g nose,
and terrifying eyebrows, and a beard that started thick and heavy, but
finished up with a few straggling, terrifying hairs. I was attracted to
this old man. I went over to him, and put out my hand.

"Peace be unto you!" I said. "I think you are '_Reb_' Isshur the
beadle?"

"The beadle? What beadle? I am not the beadle this long time. I am a
bare willow-twig this long time. Heh! heh!"

That is what the old man said to me in a tremulous voice. And he pointed
to the bare willow-twigs at his feet. A bitter smile played around his
grizzled beard that started thick and heavy, but finished off with a few
straggling, terrifying hairs.

Boaz the Teacher

That which I felt on the first day my mother took me by the hand to
"_Cheder_" must be what a little chicken feels, after one has made the
sacrificial blessing over her and is taking her to be slaughtered. The
little chicken struggles and flutters her wings. She understands
nothing, but feels she is not going to have a good time, but something
different.... It was not for nothing my mother comforted me, and told me
a good angel would throw me down a "_groschen_" from the ceiling. It was
not for nothing she gave me a whole apple and kissed me on the brow. It
was not for nothing she asked Boaz to deal tenderly with me--just a
little more tenderly because "the child has only recovered from the
measles."

So said my mother, pointing to me, as if she were placing in Boaz's
hands a rare vessel of crystal which, with one touch, would be a vessel
no more--God forbid!

My mother went home happy and satisfied, and "the child that had only
recovered from the measles," remained behind, alone. He cried a little,
but soon wiped his eyes, and was introduced to the holiness of the
"_Torah_" and a knowledge of the ways of the world. He waited for the
good angel to throw him the "_groschen_" from the ceiling.

Oh, that good angel--that good angel! It would have been better if my
mother had never mentioned his name, because when Boaz came over, took
hold of me with his dry, bony hand and thrust me into a chair at the
table, I was almost faint, and I raised my head to the ceiling. I got a
good portion from Boaz for this. He pulled me by the ear and shouted:

"Devil, what are you looking at?"

Of course, "the child that had only recovered from the measles" began to
wail. It was then he had his first good taste of the teacher's
floggings. "A little boy must not look where