The Sabbath Eve

IN quaint old Talmud's pages,
Where speak the Jewish sages,
I found this pearl tonight:
Behold it, fair and white!

For, as the rabbins say,
Two angels guard the way
Of him on Sabbath eve
Who turns his homeward feet
Off through the busy street,
The synagogue to leave.
And if the lamps are lit,
If there the maidens sit
With the mother by their side;
If there the youths abide
At the quiet eventide-
Then speaks the spirit blest-
"Here let all blessing rest!
May every Sabbath be

Like this one unto thee;
Peace to this dwelling, peace!"

And he of little ease,

The restless demon, then,
Mutters a rough "Amen!"

But if the darkness there
Obscures the evening prayer;
If matron. and if maid
Show worldliness displayed;
And if the youths have place.
In regions low and base-
Then sneers the evil one:
"Be all thy blessings gone!
Make every Sabbath be
Like this one unto me!"

And, with his head bent low,
The other in his woe,

Must weep and utter then
His sorrowful, "Amen!"

SAMUEL AUGUSTUS WILLOUGHBY Duffield.

FRIDAY NIGHT! come draw the curtain;
I am weary with the week;

Sit before the grate-fire with me,
And together let us speak; I
Put aside your books and papers→→
It is neither night nor day,
And the Sabbath morn approaches;
Put your endless toil away.

Watch the fire-light-how it flickers!
See the light and shadow play
From the fender to the carpet
And across the curtain gay;
See its gentle fairy-fingers

Touch the pictures on the wall,
Giving them a life-like beauty
Lending grace to each and all.

Over yonder hangs a picture

Sheltered from the dancing gleam;
See its dim, uncertain outlines,
Like the mem'ry of a dream;
Watch the light dispel the shadows,
And observe the lovely face;
See, it seems the Sabbath Spirit,
Cloth'd with pure and tender grace;

Calling to your mind the missing
Angels of our household band,
Who, on bygone Sabbath evenings,
Sat beside us, hand in hand;

Bringing back our hopes and longings,
Crowning them with light divine,
Showing us our vain endeavors,

Softened by the glow of time;

Speaking of its own sweet image,
As our fathers knew it best-
Beautiful in true thanksgiving
For the day of peace and rest;
Teaching us to break the shadows
Hovering o'er its lov'd face,
With the glowing light of fervor
Kindled by our ancient race.

But I know I'm only dreaming,
'Tis a picture-nothing more-
Image of some lovely maiden

Famed in song or fairy lore;
Drop the curtain, watch the fire-
Till the shadows flee the light;
Rest awhile within its gleaming,
On this peaceful Sabbath night.

MIRIAM DEL BANCO.

Friday Night

'HE majesty of sunset in the west

THE

Has glorified the ebbing hours of day!

The world is hushed as if its heart would pray

In busy, Jewish homes there enters rest;

The weary soul no longer is depressed,

A Sabbath calm has come, the children stray
And prattle every sombre care away,

Our Friday night has made our portals blest!

The lamps are lit in solemn joy and prayer,
And curtains folded close to hide the night,
A glow of love in every Sabbath light!

Unspoken blessings fill the chastened air,
And happiness pursues time's gentle flight,
And over all God's blessings everywhere!

ISIDORE G. ASCHER.

Sabbath Hymn

DESCEND, descend, O Sabbath Princess,
With rays of Shechinah in your eyes,
Descend and bring us peaceful tidings,
From yonder gently dreaming skies!
Behold, in darkness, and in sadness

We wander here, we climb, we grope,
Descend and give us Faith and Gladness,
Descend and give us Light and Hope!

Descend, descend, O Sabbath Princess,
For we are weary here and blind,
Descend and lighten all the burdens
Of dreary souls and faithless mind.
The paths of life are rough and thorny,
Our feet are bleeding, bleeding sore,
Descend and bring us Heaven's promise,
And Sabbath peace for evermore.
AARON COHEN.

The Sabbath

OT for us the Sabbath of the quiet streets,

NOT

Sabbath peaceful o'er the world outspread, Felt where every man his neighbor greets,

Heard in hush of many a slowly passing tread. Not the robe of silence for our holy day: Noisy flock the worker and the player;

Toil and stir and laughter of the way

Surge around the steps that seek a place of prayer. Silent we while through the thronging street and mart Work-day clamor of the city rolls:

Cloistered inly, from the world apart,

Ours 'tis to bear the Sabbath in our souls.

NINA DAVIS.

Sabbath

'HE Sabbath is here, and the heavens are beaming,

ΤΗ

The Shekinah within us is brooding and dreaming, The soul found a form and a vestment of glory, And lo, a new Eden and Genesis story.

Peace in an ecstasy came from the mountains,
And opened the heavens, and bliss flows in fountains;
The earth is a heaven, for man has ascended,
And the soul and Shekinah in rapture are blended.
The cherubim young-eyed around us are winging,
My soul is among them; to heaven 'tis clinging;
My soul is on wings now, a soul that is singing;
Holiness, poesy won their sceptre.

And man, man, himself, is a Biblical chapter.
Our souls, we discovered-to-day we have two,
The new life is old, and the old life is new;
O, see how the spirit is wooing God's beauty,
Rapt lovers are we. Our love is a duty,
Songs of songs our souls are; the heart is a canticle,
In the sunshine of Sabbath, our joy is nigh frantical,
Our transport of peace, it is sweet without cloyance,
We are kings, we are queens, we are princes of joy-

ance;

The swords are withdrawn and the goal is attained,
One is all mankind, the Eden regained,
The wine of the Kiddush pour forth to o'erflowing,
And sing hymeneals, sing "Zmiroth" all glowing,
For lo, it is Sabbath, the day of God's dreaming,
The day of the perfect-a day without scheming—
Our soul is in heaven, the Star of the Seven,
Then sing like an angel at the gateway of heaven!
ALTER ABELSON.