To serve the Lord with gladness was quite an
after-thought of the Israelitish leaders and teachers. But when the
great fairs or wakes of the whole nation were held, pastimes and
diversions crept in similar to the merry meetings of our own times, and
religion, commerce, and amusement became the cardinal features of the
great Jewish fairs.

The Guy Fawkes Festival of Judaism, the Purim Feast, appointed by Esther
and Mordecai, commemorating deliverance from massacre which Hamar had
determined by lot against them, gave occasion for relaxation. Even the
most austere and gloomy rejoiced, while the younger people abandoned
themselves to dissolute mirth, opposite sexes dressing up in the
clothes of each other; a habit at present in favour amongst the coster
fraternity of East London on Bank Holidays. The Jews were a peculiar
people. No old-time imagery of the older nations enchanted them; they
were carefully taught to live for themselves and by themselves, but to
make their profit out of others whenever possible to do so. The spoiling
of the Egyptians took place more than once in their history. Whatever
nation they colonised amongst had to enforce strict laws and rigid
punishments in defence of their own less shrewd people.

Even their nursery rhymes are distinctive, full of religious and
national sentiment, and may be counted on the fingers of one hand. They
necessarily know the ones in common use belonging to the country of
their adoption, but so important are the two Hebrew rhymes considered to
be that every pious Jew teaches his child their significance. A
translation of the principal one, found in the Sepher Haggadah, a Hebrew
hymn in the Chaldee language, runs thus:--

_Recitative._

"A kid, a kid, my father bought
For two pieces of money--A kid! a kid!

* * *

Then came the cat and ate the kid
That my father bought for two pieces of money.
Then came the dog and bit the cat that ate the kid that my father
bought for two pieces of money.
Then came the staff and beat the dog that bit the cat, etc.
Then came the fire that burned the staff, that beat the dog, that
bit the cat, that ate the kid, etc.
Then came the water and quenched the fire, that burned the staff,
that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, etc.
Then came the ox and drank the water, etc.
Then came the butcher and slew the ox, tha