ne single letter often changes the meaning of whole
sentences.--What a noise the people outside are making! The wild tumult
penetrates even into this room which is so far from the street, and your
sons take delight in the disorders of the heathen! You do not even
withhold them by force from adding to the number of those mad devotees of
pleasure!"

"I was young once myself, and I think it no sin to share in the universal
rejoicing."

"Say rather the disgraceful idolatry of the worshippers of Dionysus. It
is in name alone that you and your children belong to the elect people of
God, in your hearts you are heathens!"

"No, Father," exclaimed Apollodorus eagerly. "The reverse is the case. In
our hearts we are Jews but we wear the garments of Greeks."

"Why your name is Apollodorus--the gift of Apollo."

"A name chosen only to distinguish me from others. Who would ever enquire
into the meaning of a name if it sounds well."

"You, everybody who is not devoid of sense," cried the Rabbi. "You think
to yourself 'need Zenodotus or Hermogenes, some Greek you meet at the
bath or else where, know at once that the wealthy personage, with whom he
discussed the latest interpretation of the Hellenic myths, is a Jew?' And
how charming is the man who asks you whether you are not an Athenian, for
your Greek has such a pure Attic accent! And what we ourselves like, we
favor in our children, so we choose names for them too which flatter our
own vanity."

"By Heracles!"

A faint mocking smile crossed Gamaliel's lips and interrupting the
Alexandrian he said:

"Is there any particularly worthy man among our Alexandrian
fellow-believers whose name is Heracles?"

"No one" cried the Alexandrian "ever thinks of the son of Alcmene when he
asseverates--it only means 'really,--truly--'"

"To be sure you are not fastidiously accurate in the choice of your words
and names, and where there is so much to be seen and enjoyed as
there is here one's thoughts are not always connected. That is
intelligible--quite, peculiarly intelligible! And in this city folks are
so polite that they are fain to wrap truth in some graceful disguise. May
I, a barbarian from Judea, be allowed to set it before you, bare of
clothing, naked and unadorned."

"Speak, I beg you, speak."

"You are Jews; but you had rather not be Jews, and you endure your origin
as an inevitable evil. It is only when you feel the mighty hand of the
Most High that you recognize it and c