Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 54761-h.htm or 54761-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54761/54761-h/54761-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54761/54761-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/childrenofmen00lessrich Transcriber’s note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). CHILDREN OF MEN [Illustration: “‘_The sheep are coming! They’re coming over the hill! Watch, Liebchen; watch, precious!_’”] CHILDREN OF MEN by BRUNO LESSING [Illustration: ALDI DISCIP AMERICANVS] “_For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men._” New York Mcclure, Phillips & Co. MCMIII Copyright, 1903, by McClure, Phillips & Co. Copyright, 1903, by S. S. McClure Co. Published, September, 1903 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS PAGE THE END OF THE TASK, 3 THE SADER GUEST, 33 A RIFT IN THE CLOUD, 43 OUT OF HIS ORBIT, 51 THE POISONED CHAI, 67 URIM AND THUMMIM, 81 A YIDDISH IDYLL, 91 THE STORY OF SARAI, 99 THE AMERICANISATION OF SHADRACH COHEN, 107 HANNUKAH LIGHTS, 125 A SWALLOW-TAILER FOR TWO, 139 DEBORAH, 155 AN INTERRUPTION, 167 THE MURDERER, 181 UNCONVERTED, 195 WITHOUT FEAR OF GOD, 207 THE SUN OF WISDOM, 217 A DAUGHTER OF ISRAEL, 231 THE MESSAGE OF ARCTURUS, 245 QUEER SCHARENSTEIN, 259 THE COMPACT, 273 A SONG OF SONGS, 285 A WEDDING IN DURESS, 299 THE END OF THE TASK I