The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19

he said sharply that I was just like a
girl-afratd of everybody; and then he
abruptly left me.
In the evening, after prayers. every
student resumed his studies as usual.
Rabbi Brill. as was his wont, walked
between the rows of desks, and up and
down the long passage between the
tall, white -four columns" which sup
ported the oriental structure. He
moved slowly. his thumbs stuck rest
fully in his abnet, his streimel Ground
fur hat) tilted back, and cast suspi-
cious glances here and there. Present
ly Rabbi Brill reached his armchair,
which looked like a kingly throne, and
opened a pocket-edition volume of the
mishna Ga syllable digest of the Tai
mud).
Then suddenly, Ssh! Shi Sh! Sh!"
Kissed five hundred breaths. And just
as suddenly all were hushed.
Rabbi Brill leaped from his chair,
and his energetic. .spowerful face
clouded with rage He turned his
piercing. eyes right and left, but none
of the students looked at him.
Ssh! Sh! Shl Shl" again came from
all sides, like so many Kissing snakes.
The mashgiach slapped his desk
wrathfully. "Silence!" he cried.
"Silence!" shouted his assistant.
But their commands did nothing to
quiet the sibilant uproar.
Rabbi Brill's anger seemed to be
aroused to Its highest pitch, but he
still restrained his feelings, and con-
tinued walking down the passage be-
tween the -four columns trying to
subdue the class with his looks. But of
no avail, His patience gave way, and
he cried out in his hoarse' voice: stop
hissingl'
No one regarded him., Stamping of
feet began TO be heard at the farthest
end of the hall Ephraim. who sat
opposite me- Joined in the stamping,
and commenced slapping the book be-
fore him. Rabbi Brill paused in front
of me, his patriarchal countenance
white with wrath, ard fixed his eyes
upon Ephraim.
stop that. you rascal" he shouted,
pointing his finger at Ephraim.
Raise the stipends!" responded
Ephraim boldly. Kissing and stamping
his feet the more.
Rabbi Brill lifted his hand and let it
fall twice ON Ephraim's cheek. The re-
ports of the slaps hushed the class for
u second, but the next instant the con-
fusion increased. 4 prolonged whistle
rang through the seminary. At once
all the lights were turned out, and a
shower Of smashed lamps and their
chimneys came rafting to 1.-The floor;
benches chairs, tables and everything
breakable flew UP in the air and came
down with a crash; large tank of
water which stood at the entrance was
stamping. shouting. whispering, and
Kissing. the cry arose again and again
in chorus: Raise the weekly sti-
perGsl'' Raise the weekly stipends!"
Rabbi Brill eroped his way out of the
darkness, but the mashgiach and his
assistant who were less respected,
we're beaten and thrown bodily out of
the hall with great air-rending cheer.
9As soon as the ''sha' was over COM
nlittee Of arbitration was sent to the
rtsh-h shiNa Hsssr rather his young
wife. imnsdiateiyz granted the raise of
those weekly ST ;penGs that had been
reduced. but he would not retract the
other DEGREES The offense at which
they were directed could not be tolera-
ted in Jewish theological school, he
declared with tears in his eyes, and he
said that he would rather see the doors
of the yeshiva closed forever than per-
nit the reading of "pernicious books"