ands
before eating and repeated the blessing upon the meal, he took his
youngest great-grandchild on his knee.

"The only thing that saddened the scene was the empty chair beside our
aged friend--his wife had died during the course of the year. The
family all looked at the empty chair and sighed, and the
great-great-grandfather, with tears glistening in his eyes, also gave a
sigh, and then turned with a smile to his large family and said: 'Let us
begin. My little Samuel will start a Brocha,' and the rest listened to
hear how the little one lisped the words after his great-grandfather.

"The following day our aged friend sat like a king in his Succah, while
relatives and friends came to pay their respects to him, and all was joy
and merriment.

"Some of the younger grandchildren wanted to show their grandfather what
they had lately learned, and there was quite a scramble around his knees
to try and be first heard. With a wave of his hand he said: 'I will hear
you all in turn, my children.' This quietened the eager little souls,
and they waited patiently for their turns to come.

"While the children were thus busy with their grandfather, the elder
sons and sons-in-law and their wives sat around, discussing quietly
various topics of interest, till the time for Mincha came round.

"Then the great grandfather went to Shule, followed by all his children.

"Visiting other neighbours during the Succah weeks, we found that they
preserved this beautiful and ancient way of keeping the Festival.

"I never realized till then what a great influence for good the
surroundings and teaching in childhood can be, and how a father and
mother can leave the impress of their teaching in early life upon both
sons and daughters. It is the mother specially who forms the child's
soul, quite as clearly on the boys as on the girls from their
cradle-days, and the father and the teacher only builds on the
foundation laid by the mother: this is seen here more than elsewhere."

"Very true," exclaimed the others; "a great deal is done by the mother;
but the environment has a great influence on the character."

This caused a good deal of discussion and the meeting did not close till
one o'clock in the morning.

HOW CHARITY IS GIVEN

On the following Friday evening, the next letter that Mr Jacob chose for
reading to his family and friends was on the way almsgiving, or
charity, was managed in Palestine. Before starting to read, he advise