The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-21
The Most Extravagant
Girl in History
By EDGAR AIELs.

two million dollars. Some months
later. when Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt
lecame the Duchess of Marlborough,
with II dot of six millions, still great
or wonder prevailed. Yet how utterly
poverty-stricken both of these -Ameri-
can heiresaes seem when compared
to an heiress of bygone age, whose
annual allowance from her fond faith
er, for cosmetics alone, was sixty-two
million dollars, and who spent in addi-
tion one hundred and rwenty-four mil
lion dollars in one year Tor dresses and
finery of similar sort.
She was the daughter of Nikodemon
hen Glorion, the richest Jew of Je
rusalem in the Time of Titus anC
shortly before the Holy City was lie
stroyed by the Roman ,'onqueror. The
story of her life is one of the roInanocs
Of history and points II most power
full moral even at this late date 1t
is the old story of pride going before
fall, and is emphasized by the love
tale of her schoolmate and closest
friend, Rachel, the daughter of Ben
Kalba Sabula, another rich man. whose
glorious womanhood shune resplen-
IDENTIFY in time of trial, and who, in
consequence, is held up by the Tai
mud and the historian Josephus as n
model for all womankind.
Jerusalem had reached tie zenith of
her power and wealth when the dalish-
ters were born to Nikodemon and Kali
ha. The two men were rich beyond
calculation, tho obtaining their wealth
in entirely different ways. Niko-
demons came from the fertile vine
yards near Jerusalem and especially
from the money lie lent to those in
need. kalba, on the other hand, was
merchant prince, to whose house
came silks and fabrics and goods of
all kinds from all parts of the earth.
40 known sea but floatcd his slips:
no caravan route but bel,eld his cam
els and donkeys heavily laden, trudg-
ing along beneath the glowing sun of
the East. And in and about the hills
VI anu DeNOHu. lhtD
and even so far as Egypt, dwelt his
:locks.
As matter of course. their daugh-
:crs received the best education to be
obtained in those days. Rabbis OF
profound learning taught them the re.
Iigions teneus of their fOpafathers
skilled women initiated them into the
mysteries of household lore, while still
others taught them the wonderful en-
broidery of the East.
Time passed, and when they reached
their fifteenth year suitors laid siege
to their respective hearts, for in Orien-
tai lands the heart awakens earlier
than in the more cold West and North.
But watchful fathers interviewed. and
at least.
As the two girls grew older each
set up her own establishment, having
her own attendants, her own palace,
her own slaves. All this took money,
and while the fathers were liberal in
the extreme the daughter of Nikode-
mon complained constantly of her poy-
crty-stricken condition.
MY father is the richest man on
GARTH" she complained, 'and 1 am
treated as beggar." And straight
-tarth she went and laid her complaint
before the Sanhedrln. NikOdemon,
being member of that body, was
questioned as to the amount of money |
he gave his daughter.
"She receives from me- he replied, |
1.-TWO thousand five h mdred and
eighty-three talents of gold (SG2 ,0OO.-
COO) for the cosmetics to give silky |
smoothness to her cheeks and lustre
to her hair and perfume to herself. |
She receives, furthermore, five thou
sand one hundred and seventy talents
Of gold (S124 ,0OO,OOO) d year to dress
herself as becomes the daughter of
,,ikodemon ben Glorion and to main
tain her household"
The members of the Sanhedrin gasp |
cd in amazement ut these figures, but
not more so than. when they heard Miss
Nikodemon retOrt:
ut is because 1 am the daughter of |
Nikodemon ben Glorion that l demand
more" And then she stormed and
abused her devoted father as miser
and skinflint.
Patiently the Sanhedrn listened, and
when her TRADE was done retired to
Deliberate. An hour later the wise
1ren returned and delivered the judg-
inent that ven the daughter of their
wealthiest man would have to be sat
isfied with the allowance Miss Nicso- |
demon was receiving.