Mendele screens the light with his shoulders, so that they shall not see their mother's tears: "There, that will do, children, that will do! Fast-days were not meant for dancing. When the Rejoicing of the Law comes, then we will dance, please God!" The children get back into bed. Their hunger is forgotten. One of them, a little girl, starts singing: "Our Father, our King," etc., and "On the High Mountain," etc. Mendele shivers from head to foot. "One does not sing, either," he says in a choked voice. The children are silent, and go off to sleep, tired out with singing and dancing. Only the eldest opens his eyes once more and inquires of his father: "Tate, when shall I be Bar-Mitzwah?"[118] "Not yet, not for a long time--in another four years. You must grow and get strong." "Then you will buy me a pair of phylacteries?" "Of course." "And a little bag to hold them?" "Why, certainly!" "And a little, tiny prayer-book with gilt edges?" "With God's help! You must pray to God, Chaïmle!" "Then I shall keep all the fasts!" "Yes, yes, Chaïmle, all the fasts," adding, below his breath: "Lord of the world, only not any like this one--not like to-day's." XX THE WOMAN MISTRESS HANNAH A PACKET OF LETTERS 1 Two letters which Hannah received from her brother Menachem Mendil, and one letter from her sister-in-law, Eva Gütel; altogether, three letters. FIRST LETTER Life and peace to my worthy sister, Mistress Hannah. I have received your letter, and I can tell you, I wept tears enough over it, and lay sighing and groaning one whole night long. But what was the good, seeing God in heaven is witness that I can do nothing to help you? And as to what you write about the inheritance, I must tell you, dear sister, there is no sense in it. According to the Jewish law, you have no claim upon any part. Ask your husband, he is learned, he will tell you the same thing. But you need not wait for him to tell you: a clever woman like you can open the "German Pentateuch" and see for herself that Zelophehad's daughters only inherited because there were no sons. As soon as there are sons, the daughters inherit nothing, and our father left no deed directing you were to inherit half as much as his male descendants. And all you say about our father, peace be upon him, not having given you the whole of your dowry, has nothing in it, because, if you come to think, who _does_ get the whole? You know _I_ did not, and yet I have no claim on anyone. Besides, common sense will tell you that if our father, peace be upon him, did not keep to his engagement, neither did the other side, and so the matter rested. The two parties forgave each other, as is the custom among us Jews. I would not trust my own judgment, but talked the matter over with our rabbi and his assistants, and we were all agreed that so it should be.