Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-16

formed in swift, bright links to bear her
away. The home of his mother would re-
ceive the bridegroom and bride. Chaplets
of myrtle crowned the heads of the bridal
party. All the flowers that the season would
yield were showered before their happy feet.
Perfumes filled the air. TImbrels sounded
shrilly. Sweet singers chanted love songs.
The light bearers bore brazen and earven
lamps filled with scented oil, and fastened
to the top of poles. These flickered gently
upon laughing faces and rich robes, and the
wavering outline of dancing figures.
Impossible" thought Ariella, "that
this bride is l." 1t seemed to her every mo-
ment as if she should make a misstep-
stumble-and fall back on that bed of mis-
cry, that nine years old grave, and lie there
helpless, hopeless, aching, and start and
sob because she had walked out of such a
pretty dream.
''Impossible," said Baruch, ''that this en-
raptured man is l." He looked at Ariella.
Her long, fair hair flowed like sunlight
down her shoulders; it rippled in the light
breeze, like a brook. Her veil was of silver
white tissue, half transparent and shining,
Her delicate throat was visible. A chain OF
gold encircled 1t. The chain stirred with
the heaving of her breasJ. Her hands and
white arms trembled. Baruch said to him.
self: II shall turn my head and darkness
will blot it all out The vision will shatter
before me. shall strain nv sightless eve
balls till they burn into my brain. 1 shall
move in blackness. 1 shall be guided of
lad upon solitary way"
But when he saw the lad Enoeh verilv
standing upon his valuable head, in a prom
inent place at the front of the procession,
and wearing his chaplet of myrtle upon one
wagging foot, Baruch concluded his situa-
ton possessed the elements OF reality. He
recovered himself and crushed the hand of
Ariella, like any common bridegroom, and
was only uncommon in this, that he blessed
God because Of his earthly Joy, and remem-
bered that it was Of heaven.
In the bliss of Ariella and Bsruch there
was one sturdy disappointment First in
their thought had been the great benefactor
O. their afflicted and blessed lives. To well
come him among the marriage guests would
have added the last throb to delight and the
last prayer TO the sacredness of the hour.
His benediction would have brought their
joy to its highest and most solemn level,
The rabbi might even have married them,
Ariella thought. But the rabbi was not to
be found. He was travelling in distant vii
lagos, followed by blessing and maledict1on,
by trust and suspicion, by alteration and
enmity, by a few faith nj frleuds and a
tickle crowd; BY the scorn Of the socially
influential, the espionage and hatred Of
ecclesiastics, by the loving tears and smiles
of the poor. the sick. the crippled, unlucky,
unhappy, OF the outcasts, erring, and de-
spised Of men.
The rabbi was about what he called his
Fathers business. These were strange
words to the followers who so blindly loved,
but 50 darkly comprehended that mystical
life. Perhaps few were constituted so as to
have understood them better than these two
young people, whose experience of suffering
had refined both the Imagination and the
spiritual vision necessary to the case. Yet
their conception of it was vague and poor
enough. As one looks back upon that
sublime history, the most touching thing
about it seems to be the heart-breaking soli-
tariness Of the man; whose nearest friend
could not apprehend his simplest motive.
His motive tor not appearing at the mar
riage festivity of Ariella and Baruch was