areful
respect, and walking through the dark, empty place toward the large
house ablaze with lights; he looked at the few stars shining with
their pale light through the fog, and he softly hummed, plunged in
deep thankfulness:

"Hasten! ah, hasten! with help to your people the Only,
Incomprehensible! God of our fathers!"

CHAPTER III

The large house, blazing with light, which stood opposite the temple,
separated from it by the whole width of the square, was the same
house built by Hersh Ezofowich, in which he lived with his beautiful
wife Freida. Its hundred year old walls had become black from the
rains and dust, but the house stood straight, and by its height
dominated all other dwelling-places in the town.

For the past hour the celebration of the Sabbath day had begun in the
large room filled with old furniture.

There were numerous people of both sexes present, and others were
coming. Saul Ezofowich, Hersh's son, the host of the house and chief
of the family, rose and approached the big table, above which hung
two heavy seven-branched candelabra of solid silver. The old
man--whose bent, but strong figure, wrinkled face, and snow-white
beard, proclaimed that he was over eighty--took from the hand of the
eldest son--himself a gray-headed man--a long candle, and, raising it
toward the other candles in the candelabra, exclaimed, in a voice
strong, but aged:

"Be blessed God, Lord of the world, Thou who hast lighted us with Thy
commandments, and ordered us to light the lights on the day of
Sabbath."

As soon as he said these words, the numerous candles were lighted in
the candelabra, and everyone present in the room exclaimed:

"Let us go! Let us meet the bride! Let us meet her with greeting on
the day of Sabbath! Burn! burn! light of the King! Capital, rise from
the mire! Thou hast lived long enough in the valley of tears!"

"My people, shake from thee the dust of heavy roads. Take on the robe
of thy beauty. Hasten! ah, hasten! with help to Thy people! God of
our fathers!"

"Let us go! Let us go to meet the bride! Let us greet her with the
greeting of the song of the Sabbath!"

Loud singing, and the sound of fervent prayers following each other,
filled the large room, and sounded far out on the large empty square.
The young man, passing the square thoughtfully, heard it, and
hastened his steps. When, after having passed the piazza and the long
narrow corridor dividing the house in two parts, opened