The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-01-20

dare meet those good, brave
eyes Of her. Why, this julius Asher
is q glorious young fellow There's
not the faintest thing against him,
there's everything for him."
There was q little silence, during
which Mabelford stared at me with q
querulous, challenging look. His cyl.
dent desire that I should contradict
him would have held for me at any
other time q pungent spice of fun.
This grave, seignorial Mabelford
might have continued his smile 81
the schoolboy; he was just now like
one bent on picking q quarrel, ruat
coelum. But | somehow took the al.
fair with phlegm and sombreness. !
did not even smile, and l soon said
with some bitterness:
"You know, l suppose, that he is a
Jew"
Mabelford's eyes kindled. "Do you
say that contemptuously?"
II state it as q fact"
"And it is one supremely to his
credit"
"You mean because he has made
for himself so pleasant and secure a
position"
"No, I mean nothing whatever OF the
sort. | mean because the Hebrew
race is worthy Of undying respect,
and because its generations on gener-
ations of outraged yet patiently en-
during ancestors invest it with a dig
nifty which no other nation really
possesses. When l observe, in this
nineteenth century, the petty antip-
athy and the vulgar avoidance which
are shown Hebrews OF capacity and
achievement by men who are in all
ways their interiors, ask myself
whether would not rather be a fet
ish.worshipping Hottentot, without
single educational boon amid my
barbarism, than tread the soil of civil
lied centres and yet so neglect all
chances to CLEAN q little golden wis
DOM"
"Truly, Mabelford," 1 said, you
astonish me-" I tried to catch his eye
now, but he. would not let me do so.
He had risen and began to, pace the
floor OF my library.
"Think of what history is theirs!"
he exclaimed; and the fancy crossed
my mind that he now addressed his
own thoughts more than he did my
self. "For years and years they were
forbidden the exercise or all trades ex-
cept that Of peddling old clothes; they
were denied intercourse with their fel.
low-citizens; they were oppressively,
brutally taxed; they were often in
Ghettos and in Judengassen; they
were often denied even the right OF
marriage, except under tvrannical
laws meant to check their future
growth. They have suffered countless
fierce prosecutions; they have fallen in
droves under the sword and at the
stake From England they were ex-
PEELED IN the thirteenth century, from
Spain and Portugal in the fifteenth!
And yet, amid untold outrage and
scorn, their superb vitality has en-
dured, has even thriven, and today
they number over six millions of souls
in Europe and American"
'Well, my friend, I replied, you're
undergoing your temptation of St.
Anthony. You'll come out all right
before long, depend upon it. 1 agree
with you most heartily in all that
you have said about the fright
full wrong inflicted on the
Hebrew race, and their unquench-
able chronological pluck. pardon
my hint of slang at so solemn 8 NOM
ent.) But Idon't believe julius Asher
requires half 80 remote and awful an
endorsement to make you accept him
as son-in-law. He's too fine fellow
to need it, and you're too sensible a.
reasoner to ask it,
Mabelford rose, and came toward
me! "Confound vou!" he cried, with
a scowl, you're Laughing at mep'
"Of course I am" I said. You'll
laugh at yourself tomorrow"
He never quite did that. But he
gave his full consent to the marriage.
The gossip of CONSERVATION and dis
approval ragged in select cliques for
almost a month afterward. But it
died away like the foam on deep waves,
that soon Kisses itself to nothing.
And underneath it all lay that tide
OF good which always takes it's life
from a strong and courageous protest
against blind end senseless codes.
The union of Hilda and Julius has
been very happy one for themselves
an equally happy one. no doubt,
for him who did not find an easy
task in sanctioning it.
think Mabelford has now more
than partially forgotten the sudden
struggle with which he was so unex-
pectedly confronted. But to me it is
still a very real memory, and has con-
WINGED me more than ever of how long
and wide shadow the sins of our
dead forefathers can yet cast over
this laboring little planet. Edgar
Fawcett.