ght. My father barely managed to keep
up with me. He followed after me like a shadow.

* * *

With the same "Good '_Yom-Tov_'" which we had said on coming in from the
synagogue on such a night as this, years ago, we entered the house on
this night, my father and I.

With the same "Good '_Yom-Tov_,' good year," with which my mother and
Busie used to welcome us, on such a night as this, once on a time, years
ago, they again welcomed us on this night, my father and me.

My mother, the Queen of the evening, was dressed in her royal robes of
silk; and the Queen's Daughter, Busie, was dressed in her snow-white
frock. They made the same picture which they had made, once on a time,
years ago. They were not altered by as much as a hair. They were not
different in a single detail.

As it had been years ago, so it was now. On this night, the house was
full of grace. A peculiar beauty--a holy, festive, majestic loveliness
descended upon our house. A holy, festive glamour hung about our house
on this night. The white table-cloth was like driven snow. And
everything which was on the table gleamed and glistened. My mother's
Festival candles shone out of the silver candlesticks. The Passover wine
greeted us from out the sparkling bottles. Ah, how pure, how simple the
Passover cakes looked, peeping innocently from under their beautiful
cover! How sweetly the horse-radish smiled to me! And how pleasant was
the "mortar"--the mixture of crushed nuts and apples and wine which
symbolized the mortar out of which the Israelites made bricks in Egypt,
when they were slaves! And even the dish of salt-water was good to look
upon.

Proudly and haughtily stood the throne on which my father, the King of
the night, was going to recline. A glory shone forth from my mother's
countenance, such as I always saw shining forth from it on such a night.
And the Queen's Daughter, Busie, was entirely, from her head to her
heels, as if she really belonged to the "Song of Songs." No! What am I
saying? She was the "Song of Songs" itself.

The only pity was that the King's son was put sitting so far away from
the Queen's Daughter. I remember that they once sat at the Passover
ceremony in a different position. They were together, once on a time,
years ago. One beside the other they sat....

I remember that the King's Son asked his father "The Four Questions."
And I remember that the Queen's Daughter stole from his Majesty the
"_Afikomen_"--the pieces of Pas