Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-05

| sweet sting Of money, terrible in intelli
| gence, vile IN heart, contemplate in body
| Irresistible in the unity of their sTee1-tht
! Jews OF Prague two hundred years ago.
In one corner OF the dusky place there
was little light. 4 BOY stood there. BE-
side a veiled woman, and the light thai
! seemed 10 cling about him was not the re
! Fiction o: gold. He was very young. HI:
pale face had in il al the lost beauty Of the
! Jewish race, the lips were clearly cut, ever
pure in outline and firm, the forehead
| broad With thought, the features noble
GQuiline-nct vulture-iEe. Such face
might holy Stephen, deacon and protomar
tyr, have turned upon the young men WING
Laid their g2rn eItS at the feet OF ulcou,
verred Ssal.
He stood there, looking on at the scene in
the market place, not wondering, for moth.
ing OF i was new TO him: not scornl3g, for
he felt no hate; not wrathtul, Tor he
dreamed OF peace. He would have had il
herwise-tnat was al. He would have
had the stream flow bac., upon its source and
take new channel for itself, lie would
have seen the strength Of his people
welded in cleaner deeds for nobier
aims. The 30 10 hated, the race for i he
GeSpiSed the poison q II he loatAeG, DGs nc
had neither loa'hiug rCr contempt, nor
hatred for the men themselves. lie looked
upon them, ana he loved 10 think that the
FED. and lifted on strong wings anu become
Us in old days. the eas lie of the mountains
For many minutes he Eazed II silence.
Then he sighed and tGrnei away. He ne.d
certain books in his hand. fer he had come
from the school of the synagogue, whore,
throughout the shor. winter days, the r2b-
bis taught hiIn and his companions the Iivs-
teries Of the sacred tongue. The yTonlal by
his side vas = servant in his Il hers house,
and II vas her duty 10 attend him through
the streets until the day when, being
judged q man. he should be suddenly freed
from the BONDAGE OF childish things.
Let US go h. said, il = low voice, the
air IS full of gold, snd heavy. l cannot
brea, he it
Nv hi herl' asked the woman.
"Ihou lnowest," he answered. And sud
denly the fain: radiance that was always
about him grew brighter, and spread out
arms behind him, TO the right and LETT, IN
the figure OF cross.
They walked together. side by side,
quick Y and often glaIeilC behind them, Us
though to see whether they were followed.
And yet il seemed rs though it WAS not tAey
who moved, but the city about them which
changed. The thrOng of busy Jews grew
shGdowy. and disappeared; their shrill
voices were lost III the distance. There
were other people in the street, Of ochyr
features aid IL different CARDS, OF prOItUr
bearing and hot, restless manner, broad
shouldered, erect manly, with spur on heel
and sword At side. The outline OF he Old
synagogue Mel,ed into the r.urky ar ami
changed lis shape, and stood out again ii
other and ever changing forms. Now they
were passing before the walls Of noble
palace, now beneath long, lo~ galleries OF
arches. now again across the open space of
the great ring il the midst Of the city
then al Z. once hey were staudin" before
J., =
church, the very doorway cut Of which the
Nandercr had followed the tieering shadow
Of BeatIice's figure but 4 month ago. And
then they paused and looked again TO the
right and left, and searched the dark cor
ners wi.h piercing glaEces.
Thy life Is in thine hand" said the
worlln, speaking close 10 the boys ear.
1t IS yet time. Turn with me and let Is
go back"
The mysterious radiance lit up the youths
beautiful fIce il he dark street and showed
the fearless yet gentle smile that WIS on
his lips.
What Is there to fearl'' he asked
Death" answered the woman in
treIn bling tone, They viii kill thee, and
i. stall be upon my head. .
and Whist is deathf' he asked again,
and 'he smile was still upon his face as he
led ne way up the steps.
The woman bowed her head and drew
her veil more ciOseIy about her. and fol-
lowed him. Then they were within the
church, darker, more ghostly, less rich III
those days than now. The boy stood beside
the hawn stone basin wherein was the
blessed water, and he touched the frozen
surface with his fingers and held them cut
to his companion
is ii thusi" he asked, and the heavenly
smile grey more radiant as he made the
sign of Tue cross.
Again the woman inclined her head
BE it ROT Qpon me- she exclaimed,
earnestly. Though [ would it might DC
forever SO with the>."
lit IS forever the boy answered.
He went forward and FRUSTRATED himself
before the high altar, and the soft light
lowered above him. The woman knelt at i
little distance from hiu. wi, i claspld hands
and up-urncd eyes. The church was very
dark and silent.
An Old man in a monks robe came for
ward cut OF the SHADOW OF the choir, and
stood behind the marble rails ana looked
down at the boys prostrare figure, Won
deringly. Then the low gateway was opened
and be descended the three steps and bent
down to the young head.
What wouidst thou"' he asked.
Simon Abelcs rose until ne knelt, and
looked Up into the Old mans face.
Il am Z Jew. would be a Christian.
would Dc OlptlZcu.
"Fearest thou not thy peoplel" the monk
asked
i fear not DEATH" answered the boy
simply.
Come with me"
Trembling, the woman followed them
both, ana all were lost in the gloom of the
church. They were not to be seen. and Il.
was still for space. Suddenly clear
voice broke the silence.
Ego bap-izo tie IL nomine PATHS, ct
Fill, ct Spirltus 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 under the carved arch; his
thin hands, white in the darkness, were
lifted high, and he blessed them, and they
went their way.
In the moving vision the radiance was
brighter still, and illuminated the streets as
they moved on, Then cloud descended
over all, and certain days aud weeks passed,
and again the boy was walking swiftly to-
ward the church. But the woman was not
with him, and he belize he was alone.
though The messengers OF evil were upon
him. Two durl; figures moved in the
shadow, silent, noI5eless in their wGlk,
mufiod in their long garments. He went
on, no longer deigning to look back, beyond
fear rs he had ever been. and beyond even
the expectation of . danger. He went into
the church, and the two men made gestures
and spoke in low tones and hid themselves
IN the shade Of the buttresseS outside.
The vision grew darker and terrible still
ness was over everything for the church
was not opened 10 the sight this time. There