New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-25
satisfaction Have you raised the price of Cuba

|
hope for speedy release from my earthly tram
mels; for 1t makes my heart bleed to think Of the
hal owed city. Provisions of all kinds are ruin
| ousy dear In the city Of solomon; and rs for the
butter, dare not name You the price! This is my
only trouble; for my heart it is Clean like that of
the just and am at peace with all men.
"Farewoll till we meet again in AbrahamS
bosom.-Your loving husband till death,
| SMENDELE BLUHDoRN"
Summer had come round again, for 1t was now
more than year since Mendele Bluhdorn had left
his native town. All this time Rebecca had re-
ceved no decisive intelligence to assure her that
she was widow. Yet che had every reason 10 sup
pose that her husbands decease was already an &C,
compllshed fact, for the last few months had
| brought her no word OF tdngs from him.. =,
The two or three notes lie had sent her during tue
first months of his arrival at Jerusalem had Deen
followed by unbrOken silence so she very naturally
concluded that her husband was no longer In the
| land of the living. But Rebecca was anxious TO
| have her widohood openly and publicly proclaimed
for not until she had gone through tue recognized
forms OF mourning could she proceed 10 the accom-,
plIshmeDt OF certain other plans when she hau
| very much at heart Before taking another spouse
| she must have reliable evidence OF her hrst nus
bands decease; and this was the subject she was
discussing with much interest on this July evening
as she paced the country road outside tue town.
Her companion was Code Safran tile young man
with the fresh color and the fiery rngiets. Jt was
the Sabbath day, 50 the shop was OF course closed
| and Rubecca had put ON her secOnd-best dress and
had come out 10 take the ar along with her youth
| ful swan.
| rule for she had not grown any lighter since our
story opened; but ON this particular occasion the
two parties interested were anxious TO get out OF
| earshot of the town-folk. .
! "Yes.r Rebecca was saying refectively, 4" it is
now than seven months since his last letter
came There can be no manner Oh douDt ABOUT tbe
matter. If no news comes by the next mail, must
| write myself to the magistrates over there, and
ask them to send me the certl icate OF his death
| cannot think what Mendele can have been about"
she went on, in an aggrleyed manner, not 10 nave
made arrangements TO have his death reported i'm
mediately. He night have guessed at The inc1n-
| yeulence this uncertainty would cause me-"
I" IL is cruel in him TO have delayed my happiness
so long" murmurod Code tendory. pressing the
| fat widows arm within his own. .
alt puts a woman III such q aykward position"
continued Rebecca. looking down at her green SIX
| gown "not to know wnen to begin To wear her
| weeds. My black dress has been lying ready these
| six months and more, and had thought to laye
| wellnIgh worn it put by this time"
| Sand had hoped to see the new slgnD0ard put
| up ere this" said the lover ardently. went to
| look at it yesterday the paint Is quite dry, lou
have no idea how beautiful IL looks, my kcOecca!
| Yellow letters upon blue ground, Oolde ana he
| becca Safryn Spirit Dealers, Grocers ANA DrapeIs.
How sweet our names look thus joined together"
| "Hushw SAID the matron, cOyly: DO not speak
| so loud; some might Oyei hear 1t"
| Bnt there was no one to Overhear save the frogs
that were cIoakiny III the marsh alongside, or the
| htorks that were living hOmcward To IOost. lhe
| dusty rOaI lay deserted before them but for one
solitary figure approaching down inc NH toward
the tObar. But ncIther 0l the lovers TOOK any no
| tlce of this figure they turned TO 20 home lne
| summer twilight had set IN. and IL was rapidly
growing dark; soon the hrst star that appeared III
the sky would INFORM them that the sabbath day
was at an end and that thoy 1T liberty to re
sumo their trade. The engrossinG subject when
they had beeu discussing, agreeaDly diversified Dy
amOrous phIlanderIng, had led the couple further
than had been intended; but II thoy hastened their
stems they might still hope To sell some pounds OF
sugar or coffee yet that evening.
tiolde Satran took down tho shutters and I'M
locked tho door then he entered the shop, KICK
ing aside the discarded signboard with the name Oi
Mcndee Bluhdorn, which had been removed some
weeks ago That name could no longer have any
place on earth. save on gray headst0ne UOide III
once busted himself in busting ana putting 10 rights
the lars and bottles on the suelf, wllic heOeCci
began to trim the lamp which mug from tbo cell
lug SIZE had some dliliculty IN making IL burn
other figure stepped over the threshold. So
Au old man. leaning on thick oaken stan haG
come up the street some minutes after uoiuc anu
Rcbccca. On reaching the shop-dOor he hid staieu
M IN ainazoment at the vacant place whcie the
| slguhoard used to hang, but another glance h;!u
convinced hun that u was Indeed the house nc
sought Even in the dim twilight lie could not mis-
take the rotten shutters leaning against the wall
nor the uneven brick steps which led up To the
door, Neither Rebecca nor Code could distinguish
his features clearly AS he stood looking round the
shop with wIstful eyes resting ms gaze on every
article in turn from the pointed sugaToaves 70
the shirt bottles, on the shell anu BACK again u
the barrel of picked behring's In the corner greeting
each one IN turn as an old acquaintance
with what cun serve your asked Code al
lost sceinp his customers eyes roaming thus aim
lessiy about the shop "SOmo of our finest Mocha
coileo lirst-rdte SWISS choose, freshly arrived
voice
81 am Rebecca," said tho matron, turning I'D the
flame of the little oil lamp, and looking harder al
DO YOU not know me, Rebeccar The light
now tell on his face aud with a cry Rebecca reeog
nized the features OF her detunct husband
at is his gaostv she gasped. Il knew tnat he
must be- deadw
She was nearly fainting. and the fcry-hared
young man bad TO sustain her with his arm
am not dead" sand Slendele. somewhat shame,
facedIy Tor ho felt that he had not done what mad
been expected OF him. But have come back. ke-
becra. lhe MALACHI Hamoyes was over long IN APP
pearing. and was WASTING my tlho o'cr tuete CON
Stunning the bread OF idleness- :,
aYon have como back-you have come back
alive Mcndele Udi gtschIfen! On that 1 should
hnv. lived TO see this day !" cried Rebecca IN pierc
ing accents. as soon rs she had grasped the tnil
meaning OF tue situation. Ana 90 you mean 10
say" she continued, indgnantly-NhO you mean 10
sly that you have forfeited tho merit OF your long
pIsrimlse to the holy city, You will not sleep by
The side OF your forefathers" ~
.. shall sleep in my own bed again." said Men
dele doggodly. Wherefore should pay eIghty
kreutzers u week for hlthy couch nc Jerusalem
while my place at home is standing empty = ,
4" And pray, what do you mean TO 40 now tnat
Won have come back'' said tho still ncenscd Re-
! becca. -. rLu , ~, ,ooo
| ing my shop rs before A.. r., -,
=. our shopw now exclaimed the freshcoored
voung man, who for many months past had been
accustomed to regard 1t as has shop aud lie turned
| pale with horrible emotion. 80
" Bmt YOU arc too old. Mendelew cried Rebocca
| wildly, IN last ucSpcIbto w
| Jrcadiul nightmare winch had come upon ter thua
unexpectedly -" you are too Old! Seventy ono you
Will bo in autumn; and tho Prophet says, my
days shall be" 900
= The Prophet has made wrong shot in my case,
| ANYWAY put in Mendee. drIly for feel a lon Z
yy ~ further of death than did two years ago l
,rny live and 70 Dice for many day yet TO come"
| Bat the prospect contained in his words was too
| much for the sensitive Rcbecca, and she had sunk
down to tho nearest cndlr, WHO ny SscIic" ooos
shook her ample BOSOM -,
| why do you weep, Rebecca, my dove y said
| Mendelc Bluhdnrn Have you no WORD oil wei.
| cnno for your husband who has como bnck TO y0n
| {" | am weeping for your wretched soul, Mondele'
| sobbed his hgh-mindel wife. "Oh that a man
viii one foot m heaven should be base enough t.
return TO the earth againw Next morning the IN
hnLitants of Blotatyn were surprised by seeing the
| discarded sgnbourd with the name OF Mehdele
| III L nlnnN