Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-15

then they paused and looked again to the
right and left, and searched the dark cor
ners with piercing glances.
"Thy life is in thine hand" said tie wo-
man, speaking close to the boys ear "It
is vet time. Turn with me and let us 60
back"
The mysterious radiance lit up the youth s
beautiful face in the dark street and showed
the fearless yet gentle smile that was on his
lips.
What is there to fear?" he asked.
Death" answered the woman in a trem.
bling tone. "They will kill thee, and it
shall be upon nv head"
"And what is death?" he asked again, and
the smile was still upon his face as he led
the way up the steps.
The woman bowed her head and drew her
veil more closely about her, and followed
him. Then they were within the church,
darker, more ghostly, less rich in those days
than now. The boy stood beside the hewn
stone basin wherein was the blessed water,
and he touched tine frozen surface with his
fingers and held them out to his companion.
"1s it thus?" he asked, and the heavenly
smile grew more radiant as he made the
sign of the cross.
Again the woman inclined her head.
"Be it not upon me-" she exclaimed earn
so with thee" tt
"It is for ever" the boy answered.
He went forward and prostrated himself
before the high altar, and the soft light
hovered above him. The woman knelt at a
little distance from him, with clasped hands
and upturned eyes. The church was very
dark and silent.
An old man in a monks robe came for
ward out of the shadow of the choir, and
stood behind the marble rails and looked
down at the boys PROSTATE figure wonder
ingly. Then the low gateway was opened
and he descended the three steps and bent
down to the young head.
"What wouldst thou?" he asked.
Simon Abeles rose until he knelt, and
looked up into the old mans face,
81 am Hebrew. Iwould be Christian.
l would be baptized"
"Fearest thou not thy people?" the monk
asked.
81 fear not DEATH" answered the bov
simply.
"Come with me-"
Trembling, the woman followed them
both, and all were lost in the gloom OF the
church. They were not to be seen, and all
was still for space. Suddenly still voice
broke the silence.
Ego baptizo tie in nomine Patris, ct Fill,
ct Spiritus Sancti."
Then the woman and the boy were stand
ing again without the entrance in the chilly
air. and the ancient monk was upon the
threshold nnder tine carved arch; his thin
hands, white in the darkness, were lifted
high, and he blessed them, and they went
their way.
brighter still, and illuminated the streets as
harv rad m Than IL l.
over all, and certain days and weeks passed.
and again the boy was walking swiftly
toward the church. But the woman was
not with him, and he believed that he was
alone, though the messengers of evil were
upon him. Two dark figures moved in the
shadow, silent, noiseless in their walk,
muff1ed in thei" long garments. He went
on, no longer deigning to look back, be-
yond fear as he had ever been, and bevoni
even the expectation of danger. He went
into the church, and the two men made ges-
lures and spoke in low tones and hid them
selves in the shade of the buttresses outside. |
The vision grew darker, and terrible |
stiffness was over everything, for the church |
was not opened to the sight this time. There |
was horror of long waiting with the Ger |
tainty OF what was to come. The narrow |
street was empty to the eye, and vet there |
strong men waiting in the dark to take their |
victim to the place of expiation. And the |
horror grew in the silence and emptiness.
until it WIS unbearable.
The door opened and the boy was with the
monk under the black arch. The old man
embraced him and blessed him and stood
still for moment watching him as he went
down. Then he, also, turned and went
back, and the door was closed.
Swiftly the two men glided from their
hiding place and sped along the uneven
pavement. They grasped him by the arms
IN each side, Lazarus his father, and Levi,
the Shorthanded, the strongest
ind the cruelest and the most relentless of
he younger rabbis. Their grip was rough,
Ind the older man held a coarse woolen
10th in his hand with which to smother the
,oy's cries if he should cry out for help.
But he was very calm and did not resist
hem.
"What would you?" he asked.
'And what doest thou in a Christian
asked Lazarus, in fierce tones.
What Christians do, since 1 am one of
hem," answered the youth, unmoved
Lazarus said nothing, but he struck the
10Y on the mouth with his hard hand so
hat the blood ran down.
"Not herep' exclaimed Levi, an1iousIy
ooking about.
And they hurried Kim away through dark
nd narrow lanes. He opposed no resistance
o Lewis rough strength, not only suffering
imself to be dragged along, but doing his
est TO keep pace with the mans long
trides. nor did he murmur at the blows and
hrusts dealt him from time to time by his
ather from the other side. During some
minutes they were still traversing the