containing a proposal of marriage to a young woman at Makowa, who had lost her husband about the same time Reb Chatskel had met with his misfortune, and whose virtues and charms had been sung into his ears. At Makowa there also lived, with her six-year-old son, the widow Tseevye, the "Preetste" (noble lady) so called on account of her exceptional beauty and graceful bearing.

Rumors differ. One has it that Mrs. Tseevye had been instrumental in the marriage of Zalmen's only daughter, who had been rejected by every marriageable young man in the vicinity on account of her extreme homeliness, because of which she was even nicknamed "Sossne" (the unsightly). Another one runs that Zalmen, himself, when a young man, had paid homage to Tseevye, and that he was still not impervious to the charm she wielded over him. Still another, that lucre was the tempta

tion. However it may be, suffice it to know that Reb Chatskel's declaration of love fell into the hands of Tseevye, the "Preetste," instead of those of Golde, the "Keelave," to whom it was addressed.

Unspeakable was the amazement of the women when Geetl had finished. Their indignation over the audacity of Tseevye was outweighed, however, by their astonishment over Zalmen's crime. After the excitement had somewhat subsided, one of the ladies anxiously inquired of the “Balsottke as to the truth of the woman being so beautiful, while the others showered other questions upon her. Among other details "reticent" Geetl related how, on every Friday morning, when baking the shewbread for Shabbos, Tseevye baked a bun for each one of Reb Chatskel's seven children, but never one for her own boy. "Ah, then she is a good step-mother, at least!" they exclaimed.

But," continued Geetl,"each one of the seven has to give a half of his 'Bunde' to her own son!"

Threatening fists were directed toward Reb Chatskel's residence, accompanied by no complimentary expressions, to be sure. "It is impossible that Reb Chatskel is aware of all this!" shouted one.

"Of course not!" was the unanimous opinion, "for if he but knew about the letter, he positively would give her a 'Get' (divorce) at once!"

It would be impossible to chronicle a small fraction of all the remarks made in the home of Tseerl that afternoon concerning the matter in which they had vowed the profoundest secrecy, the pledge being renewed on their departure for their different homes.

In the evening of that very same day Zalmen returned to his home with bowed head and bent spirit. His spouse, fright

ened by the pallor which covered his face and the copious tears which ran down his cheeks, besought him to tell her what had happened. Amid sobs of agony Zalmen wailed: "Woe, woe is to me! All, all is lost! My reputation, my future career, yea even the bliss of the world to come is lost to me! Woe, woe is to me! It is out! All is known about Tseevye!"

Thus he continued to give vent to moaning and lamentation. In his dismay he saw before his fantasy the agonizing pictures of the "Herem" (ban) in all its severity. He saw himself shunned by every good Jew, even craving and praying for the moment to come when he might prostrate himself on the threshold of the synagogue, and permit the incoming and outgoing worshipers to trample over his body, thus to do penance for his terrible transgression, that the ban might be raised. His wife was awe-stricken. Dazed by her

husband's fearful tale, for several reasons her woe was even greater than his. Firstly, she loved him dearly, and had always been a devoted wife; secondly, hunger and privation, which were sure to come, stared her in the face in all their ghastliness; and lastly, but mainly, on account of her own conscience; for well she knew that, like Delilah, it was she who had betrayed her husband by confiding the secret to Geetl. Together they presented a picture of abject misery.

It was due to the fact that Tseevye was a model wife to Reb Chatskel, and an exemplary mother to his children, that Chatskel looked upon the entire affair as a will of God, and not only tried in every way to avert the declaration of the ban upon Zalmen and the consequent notoriety it would bring to himself, but, finding the ban was inexorable, he assisted Zalmen financially. The much dreaded "Herem was pro