seen carrying too large a burden,
someone else would insist on taking it from him. At first these
altercations seemed exactly like the quarrels of workmen at home, but
a closer inspection showed that it was merely the persistent effort
of one to help another.

I learned that the feast was to take place as soon as the hall was
decorated, and that it would be attended by a great multitude. I felt
a great interest in it. There seemed something of poetic beauty in
this mode of welcoming the advent of a welcome season, and it served
to mitigate the horrible remembrance of that other celebration, upon
which I could not think without a shudder. I thought that it would be
pleasant to join with them here, and resolved to ask Almah to come
with me, so that she might explain the meaning of the ceremonies. Full
of this thought, I went to her and told her my wish. She looked at me
with a face full of amazement and misery. In great surprise I
questioned her eagerly.

"Ask me nothing," said she. "I will answer nothing; but do not think
of it. Do not go near it. Stay in your room till the fearful repast is
over."

"Fearful? How is it fearful?" I asked.

"Everything here is fearful," said Almah, with a sigh. "Every season
it grows worse, and I shall grow at length to hate life and love death
as these people do. They can never understand us, and we can never
understand them. Oh, if I could but once more stand in my own dear
native land but for one moment--to see once more the scenes and the
faces that I love so well! Oh, how different is this land from mine!
Here all is dark, all is terrible. There the people love the light and
rejoice in the glorious sun, and when the dark season comes they wait,
and have no other desire than long day. There we live under the sky,
in the eye of the sun. We build our houses, and when the dark season
comes we fill them with lamps that make a blaze like the sun itself."

"We must try to escape," I said, in a low voice.

"Escape!" said she. "That is easy enough. We might go now; but where?"

"Back," said I, "to your own country. See, the sky is dotted with
stars: I can find my way by them."

"Yes," said she, "if I could only tell you where to go; but I cannot.
My country lies somewhere over the sea, but where, I know not. Over
the sea there are many lands, and we might reach one even worse than
this."

"Perhaps," said I, "the Kohen might allow us to go away to your
country, and send us there. H