Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1910-03-12

ter came from Rosie which she In
formed her mother their circum-
stances had so far improved that
she and her husband wanted her
to come over and share their COM
Portable home, she, against all
expectations, replied that she
was too old and feeble to under
take such long journey. But
this was not the real reason. It
seemed to the old woman that
two different voices were calling
to her. One was from America,
the land which contained every
thing she possessed in this world
all her adoned ones. This
was the voice of the living. The
other voice belonged to the past
and to her dead. Here she had
lived all her life; here she had
been married and had borne her
children. She had heard stories
in the town of her birth of how
people forgot their God and relig-
ion in America.
The poor old mother struggled
hard against the temptation of
going to her loved ones. But
when the newspapers began to
bring the first tidings of the ter
rible happenings in Russia, and
the news became more and more
frightful with each passing day,
Rosa insisted that her husband
should Immediately send q pas
sage ticket and money for defray-
ing,the expenses of the journey.
The old mother arrived in New
York just a week before Pass
over. Rosa and her husband,
overjoyed at her coming, showed
their love and reverence for her
IN every way possible; but what
was the use when the main thing
was lacking-when, according to
her views they had bartered their
faith for a mess of pottage? And
her grandchildren, whom she so
passionately loved, she could not
even touch, as they ran from her
as if she were some strange beast.
She had only to smile at them,
and they, frightened, began 20
pout.
At last she was ready with her
work in the kitchen, and she set
the table for the Sed6ar. When
the time for sitting down to the
Seddar approached, the dining.
room presented a festive appear
ance. On the snow-white table.
cloth stood several silver-plated
candlesticks, with lighted wax
tapers. For the father, the sofa
was rolled up to the table and
several pillows were placed upon
it, so that he could recline upon
them in true Eastern fashion. The
cut glass bottles with wine and
mead sparkled, and the glasses
filled to the brim looked tempting;
but the goblet which attracted
| the most attention was that filled
for Elijah the Prophet-as every
Jew expects to have him as an
invisible guest at his board dur
ing the Seddar ceremony.
The two grandchildren, who
had ever since her arrival openly
shown that they feared her,
though she continually made
friendly advances to them, now
suddenly became less suspicious
of her; and Georgy, the older OF
the two, a child of five, was the
first to approach the table and to
contemplate with a critical eye
everything on it. The old grand.
mother, seeing how very inter.
ested he was, pointed to a small,
ruby.colored goblet and said,
/ This is for you.
And this is for Perele, she
said, pointing to another little
goblet.
Her name is not 'Perele,' but
little Pearl, the little fellow cor.
rected.
In the meanwhile, Pearl, a tot
of three, pushed forward to the
table, and, raising her chubby
little hands, clutched at the edge
and lifted herself on her tiptoes
to have a good look at her goblet,
Georgy's curiosity was far
from satisfied. The more cues.
tions he asked and the more bis
grandmother replied, the less
| grew the istance which divided
| them.
/ For whom is that big goblet,
granny?
For Elijah the Prophet.
| Who is he ?
Is it possible that you don't
know who Elijah the Prophet is
the old woman asked wonder.
ingly.
Il rIl. I--,-, l~..-.-- 4 -. I.aAI r ~.