an remorse, human love.

"My daughter," he sobbed, "I have ruined thy life!" After an agonized
pause, he said: "Tell me, Hannah, is there nothing I can do to make
atonement to thee?"

"Only one thing, father," she articulated chokingly; "forgive Levi."

There was a moment of solemn silence. Then the Reb spake.

"Tell thy mother to put on her things and take what she needs for the
journey. Perchance we may be away for days."

They mingled their tears in sweet reconciliation. Presently, the Reb
said:

"Go now to thy mother, and see also that the boy's room be made ready as
of old. Perchance God will hear my prayer, and he will yet be restored
to us."

A new peace fell upon Hannah's soul. "My sacrifice was not in vain after
all," she thought, with a throb of happiness that was almost exultation.

But Levi never came back. The news of his death arrived on the eve of
_Yom Kippur_, the Day of Atonement, in a letter to Esther who had been
left in charge of the house.

"He died quietly at the end," Hannah wrote, "happy in the consciousness
of father's forgiveness, and leaning trustfully upon his interposition
with Heaven; but he had delirious moments, during which he raved
painfully. The poor boy was in great fear of death, moaning prayers that
he might be spared till after _Yom Kippur_, when he would be cleansed of
sin, and babbling about serpents that would twine themselves round his
arm and brow, like the phylacteries he had not worn. He made father
repeat his 'Verse' to him over and over again, so that he might remember
his name when the angel of the grave asked it; and borrowed father's
phylacteries, the headpiece of which was much too large for him with his
shaven crown. When he had them on, and the _Talith_ round him, he grew
easier, and began murmuring the death-bed prayers with father. One of
them runs: 'O may my death be an atonement for all the sins, iniquities
and transgressions of which I have been guilty against Thee!' I trust it
may be so indeed. It seems so hard for a young man full of life and high
spirits to be cut down, while the wretched are left alive. Your name was
often on his lips. I was glad to learn he thought so much of you. 'Be
sure to give Esther my love,' he said almost with his last breath, 'and
ask her to forgive me.' I know not if you have anything to forgive, or
whether this was delirium. He looks quite calm now--but oh! so worn.
They have closed the eyes. The beard he shocked father