PETERKIN'S PUDDING

scarcely afford raisins,' he interrupted: 'couldn't you manage without raisins?' Oh, I dare say,' said Gretchen doubtfully. There is also candied lemonpeel.' Johannes whistled. 'Ach, we can't run to that,' he said. 'No, indeed,' assented Gretchen; but we must have suet and yeast.' 'I don't see the necessity,' quoth Johannes. 'A good cook like you'-here he gave her a sounding kiss-' can get along without such trifles as those.' Well, I will try,' said the good Gretchen, as cheerfully as she could; and so next morning Johannes went to work light-hearted and gay. When he returned home, lo! the long-desired dainty stood on the supper-table, beautifully brown. He ran to embrace his wife in gratitude and joy; then he tremblingly broke off a hunch of pudding and took a huge bite. His wife, anxiously watching his face, saw it assume a look of perplexity, followed by one of disgust. Johannes gave a great snort of contempt. 'Lieber Gott!' he cried, and this is what Peterkin is always bragging about!'

I. ZANGWILL

WISDOM

I AM the mother of fair love, and fear, and knowledge and holy hope,

I therefore, being eternal, am given to all my children which are named of him.

Ecclesiasticus

You see, my friend, there is nothing so ridiculous that has not at some time been said by some philosopher.

GOLDSMITH, Citizen of the World

THE Law of the Great Learning consists in spreading and confirming the luminous principle of reason which we have received from on high.

CONFUCIUS

WE cheat ourselves with words when we conclude out of our material splendour an advance of the race. One fruit only our mother earth offers with pride to her maker-her human children made noble by their life upon her.

FROUDE

The Praise of Wisdom

I

WISDOM exalteth her children,

And layeth hold of them that seek her.

He that loveth her loveth life;

And they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy. He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory;

And wherever she entereth, the Lord will bless. They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One; And them that love her the Lord doth love.

Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations; And he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely. If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her;

And his generations shall hold her in possession.

For at first she will walk with him by crooked ways, And bring fear and dread upon him.

And torment him with her discipline,

Until she may trust his soul and try him by her laws.
Then will she return the straight way unto him,
And comfort him, and show him her secrets.

II

Wisdom shall praise herself,

And shall glory in the midst of her people.

In the congregation of the most High shall she open

her mouth,

THE PRAISE OF WISDOM

And triumph before his power.

'I came out of the mouth of the most High, And covered the earth as a mist.

I dwelt in high places,

And my throne is in a cloudy pillar.
I alone compassed the circuit of heaven,
And walked in the bottom of the deep.

In the waves of the sea, and in all the earth,
And in every people and nation, I got a possession.
With all these I sought rest;

And in whose inheritance shall I abide?

So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, And he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, And said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob,

And thine inheritance in Israel.

He created me from the beginning before the world,
And I shall never fail.

In the holy tabernacle I served before him;
And so was I established in Sion.

Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest,
And in Jerusalem was my power.

And I took root in an honourable people,
Even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.

I was exalted like the cedar in Libanus,

And as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon. I was exalted like a palm tree in En-gaddi,

And as a rose plant in Jericho,

As a fair olive tree in a pleasant field,

And grew up as a plane tree by the water.

I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aspalathus, And I yielded a pleasant odour like the best myrrh,