One said:  “I should not like to be there.”

“Neither should I,” said another girl; “it must be awful after London.”

“The only thing that I like about the life,” said the former, “is the hospitality and the friendliness that they show to one another, and the jolly good time they give to people who are utter strangers to them.  We don’t do that here—­we seem cold and unfriendly.”

THE CELEBRATION OF PURIM

As had now become a custom, the young friends of the Jacobs had all collected on the next Friday evening in the bright and warm kitchen-sitting room.  After a short friendly chat with them Mr Jacobs said: 

“As Purim will begin in two days, perhaps you would like to hear how our cousins saw it celebrated when they went to Palestine, so I have chosen this letter to read to you this evening: 

“In Jerusalem a week is none too long to prepare for Purim.  As you know, when we lived in London we always were strict about keeping our holy days; but while there I never realized the pleasure and excitement during Purim that one sees in Jerusalem.

“Old and young are equally full of fun and joy, and there is plenty of rushing about with sleeves tucked up.  At other times the women here gossip a great deal, and the girls naturally copy their elders and gossip too; but, when preparing for Purim, they are all too busy to talk or even to ask questions.  The boys, too, up to the age of twelve, are allowed to help.  Some break up the big pieces of loaf-sugar, and beat up the eggs, and take the cakes, when ready, to the public ovens, for here there are no proper ovens as there are in London houses, so a public oven is built not far from the Synagogue.  It is very large, and each family sends its cakes in its own tins to be baked in it.  Generally about half a dozen tins are carried by each boy.  Nothing I have seen before can be compared with the many kinds of delicious cakes and stuffed monkeys that are seen here.  My mouth waters even when I think of the delicious strudels filled with sesames and plenty of raisins and shiros!  These things are very cheap here.

“As there are not many boys free to help, you see quite young children, as well as young women and even grandmothers, going to and from the public oven, carrying tins of all the Purim delicacies.  As they wait while the cakes are being baked, or waiting their turn to have their cakes put in, oh! what a chatter there is, and I imagine nowhere else can there be anything like it.  I called it the ‘Female Club’ instead of ‘An Old Maids Club,’ as Mr Zangwill did, for there were no old maids waiting near the oven.

“Most of them come as early as 5 a.m., and none care to leave till they have their cakes baked, for, if you do, your tins will be pushed aside as you are not there to scream at and scold the baker—­if someone slips a copper into his hand he, on the quiet, puts their tins in first, though they may have come later!