them
renamed at the bottom OF the cask. Tor the supply
| Away, ran low at this season. The hattened hsh
| seemed tn gaze mp az hin with n mOnrniul EXPIRES
sion IN their salt ucrustcd eyes and TO say to him
Never again. Mcndelc never again"
Bat his fallering resolution was not given the
chance OF loophoc OF escape; not Tor momont
! WINS lie allowed 20 forget that he belonged already
| 10 better world. With pious alacrity AL the
! arrangements for his departure were pushed
! thromgh Even before the appointed hour lie found
/ nil his friends assembled before his door, TO give
/ him their conduct ~ far as tho nearest toH-bar
| for. like most ferycnt pilgrims. Mendele was To
perform the greatest part o ms Journey on loot ~
was now the end OF April. and 1t was calculated
! that 10y midsummer he wonlG DO able WITHOUT over
/ fatigue 10 reach lis destination
! IL was decidedly the most triumphant moment IN
Mendee Buhdorn's life; he felt like Llils going mp
! IN Heaven aud the soft muddy road seemed 10 hIs
! touch like clouds beneath hls feet! This ocstatic
| frame OF mind lasted for some twenty mlnntro'
| during which Mcudeo BluhdOIn walked on alone
! slowly but steadily The road led slightly uphill,
! and unaccustomrd as he was to walking, the
! progress ho made was but slow When he Lad
! reached the top Of the incline. he was Oblged 10
pause 10 recover breath; and leanlug on hls Oaken
! stan Mendolo turned aud lookod back u last time
/ toward his native town.
! Then Mcndrie Iuhdorn felt his blear old eyes
/ Ia. 4 LA, bblg
! blurred aud indistinct: and he turned ana went
! down the hill on the other sidc. walking on aud on
and ever onward with his face toward the east
ILL.,
! Mcnhclo halted 10 rest the first ght at neigh,
boring village hose name was iamlil"r 70 hlh ana
there he found ready hospitality among MS hebrew
brethren. The following night he rested at other
! villages whose names were less familiar but
where also. rs soon as his crrand known, he
! was treated with every mark of deicrehce ana
respect. Sometimes ho got lift IN u cart ie"
miles along the road. but III general lie walked. out
OF economical a well as pous reasons.
At first his limbs wero cramped from long dlsnSe,
and he advanced but slowly, Two hours was tho
utmost limit OF what he could manage, and hc was
! forced To rest frequently on the way. but hardiy
! had no been week on his Journey, when pe could
accomplish twice that distarce without any neon
venicncc: aud the further ho advanced, III the same
proportion did lie feel his pedestrian Iowe'3 grow
| ing on him. His appetite became NoIaclouS' ana
was no longer to bc satisfied by a mere crust oil
bread seasoned with garlic; and Mehdelo often
! Thought it was lucky that Rcbccca was not there
to control his rations. The wind winch swept
| across the country swapping OH rotten twigS and
blowing away last years dead leaves. seemed IKE
wise TO bo blowing all sorts OF dust and c0bwcbS our
OF his brain, leaving his cad clearer imam u na1
| ever been before. His eyosght too. which had
weakened so much of late in the stuiiy atmosphere
OF the grocers shop now underwent = slmiar I'm +,
! proyement and long, long before MenGeIe hal
reached the gates oil the holy city. ho had put hi1
! spectaces In his pocket. Anothcr man would
| probably have chucked his eyeglasses INTO the
nearest river IN ths excess of hi, JOY at finding a
! lost sense suddenly restored to him; but Mend9Ie
was u Jew-and no jew. even when Standing on tho
| edge of tho grave. ever thtows anything away.
| As he approached his journeys end. Mendelc
| Bluhdorn saw many things which pore lamliar
| names, but whose appearance was strange 10 mn.
! In tho stately trees, laden with swelling irult.
| beneath which he sometimes paused TO rest now
could he coguize tho tIstelcss hgs Dlch ho had