The Denver Jewish news., 1921-10-19
A White Carnation
A Story BY Ethel Feuerlieht

Esther Miriam turned slowly and
thoughtfully along the wall that en-
closed the park She was ON her way
to school, her books and lunch held
tightly under one arm. yet her
thoughts were far away from school
matters. She had come from place
of sorrow into the world of light, just
as We who have passed thru the years
of bitter and homeless wandering shall
at last find the New Jerusalem.
Upstairs in the dark fiat the mirrors
we're veiled. her father was sitting out
the silent fearful vigil Of the SILVA,
and. worst of all, Babalu had gone
away forever, as Esther Miriam
well knew.
As far back Us Esther could renem-
ber Babalu had been with them.
Esther recalled time. very far back,
when she and David. her brother,
would lay out little box at night.
for the angels to fill In the morning
it never failed to hold SOME goodies,
were they a. handful of nuts or only
two cubes of sugar Esther. with the
added wisdom of her years. and by force
of sharp observation. discovered III
time that the Angels AMI her Babaid
were one and the SANE. This partial
destruction of her faith did not, how
ever, prevent her from l.elpins Davcy
each night to put out the "Ansei-bcN,
which oddly enough. always c"ntr med
sweets for two the next mcrniog.
one day Davey quarrclcti with Es'h-
er Miriam. In the most brotlierly nnsh-
ion, over the possession of II green
bath carnations. Sabbath carnations?
To Esther Miriam. Sabbath would no
more be Sabbath without the bunch
of spicy. fragrant white carnations on
the sideboard than SuccotlI could Ire
Succoth without the jolly leaf-coyer-
ed Succa with its hanging fruits and
its heaping festal board. Each Fri
day night saw Babalu's white carna-
tions placed near the white candles
over which Esther's mother had to
bend and make prayer. 1T was us
ually Esthers tall. dark-bcarded faith
or that brought the white carnations
to Babalu who loved tlfcm Sc iit was
hard for Esther to realize that her
father had once been Babalu's little
boy. just as David was mothers )-us-
unlly her father who came in and said
"Nelken fur dich Mutter": but once
when TO their great joy. Davey and
Esther had saved enough to buy the
weekly gift. Babalu's eyes had had the
most beautiful look in them when they
gave her the flowers.
1t was Babalu who always, as on
this occasion. spoke TO Esther of love
and loving kindness.
GIVE him the silver paper. Lieb-
schen'' she said in German, ''and you
can help me feed the sparrows. See
them out in the snow. poor things. We
must always give, Esther dear, for
we have. we get from Him.
While Davcy was carefully wrap
ping the tin-foil about n lump ball of
the same substance. Esther Miriam
rclpcd her sgrandmothcr gather up the
crumbs for the birds. They opened
tile kitchen window very gently, for
fear of frightening two of the friend |
lest of the sparrows that had ven
ture1 as far AS the window-sill 1t
WAS Esther's privilege to throw out |
the crumbs to them and tlIis she al
ways did with the greatest satisfac-
ton.
In time the sparrows had come to
know the friendly window with its |
two igurcs. one a swcct-faccd little |
old lady. che other II grave little girl
with dark eyes and dark curly hair.
In time the birds had become as in
scparablc part of Babalu's life as
the white carnations themselves. MS
much part of her as her belief in good
ness. or her love for her grandchil- |
drcn.
But now in some sudden, mystcri-
Gus manner. the gentle spirit that had
been Babalu's was no more. Esther
Miriam wondered in her vague, child
like way what all of them would do
without her. Her big. kindly father
upstairs. bowed in grief and reverence
for the sweet lady to whom he was
wont to bring the fragrant offering