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atronage　always　sought　because　they　were　always　rich。　Yet　if　to…day　your　friend　boasted　of　his　ancestry；　you　might　have　shamed　him　by　recounting　yours。　If　he　referred　to　the　ages　through　which　the　line　is　traceable；　or　to　deeds；　rank；　or　wealthsuch　allusions；　except　when　great　occasion　demands　them；　are　tokens　of　small　mindsif　he　mentioned　them　in　proof　of　his　superiority；　then　without　dread；　and　standing　on　each　particular；　you　might　have　challenged　him　to　a　comparison　of　records。〃

Taking　a　moment's　thought；　the　mother　proceeded：

〃One　of　the　ideas　of　fast　hold　now　is　that　time　has　much　to　do　with　the　nobility　of　races　and　families。　A　Roman　boasting　his　superiority　on　that　account　over　a　son　of　Israel　will　always　fail　when　put　to　the　proof。　The　founding　of　Rome　was　his　beginning；　the　very　best　of　them　cannot　trace　their　descent　beyond　that　period；　few　of　them　pretend　to　do　so；　and　of　such　as　do；　I　say　not　one　could　make　good　his　claim　except　by　resort　to　tradition。　Messala　certainly　could　not。　Let　us　look　now　to　ourselves。　Could　we　better？〃

A　little　more　light　would　have　enabled　him　to　see　the　pride　that　diffused　itself　over　her　face。

〃Let　us　imagine　the　Roman　putting　us　to　the　challenge。　I　would　answer　him；　neither　doubting　nor　boastful。〃

Her　voice　faltered；　a　tender　thought　changed　the　form　of　the　argument。

〃Your　father；　O　my　Judah；　is　at　rest　with　his　fathers；　yet　I　remember；　as　though　it　were　this　evening；　the　day　he　and　I；　with　many　rejoicing　friends；　went　up　into　the　Temple　to　present　you　to　the　Lord。　We　sacrificed　the　doves；　and　to　the　priest　I　gave　your　name；　which　he　wrote　in　my　presence'Judah；　son　of　Ithamar；　of　the　House　of　Hur。'　The　name　was　then　carried　away；　and　written　in　a　book　of　the　division　of　records　devoted　to　the　saintly　family。

〃I　cannot　tell　you　when　the　custom　of　registration　in　this　mode　began。　We　know　it　prevailed　before　the　flight　from　Egypt。　I　have　heard　Hillel　say　Abraham　caused　the　record　to　be　first　opened　with　his　own　name；　and　the　names　of　his　sons；　moved　by　the　promises　of　the　Lord　which　separated　him　and　them　from　all　other　races；　and　made　them　the　highest　and　noblest；　the　very　chosen　of　the　earth。　The　covenant　with　Jacob　was　of　like　effect。　'In　thy　seed　shall　all　the　nations　of　the　earth　be　blessed'so　said　the　angel　to　Abraham　in　the　place　Jehovah…jireh。　'And　the　land　whereon　thou　liest；　to　thee　will　I　give　it；　and　to　thy　seed'so　the　Lord　himself　said　to　Jacob　asleep　at　Bethel　on　the　way　to　Haran。　Afterwards　the　wise　men　looked　forward　to　a　just　division　of　the　land　of　promise；　and；　that　it　might　be　known　in　the　day　of　partition　who　were　entitled　to　portions；　the　Book　of　Generations　was　begun。　But　not　for　that　alone。　The　promise　of　a　blessing　to　all　the　earth　through　the　patriarch　reached　far　into　the　future。　One　name　was　mentioned　in　connection　with　the　blessingthe　benefactor　might　be　the　humblest　of　the　chosen　family；　for　the　Lord　our　God　knows　no　distinctions　of　rank　or　riches。　So；　to　make　the　performance　clear　to　men　of　the　generation　who　were　to　witness　it；　and　that　they　might　give　the　glory　to　whom　it　belonged；　the　record　was　required　to　be　kept　with　absolute　certainty。　Has　it　been　so　kept？〃

The　fan　played　to　and　fro；　until；　becoming　impatient；　he　repeated　the　question；　〃Is　the　record　absolutely　true？〃

〃Hillel　said　it　was；　and　of　all　who　have　lived　no　one　was　so　well…informed　upon　the　subject。　Our　people　have　at　times　been　heedless　of　some　parts　of　the　law；　but　never　of　this　part。　The　good　rector　himself　has　followed　the　Books　of　Generations　through　three　periodsfrom　the　promises　to　the　opening　of　the　Temple；　thence　to　the　Captivity；　thence；　again；　to　the　present。　Once　only　were　the　records　disturbed；　and　that　was　at　the　end　of　the　second　period；　but　when　the　nation　returned　from　the　long　exile；　as　a　first　duty　to　God；　Zerubbabel　restored　the　Books；　enabling　us　once　more　to　carry　the　lines　of　Jewish　descent　back　unbroken　fully　two　thousand　years。　And　now〃

She　paused　as　if　to　allow　the　hearer　to　measure　the　time　comprehended　in　the　statement。

〃And　now；〃　she　continued；　〃what　becomes　of　the　Roman　boast　of　blood　enriched　by　ages？　By　that　test；　the　sons　of　Israel　watching　the　herds　on　old　Rephaim　yonder　are　nobler　than　the　noblest　of　the　Marcii。〃

〃And　I；　motherby　the　Books；　who　am　I？〃

〃What　I　have　said　thus　far；　my　son；　had　reference　to　your　question。　I　will　answer　you。　If　Messala　were　here；　he　might　say；　as　others　have　said；　that　the　exact　trace　of　your　lineage　stopped　when　the　Assyrian　took　Jerusalem；　and　razed　the　Temple；　with　all　its　precious　stores；　but　you　might　plead　the　pious　action　of　Zerubbabel；　and　retort　that　all　verity　in　Roman　genealogy　ended　when　the　barbarians　from　the　West　took　Rome；　and　camped　six　months　upon　her　desolated　site。　Did　the　government　keep　family　histories？　If　so；　what　became　of　them　in　those　dreadful　days？　No；　no；　there　is　verity　in　our　Books　of　Generations；　and；　following　them　back　to　the　Captivity；　back　to　the　foundation　of　the　first　Temple；　back　to　the　march　from　Egypt；　we　have　absolute　assurance　that　you　are　lineally　sprung　from　Hur；　the　associate　of　Joshua。　In　the　matter　of　descent　sanctified　by　time；　is　not　the　honor　perfect？　Do　you　care　to　pursue　further？　if　so；　take　the　Torah；　and　search　the　Book　of　Numbers；　and　of　the　seventy…two　generations　after　Adam；　you　can　find　the　very　progenitor　of　your　house。〃

There　was　silence　for　a　time　in　the　chamber　on　the　roof。

〃I　thank　you；　O　my　mother；〃　Judah　next　said；　clasping　both　her　hands　in　his；　〃I　thank　you　with　all　my　heart。　I　was　right　in　not　having　the　good　rector　called　in；　he　could　not　have　satisfied　me　more　than　you　have。　Yet　to　make　a　family　truly　noble；　is　time　alone　sufficient？〃

〃Ah；　you　forget；　you　forget；　our　claim　rests　not　merely　upon　time；　the　Lord's　preference　is　our　especial　glory。〃

〃You　are　speaking　of　the　race；　and　I；　mother；　of　the　familyour　family。　In　the　years　since　Father　Abraham；　what　have　they　achieved？　What　have　they　done？　What　great　things　to　lift　them　above　the　level　of　their　fellows？〃

She　hesitated；　thinking　she　might　all　this　time　have　mistaken　his　object。　The　information　he　sought　might　have　been　for　more　than　satisfaction　of　wounded　vanity。　Youth　is　but　the　painted　shell　within　which；　continually　growing；　lives　that　wondrous　thing　the　spirit　of　man；　biding　its　moment　of　apparition；　earlier　in　some　than　in　others。　She　trembled　under　a　perception　that　this　might　be　the　supreme　moment　come　to　him；　that　as　children　at　birth　reach　out　their　untried　hands　grasping　for　shadows；　and　crying　the　while；　so　his　spirit　might；　in　temporary　blindness；　be　struggling　to　take　hold　of　its　impalpable　future。　They　to　whom　a　boy　comes　asking；　Who　am　I；　and　what　am　I　to　be？　have　need　of　ever　so　much　care。　Each　word　in　answer　may　prove　to　the　after…life　what　each　finger…touch　of　the　artist　is　to　the　clay　he　is　modelling。

〃I　have　a　feeling；　O　my　Judah；〃　she　said；　patting　his　cheek　with　the　hand　he　had　been　caressing〃I　have　the　feeling　that　all　I　have　said　has　been　in　strife　with　an　antagonist　more　real　than　imaginary。　If　Messala　is　the　enemy；　do　not　leave　me　to　fight　him　in　the　dark。　Tell　me　all　he　said。〃




CHAPTER　V



The　young　Israelite　proceeded　then；　and　rehearsed　his　conversation　with　Messala；　dwelling　with　particularity　upon　the　latter's　speeches　in　contempt　of　the　Jews；　their　customs；　and　much　pent　round　of　life。

Afraid　to　speak　the　while；　the　mother　listened；　discerning　the　matter　plainly。　Judah　had　gone　to　the　palace　on　the　Market…place；　allured　by　love　of　a　playmate　whom　he　thought　to　find　exactly　as　he　had　been　at　the　parting　years　before；　a　man　met　him；　and；　in　place　of　laughter　and　references　to　the　sports　of　the　past；　the　man　had　been　full　of　the　future；　and　talked　of　glory　to　be　won；　and　of　riches　and　power。　Unconscious　of　the　effect；　the　visitor　had　come　away　hurt　in　pride；　yet　touched　with　a　natural　ambition；　but　she；　the　jealous　mother；　saw　it；　and；　not　knowing　the　turn　the　aspiration　might　take；　became　at　once　Jewish　in　her　fear。　What　if　it　lured　him　away　from　the　patriarchal　faith？　In　her　view；　that　consequence　was　more　dreadful　than　any　or　all　others。　She　could　discover　but　one　way　to　avert　it；　and　she　set　about　the　task；　her　native　power　reinforced　by　love　to　such　degree　that　her　speech　took　a　masculine　strength　and　at　times　a　poet's　fervor。

〃There　never　has　been　a　people；〃　she　began；　〃who　did　not　think　themselves　at　least　equal　to　any　other；　never　a　great　nation；　my　son；　that　did　not　believe　itself　the　very　superior。　When　the　Roman　looks　down　upon　Israel　and　laughs；　he　merely　repeats　the　folly　of　the　Egyptian；　the　Assyrian；　and　the　Macedonian；　and　as　the　laugh　is　against　God；　the　result　will　be　the　same。〃

Her　voice　became　firmer。

〃There　is　no　law　by　which　to　determine　the　superiority　of　nations；　hence　the　vanity　of　the　claim；　and　the　idleness　of　disputes　about　it。　A　people　risen；　run　their　race；　and　die　either　of　themselves　or　at　the　hands　of　another；　who；　succeeding　to　their　power；　take　possession　of　their　place；　and　upon　their　monuments　write　new　names；　such　is　history。　If　I　were　called　upon　to　symbolize　God　and　man　in　the　simplest　form；　I　would　draw　a　straight　line　and　a　circle；　and　of　the　line　I　would　say；　'Thi