the rabbi was saying something about the
lesson that really interested him.

"Of course," said Rabbi Adler, "the Sanctuary Bezalel built in the
desert wasn't half so beautiful as the Temple we afterwards raised at
Jerusalem. But we were willing to wait. It was always that way with
our people--with every nation, too; we must wait for what is worth
while and if we wait long enough and work while we are waiting, we
will finally achieve what we have been striving for." He paused for a
moment, closing his book, as he looked over the class. "Has anyone a
question to ask about the lesson?" he ended, in his usual way.

Hardly thinking what he did, Morris shot his hand up in the air, then
wished with all his heart that he had not raised it, when the rabbi
said: "Well, Morris, what's your question?"

"It's not exactly about the lesson," confessed the boy, awkwardly.
"But when you talked about waiting for something for a long time, I
wondered--I--how long is a person president of the United States?" he
ended desperately, realizing how foolish his question must sound not
only to the teacher but to his fellow students as well.

If Rabbi Adler failed to see any connection between the building of
the Sanctuary and American politics, he was too kind to say so. "The
president is elected for four years," he answered, "although sometimes
he is reelected for a second term, which makes eight years in all."

"Then Mr. Lincoln'll be in Washington eight years, 'cause everybody
will want him for two terms," decided Morris, loyally, though a little
disappointed that the plan which had just occurred to him must take so
long to mature.

"So you're a Lincoln man, too?" smiled his teacher. He hesitated a
moment, then, feeling that high civic ideals were as necessary to his
class as Hebrew, he went on: "We who have worked hard to elect Mr.
Lincoln feel that our country is in good hands. He is not one of our
people, yet I believe he is more like our Hebrew prophets than any
man, Jew or non-Jew, living today. None of you boys may ever be
president, but if you strive as earnestly as Mr. Lincoln has always
done to serve the right, I shall be well satisfied.... We will take
the next chapter for tomorrow," and the lesson was over.

Next came the German class and Morris, after reading and translating
his portion of a German fairy tale quite creditably, sank back in his
place, again busy with his plans. Rabbi Adler was right, he decided.
If one just