The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-21
EfTTOW she sings, poor Mirlam!
She is always singing"
And the old man who muir

INJURED THESE words raised MS nedu III
the sunshine where he sat, and lis
tened with an expression of pleased at
tention stealing over his worn features.
He vas very poor, very feeble, very
much despised by all his n%eighbors,
and generally Known as that dirty
Jew a designation by no means COM
plimentary, yet happening to fit him
exactly. He made no secret of being
a Jew, neither did he make any at
tempt to be otherwise h a dirty. As a
matter of fact, he had only one suit of
clothes. and was hopelessly unable to
afford another, while the simple opera
ton of washing became an involved
and troublesome business in the mar
row dimensions of the room he occupied
"a roof attic no bigger han a medium
sized store-cupboard. Indeed, few
good housekeepers could have been
found who would not have grumbled
at it as being much too "stuffy" for
the proper preservation of jams and
pickles; but he, poor human wretch,
managed to live and breathe in it re-
signedly enough, sharing 1t with the
only creature he loved in the world,
his ~grandchild Miriam. She 1t was
whose fun young voice pealed forth
Just now in rich round notes of music
through which the words ran with the
dominating force and fervor of almost
operate defamation:
"'Oh, give thanks to the Lord. for
He is good, and His mercy endureth
forever"
The voice came from outside the at
tic, for its owner had scrambled
through the window and was seated at
her ease on the sloping roof-a small.
picturesque figure in ragged clothing,
with q mass of dark hair tumbling
wildly about, and falling so thickly over
the face as nearly to conceal it from
view. A flash of large, bright, eager
eyes, a glimmer of red lips and white
teeth, and the tip of a decidedly Jew
ish nose was all that could be discerned
of Miriam as she lounged on the slant
ing roof states In the full sunlight,
swinging her bare feet idly to and fro,
and declaiming over and over again
with many roulades and brilliant ca
denzas:
ooh, give thanks unto the Lord, for
He is good, and His mercy endureth
forever!
LET Israel now confess that His
mercy endureth forever!
LET the house of Aaron now say
that His mercy endureth forever!
"Let all tina fear the Lord pro-
claim that His mercy endureth for
ever!'"
over the crowded chimneys of one of
the worst lane poorest quarters of
Paris the grand words echoed in their
own sonorous Hebrew tongue, and "the
dirty Jew" reuben David, listened till
a burning moisture began to gather in
his half-blind eyes, and covering his
face with one wrinkled hand, he NUT
tered:
GLOW long, oh Lord-how long! oh,
that Thou would'st rend the heavens
and come down, that the eye might
perceive Thee In all Thy glory! What
have we lone unto Thee, oh, God of my
fathers, that we should be exiled from
hope? Thy mercy endureth forever!
Let me believe it so, oh, God! Let me
believe it while faith is still possible"
He rose totteringly, and crossing to
the window. put his head through its
square opening.
Miriam! Miriam"
The song ceased, the ragged figure
sprang up lightly, the mass of dark
hair was flung back with a quick move-
ment, and the face of the child cleaned
out like a flower from amid her squalid
surroundings.
"Grandfather!'
Come in, child. come i'm" said Reu-
ben, gently. THE %neighbors will not
like thy singing so loud"
Miriam's black eyes g~listened-her
eyes laughed scornfully.
1.-THE %neighbors! What do I carel
They will take me for one of the cats
ON the roof. that is ALL"
Nevertheless. she obeyed her grand
fathers mute sign. and slipped nimbly
through the window into the room,
where she stood looking up at the old
mans face, while she mechanically
twisted q thick strand of her black
hair round and round her fingers.
rs there nothing to eat?" she asked,
presently. in an anxious tone. mot
even a crust for you, beloved and kind
one?'
Reuben sighed and shook his head.
Then shutting feebly across the room
again, he sat down in his accustomed
place on the same chair. in the same
resigned and patient attitude.
"rhere is nothing, child he said,
land l am weak and faint, else ] would
go into the streets II beg for God
But / fear / cannot move far; / am
stricken useless with long fasting"
While he thus spoke, Miriam had
been swiftly binding up her rebellious
locks, and now h Strengthened her.
self with a gesture and look of eloquent
determination. She had a curiously re-
solved face for a girl of her age-she
was barely II.
wait here" she said; and with
an impulsive movement she threw
her arms round the old mans
dropping figure, and kissed him ten
DERBY. wait here, and l will go; [ will
find something; all people cannot be
hard-hearted and uncharitable. / will
study the faces as they pass, and see
where love looks through the eyes, then
L win plead for help n I know L shall
win my cause! Yes, dear and eloyed
one, l shall come back RIGHT"
"Rich!' Old Reuben echoed the word
family, with a flickering smile at the
absurdlty of the idea.
zone is rich with enough!" said Mir
lam, gaily; and opening the door, she
waved her hand and darted way.
Her grandfather, left to himself, let
his weary head droop forward on his