IN a charity school， among the children， sat alittle Jewish girl. She was a good， intelligent child，and very quick at her lessons; but the Scripture-lesson class she was not allowed to join， for thiswas a Christian school. During the hour of thislesson， the Jewish girl was allowed to learn hergeography， or to work her sum for the next day;and when her geography lesson was perfect， thebook remained open before her， but she read not another word， for she sat silently listeningto the words of the Christian teacher. He soon became aware that the little one was payingmore attention to what he said than most of the other children. “Read your book， Sarah，” hesaid to her gently.
But again and again he saw her dark， beaming eyes fixed upon him; and once， when heasked her a question， she could answer him even better than the other children. She had notonly heard， but understood his words， and pondered them in her heart. Her father， a poorbut honest man， had placed his daughter at the school on the conditions that she should notbe instructed in the Christian faith. But it might have caused confusion， or raised discontentin the minds of the other children if she had been sent out of the room， so she remained;and now it was evident this could not go on. The teacher went to her father， and advised himto remove his daughter from the school， or to allow her to become a Christian. “I cannot anylonger be an idle spectator of those beaming eyes， which express such a deep and earnestlonging for the words of the gospel，” said he.
then the father burst into tears. “I know very little of the law of my fathers，” said he; “but Sarah's mother was firm in her belief as a daughter of Israel， and I vowed to her on herdeathbed that our child should never be baptized. I must keep my vow： it is to me even as acovenant with God Himself.” And so the little Jewish girl left the Christian school.
Years rolled by. In one of the smallest provincial towns， in a humble household， lived apoor maiden of the Jewish faith， as a servant. Her hair was black as ebony， her eye dark asnight， yet full of light and brilliancy so peculiar to the daughters of the east. It was Sarah. Theexpression in the face of the grown-up maiden was still the same as when， a child， she sat onthe schoolroom form listening with thoughtful eyes to the words of the Christian teacher.Every Sunday there sounded forth from a church close by the tones of an organ and thesinging of the conGREgation. The Jewish girl heard them in the house where， industrious andfaithful in all things， she performed her household duties. “Thou shalt keep the Sabbathholy，” said the voice of the law in her heart; but her Sabbath was a working day among theChristians， which was a great trouble to her. And then as the thought arose in her mind， “Does God reckon by days and hours?” her conscience felt satisfied on this question， andshe found it a comfort to her， that on the Christian Sabbath she could have an hour for herown prayers undisturbed. The music and singing of the congregation sounded in her earswhile at work in her kitchen， till the place itself became sacred to her. Then she would read inthe Old Testament， that treasure and comfort to her people， and it was indeed the onlyScriptures she could read. Faithfully in her inmost thoughts had she kept the words of herfather to her teacher when she left the school， and the vow he had made to her dying motherthat she should never receive Christian baptism. The New Testament must remain to her asealed book， and yet she knew a great deal of its teaching， and the sound of the gospeltruths still lingered among the recollections of her childhood.
One evening she was sitting in a corner of the dining-room， while her master read aloud. Itwas not the gospel he read， but an old story-book; therefore she might stay and listen tohim. The story related that a Hungarian knight， who had been taken prisoner by a Turkishpasha， was most cruelly treated by him. He caused him to be yoked with his oxen to theplough， and driven with blows from the whip till the blood flowed， and he almost sunk withexhaustion and pain. The faithful wife of the knight at home gave up all her jewels，mortgaged her castle and land， and his friends raised large sums to make up the ransomdemanded for his release， which was most enormously high. It was collected at last， andthe knight released from slavery and misery. Sick and exhausted， he reached home.
Ere long came another summons to a struggle with the foes of Christianity. The still livingknight heard the sound; he could endure no more， he had neither peace nor rest. Hecaused himself to be lifted on his war-horse; the color came into his cheeks， and his strengthreturned to him again as he went forth to battle and to victory. The very same pasha who hadyoked him to the plough， became his prisoner， and was dragged to a dungeon in thecastle. But an hour had scarcely passed， when the knight stood before the captive pasha，and inquired， “What do you suppose awaiteth thee?”
“I know，” replied the pasha; “retribution.”
“Yes， the retribution of a Christian，” replied the knight. “The teaching of Christ， theTeacher， commands us to forgive our enemies， to love our neighbors; for God is love.Depart in peace： return to thy home. I give thee back to thy loved ones. But in future be mildand humane to all who are in trouble.”
then the prisoner burst into tears， and exclaimed， “Oh how could I imagine such mercyand forgiveness! I expected pain and torment. It seemed to me so sure that I took poison，which I secretly carried about me; and in a few hours its effects will destroy me. I must die!Nothing can save me! But before I die， explain to me the teaching which is so full of love andmercy， so GREat and God-like. Oh， that I may hear his teaching， and die a Christian!” Andhis prayer was granted.
This was the legend which the master read out of the old story-book. Every one in thehouse who was present listened， and shared the pleasure; but Sarah， the Jewish girl，sitting so still in a corner， felt her heart burn with excitement. GREat tears came into hershining dark eyes; and with the same gentle piety with which she had once listened to thegospel while sitting on the form at school， she felt its grandeur now， and the tears rolleddown her cheeks. Then the last words of her dying mother rose before her， “Let not my childbecome a Christian;” and with them sounded in her heart the words of the law， “Honor thyfather and thy mother.”