The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-12

/ TO 90 at the time, SO SET out Tor the Jewish
! quarters. thinking might see something
interesting After wandering through a
labyrinth of alleys l came out into an
irregular open place or square On one
| side was a plain, flat-roofei building in
and out of which were passing a crowd of
white-clothad figures.
What is that buildiugl" l asked a by
stander.
The Spanish synagogue"
"Can we go inp'
Certainly" said the man. evidently a
Jew, land peace be with you
| entered the door and an interesting
scene met my eyes. The whole place. ex7
cept few passages left here AID there was
filed with mon kneeling upon mats. sway
ing back and forth, and murmurino the
words which a robed priest at the altar read
to them. Many held punches If flowers in
their hands, and from time TO time
smelled the odorous blossoms. Others
| had citrons, stuck full Of cloves, which thew
| occasionally carried to the nose to revive
| their fainting strength. For these pe1pIe
had been there all day praying, repent
ing and chastising the flesh in etonement
for sin. To the right and TO the left were
galleries cut off by partitions from the
main chamber, and through the small.
| wood-barred windows one could occasionally
| see tbs CLEAN of dark eyes aud the CLINT of
jewels, and hear the murmurs of Women's
voices and the soft rustic of their garments.
The atmosphere was so oppressive that I
soon felt faint and turned to 60. Outside.
men sat on benches about the door or
walked to and fro; in one remote corner
saw figure that seemed familiar. An old
man sitting on a rug, with his face buried
in his hands. Yes, it was Baruch I spoke
to him as drew near. He did not move.
'Std Baruch,n l repeated In a louder
tone.
he looked up; his face was pale and COR
rowful.
"Is it you, my son p he said, recognizing
me. what brought you here at this time,
when we are begging our God for forgiv-
ness of our sins. Give me your hand, nv
son, and if have ever harmed you forget
1t and forgive me-"
He took my hand and drew me down be-
side him on the rug.
Harmed meln exclaimed. "No, Baruch,
nor any man. Your sins must be easily re-
pented Of on Atonement day."
"Atonement day !" he replied and bowed
his head, and was silent for some time.
Suddenly he Strengthened up and cried in
tone of anguish: "God of Israeli What
have done that thy hand should be laid so
heavily upon mel"
And then in low tone, as il in trance.
he ran over in broken sentences the history
of his life He spoke as If be we're not
aware of my presence. 1t seemed religious
service, prayer, confession.
"Baruch-the blessed-my father named
me. But my life was a curse. Twenty
years ago was ton such a day of Atone
ment as this, then l hurried to my home.
happy and contented-to my wife and chill
dren. To my young wife. whom 1 loved
and my two children, who were the breath
OF my bosom, the light Of my eyes. |
walked into the house-a terrible blow fell
upon my head aud as reeled | heard the
egonized cries Of my wife and children. O..
God! why hast thou not stayed the band Of
the robbers and murderers. When l came
to myself l was bound to the door. Three
men were in the room. My wife lay
bound to the bed, moaning, choking
deb auched. The goddess wretches had
strangled the children aud laid them at the
breast of their mother-before the eyes of
the father. the husbsndl And God the
Almighty had not raised -his hand to save
them-he had not crushed the inhuman
wretches They came up to me. They spit
in my beard. knew them. Three Greeks.
from whom l had refused 70 buy stolen
goods, and whom / had reported to the
kadi. They had sworn vengeance and they
had wreaked ID. They set fire to the bed
and fled. l was burned. The neighbors
smelled the smoke aud took us away. But
the children were dead, and my wife fade d
away and died also. And the light went
out Of my eyes
"Oh, Lord, how have deserved the full
ness Of thy wratha Why must doubt, oh
God, thy justice, thy wisdom, thy pityF'
baruch stopped, and strange stiffness
seemed to have fallen upon the scene. All
was quiet in the synagogue
Suddenly chant arose-many voices fol-
lowing the words half sung by the priest.
Baruch got slowly 60 his feet and walked
to the door with bowed head, repeating the
words Of the evening hymn. Then the
voices grew louder, there were intermingled
groans and signs aud sobs. And as it
Lord, in thy justice-in thy PITY have
set my will against thy will" the old
baruch repeated the words with broken
voice, and from the sightless eyes of the
OLD martyr tears came and rolled down in
bis long white beard.
L did not see him again. l was away
from Cairo large part Of the winter. But
rew weeks ago / walked into the street Of
the money changers.
w here is Baruch u l asked.
Thou livestr' replied Jusouf, for so the
moslem answers when we inquire for per-
son who has recently died, and SO answered
the Jewish lad.
Dead! When?"
Only week ago. He went to bed as
usual one evening. He never woke. Allah
Yerhamerln
Yes, God take pity on him.
And this is all know Of my friend, the
blind Baruch.