Salome was of a spirit far different to that of any of the other members of her family: mild, timid, and dependent, she was guided in everything by her husband; and as his office in the priesthood necessarily kept him much from home, she found herself unequal to controlling the spirits of either Javan or Naomi; and her mistaken indulgence was the cause of much that was to be regretted in the character of each of her children. The affectionate disposition of Naomi, and the natural candour and rectitude of her mind, preserved her from being as much injured as her wayward brother was, by the undue liberty which they enjoyed during their childhood and early youth. She was devotedly attached to her mother; and from her she derived those lessons of piety and fervent charity, which were remarkable in her character, though the energy of her soul carried her far beyond Salome in enthusiastic feeling and active performance of duty. She was the pride and delight of both her parents; and probably the preference which they felt and could hardly conceal for her, produced an evil tendency in the heart of Javan; who, feeling that he was less beloved than his sister, instead of endeavouring to imitate her dutiful and affectionate behaviour, became sullen and morose, and shunned the society of his family. Naomi made every effort to recover his affection, though with little success. She wove for him the broadest and most beautiful fringes, to adorn the borders of his festal garment according to the commandment of the Lord to Moses, and fixed upon the fringe a ribbon of the brightest blue.[1] And she employed the skill she had acquired from her father (and which she possessed in a far higher degree than the generality of Jewish females), in writing upon slips of white parchment choice sentences from the law, to compose the phylacteries that he wore on his forehead and on his wrist--a custom which the Jews derived from the direction to make the commandments of God "a sign upon their hand, and a memorial between their eyes."[2] Unhappily it had become perverted from its original meaning, and had sunk into a mere superstitious form; and many, especially of the Pharisees, were contented to carry the law of the Lord upon their persons and their garments, while it entered not into their hearts. When Javan came home in a sullen mood, Naomi would take her harp, and sing to him one of the songs of the royal Psalmist; and her sweet voice had frequently the same effect on her brother that the young shepherd's had on Saul--the evil spirit would depart from him. But it was not the psalm of penitence or praise that he loved best to hear; it was the tone of exultation and triumph, or the prophecy of vengeance, that breathes forth in some of the inspired songs of David, which met with corresponding emotions in the breast of the fiery young Jew, and recalled his spirit from its own passions and resentments, to a