ail from Australia, and that
by working on Saturday I escape profaning my native Australian
Sabbath, while you, who have been all round the world, and have either
lost or gained a day, according as you travelled east or west, are
desecrating your original Sabbath either by working on Friday or
smoking on Sunday.'

The _Parnass_ felt his head going round--he didn't know whether east
or west. He tried to clear it by a pinch of snuff, which he in vain
strove to make judicial.

'Oh, and so, and so--atchew!--and so you're the saint and I'm the
sinner!' he cried sarcastically.

'No, I don't profess to be a saint,' replied Simeon Samuels somewhat
unexpectedly. 'But I do think the Saturday was meant for Palestine,
not for the lands of the Exile, where another day of rest rules. When
you were in India you probably noted that the Mohammedans keep Friday.
A poor Jew in the bazaar is robbed of his Hindoo customers on Friday,
of his Jews on Saturday, and his Christians on Sunday.'

'The Fourth Commandment is eternal!' said the _Parnass_ with obstinate
sublimity.

'But the Fifth says, "that thy days may be long in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee." I believe this reward belongs to all the
first five Commandments--not only to the Fifth--else an orphan would
have no chance of long life. Keep the Sabbath in the land that the
Lord giveth thee; not in England, which isn't thine.'

'Oho!' retorted the _Parnass_. 'Then at that rate in England you
needn't honour your father and mother.'

'Not if you haven't got them!' rejoined Simeon Samuels. 'And if you
haven't got a land, you can't keep its Sabbath. Perhaps you think we
can keep the Jubilee also without a country.'

'The Sabbath is eternal,' repeated the _Parnass_ doggedly. 'It has
nothing to do with countries. Before we got to the Promised Land we
kept the Sabbath in the wilderness.'

'Yes, and God sent a double dose of manna on the Friday. Do you mean
to say He sends us here a double dose of profit?'

'He doesn't let us starve. We prospered well enough before you brought
your wretched example----'

'Then my wretched example cannot lead the congregation away. I am glad
of it. You do them much more harm by your way of Sabbath-breaking.'

'My way!'

'Yes, my dear old father--peace be upon him!--would have been
scandalized to see the burden you carry on the Sabbath.'

'What burden do I carry?'

'Your snuff-box!'

The _Parnass_ almost dropped it. 'That little