s?"

"You are speaking of parents who have long since left their native land.
The ancestor need not be indignant with his descendants when they use
the language of their new home, so long as they continue to act in
accordance with his spirit."

"We must live not merely in accordance with the spirit, but by the words
of the Most High, for not a syllable proceeds from His lips in vain. The
more exalted the spirit of a discourse is, the more important is every
word and syllable. One 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 al