ed it with her gaze; and not till it was
lost to view in the dust did she turn and walk back to the town.

She took a road that should lead her past the cemetery.

There was a rather low plank fence round it, and the gravestones were
all to be seen, looking up to Heaven.

Taube went and hitched herself up onto the fence, and put her head over
into the "field," looking for something among the tombs, and when her
eyes had discovered a familiar little tombstone, she shook her head:

"Lezer, Lezer! Your son has driven away to the Academy to study Torah!"

Then she remembered the market, where Yente must by now have bought up
the whole cart-load of fruit. There would be nothing left for her, and
she hurried into the town.

She walked at a great pace, and felt very pleased with herself. She was
conscious of having done a great thing, and this dissipated her
annoyance at the thought of Yente acquiring all the fruit.

Two weeks later she got a letter from Yitzchokel, and, not being able to
read it herself, she took it to Reb Yochanan, the teacher, that he might
read it for her.

Reb Yochanan put on his glasses, cleared his throat thoroughly, and
began to read:

"Le-Immi ahuvossi hatzenuoh" ...

"What is the translation?" asked Taube.

"It is the way to address a mother," explained Reb Yochanan, and
continued.

Taube's face had brightened, she put her apron to her eyes and wept for
joy.

The reader observed this and read on.

"What is the translation, the translation, Reb Yochanan?" the woman kept
on asking.

"Never mind, it's not for you, you wouldn't understand--it is an
exposition of a passage in the Gemoreh."

She was silent, the Hebrew words awed her, and she listened respectfully
to the end.

"I salute Immi ahuvossi and Achoissai, Sarah and Goldeh, and Ochi Yakov;
tell him to study diligently. I have all my 'days' and I sleep at Reb
Chayyim's," gave out Reb Yochanan suddenly in Yiddish.

Taube contented herself with these few words, took back the letter, put
it in her pocket, and went back to her stall with great joy.

"This evening," she thought, "I will show it to the Dayan, and let him
read it too."

And no sooner had she got home, cooked the dinner, and fed the children,
than she was off with the letter to the Dayan.

She entered the room, saw the tall bookcases filled with books covering
the walls, and a man with a white beard sitting at the end of the table
reading.

"What is it, a ritua