ill rock the old head to its
eternal sleep? Meir! Meir! you have a grandfather whose hair is white
as snow, and who will rend his garments when you are gone. But your
zeide has many sons, daughters, and grandchildren; he is rich and
respected by everybody. My zeide has only this poor hut, his old
Bible and granddaughter Golda."

Meir sighed.

"You are right, Golda; but what will become of you when your
grandfather dies, and you remain alone in the world, exposed to
poverty and human scorn?"

Golda sat down because her limbs trembled. She passed both her hands
over her hot face, and with upraised eyes replied:

"I shall sit before the door of this hut, spin my wool and tend my
goats, looking along the road whence you will come back!"

It was an adaptation from the story of Akiba.

Meir asked dreamily:

"And what will you do if people come and laugh at you and say: 'Akiba
is drinking at the spring of wisdom whilst your body is consumed with
misery and your eyes are dull from weeping?'"

A voice stifled with emotion replied to him:

"I shall answer this: 'Let misery consume my body, and my eyes run
over with tears; yet truly will I guard my husband's faith.' And if
he stood before me and said: 'I have come back because I did not wish
you to weep any longer,' I should say to him: 'Go and drink more.'"

Meir rose. There was no despair on his face now, but hope and courage
depicted in his whole bearing.

"I will come back, Rachel," he exclaimed. "Jehovah will give me
strength, and good people will help me if I show them my hard
yearning after knowledge and the writing of the Senior, which is the
covenant of peace between Israel and the nations. I shall drink long
and eagerly at the spring of wisdom; then come back and teach my
people, and for all the misery and contempt which you suffer, I shall
put a golden crown upon your head."

Golda shook her head. The expression in her face showed she had been
carried away by a wonderful dream. She dreamt she was Rachel,
greeting her husband Akiba. With passionate eyes and a far-away
smile, she whispered:

"And I shall embrace your knees, and with eyes that have regained
their former beauty I shall look at all your glory and say: 'Lord and
Master! your glory be my crown.'"

They looked long at each other, and through their tearful eyes there
shone a love as deep and earnest as their hearts were pure and
heroic.

A low, childish laughter reached their ears. They look