"they might have got it all together by borrowing."
The shadchen turned upon him hotly: "Stuff! Who would lend anything to those people!"
His Money
A poor Jew received a monthly allowance of five dollars from a rich man of the same faith. The money used to be paid to him regularly by the bookkeeper. On one occasion when the poor man came around the bookkeeper handed him only three dollars. The poor man remained standing quietly until the bookkeeper asked whether there was anything else he wished.
"You must have made a mistake," he said, "I always get five."
"Yes," replied the bookkeeper, "That has now been changed."
"Changed? Why?"
"You see, the boss recently married off his eldest daughter and he had a great deal of expense, as you may imagine—the dowry and so-forth, you can easily understand—"
“Yes, yes,” grumbled the beggar. “Give your employer my best wishes, and tell him that if he ever marries off another daughter, he may do it with his own money, not with mine!”
A Valuable Service
A New York banker well-known for his philanthropy was approached by an old blind man, who was being led. The old man received a considerable contribution but his companion made no move to go away.
"What else do you wish?" asked the banker somewhat impatiently.
"Where do I come in?" replied the man muttering, "I haven't received anything."
"What—You?" asked the banker astonished.
"Sure! Didn't I bring you the blind man?"
He Died a Christian
Nathan Davidowitsch Schlamassel joined the revolutionists in Kiev and gave them assistance. A secret printery was discovered in the cellar of his house. He was arrested, convicted by legal process and was to be hanged. All the preparations for the execution had been made.
Nathan Schlamassel 'passed the entire night preceding the execution in prayer. When morning broke, however, he urgently requested that a priest be summoned. A light had dawned on his mind, he said, and he wished before his death to be baptised and to die as a Greek orthodox Christian.
The case was a peculiar one and was reported to the superintendent of the prison, who at once had the priest called.
"You know," said the priest to Nathan Schlamassel, "that you will not save your life by this baptism. If you have been hoping for any such event it is in vain."
"I know," replied Nathan calmly. "I know, and I have not hoped for anything. I merely wish to die a Christian."
The ceremony was performed without delay in the presence of the prison officials and immediately afterwards Nathan Schlamassel was led to the courtyard where the gallows had been erected. At his side, muttering prayers, walked the priest. Suddenly the latter broke off his muttering:
"Nathan Davidowitch," he said, "one question more before you go into the presence of God. Other men hold to their faith all the more tenaciously as death draws near. Even when they have fallen away from it, they long to return in their last moments. But you become unfaithful to your religion ever while you go to your death and have allowed yourself to be baptized. What, what was it that shone in on you?"
Nathan Schamassel looked steadily at the priest.
"I will tell you what," he said, "I thought to myself, if some one must be hung, let it rather be a Christian."