or teaching.

"As we appeared so interested in what they told us, they kindly invited
us to sit down and offered us wine, cake, delicious pasties, and jams,
and later on baked nuts, though we were quite strangers to them. It is
this kindliness that surprised me so much. Altogether we spent a very
joyful day, returning home by moonlight, when we girls and women
thoroughly enjoyed listening to the groups of men and boys who sang and
danced on the way home.

"I don't think I could ever make you realize all the drawbacks to the
life here; but yet it has a very pleasant and happy side too, and you
really see far more pleasure than you ever do in London. In my next
letter I'll tell you about the engagement and marriage of my friend who
is only fifteen years old. Now I must stop, hoping that we may see you
here some day soon."

The older folks started discussing the life in Palestine. Directly Mr
Jacobs had finished reading the letter, they agreed that it could only
be in Palestine that a truly Jewish life could be lived, for everything
depends so much on environment. "In London the surroundings are against
a consistently Jewish religious life," said one; "if you try, it is just
like swimming against a strong current." "But here comes our chance,"
replied another, "for if we fight or swim against the current, we
gradually become stronger, and at last we are able to swim well in spite
of it, and so win the race and prize. If we just swim with the current,
or just suit our life to our environment, which of course at first is
much easier and pleasanter, the current at last carries us along so
rapidly that we are unable to avoid rocks or crags in the river, and
then we 'go under,' or make shipwreck of our lives."

"That's true indeed," said all the elders, shaking their heads solemnly.
"Then," replied Mr Jacobs, "our greatest duty is to have one thought and
one aim constantly in our minds, no matter what our environment may be,
and that thought is that God's Holy Spirit is in and around all who try
to obey Him, no matter where they are; and it is only by the guidance
and help of His Holy Spirit that we can lead true, consistent, Jewish
lives, live up to the old familiar words of the Shema, and love our
neighbours as ourselves."

THE SABBATH IN PALESTINE

When Mr Jacobs' family and friends assembled again on Friday evening, he
said: "You know what discussions there have been lately in England about
the proper way to