Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.

By Marie Harrold Garrison

Is It True?

SAID the child of the bright yellow hair

To the child of the coal black curls;

“I do not think it is fair

For we little Christian girls

To play with the girls like you;

For our Sunday-school teacher—See?

Says your father is only a Jew;

An’ the Jews nailed Christ on the tree.”

The great black eyes filled with tears

As the child with the dark, dark hair

Said: “But that was hundreds of years

Ago; an” I don’t think it is fair

To blame us girls with the pain

That was given to Jesus by men

That we didn’t know. And it’s vain—

So my mamma says, to preten’

That any one church is the best.

We’re as nicely behaved as you,

An’ our dollies as prettily dressed;

An’ my mamma always says true.”

So they quarreled and parted with eyes

Flashing anger and tears. In the heart

Of the yellow-haired child would rise

Unbidden—a pain like a dart.

That night she knelt by her bed—

As she did every night—to pray,

She threw back her wee bright head

And her eyes looked up and away—

Oh far, far away at the sky

Through the unshaded window glass;

And she said: “Dear Lord, if I die

In my sleep may my spirit pass

To you like an angel; and wear

A little gold crown of my own;

And—my dear doll—I want her there,

’Cause I hate to be there all alone.”

Then she paused a little and said:

“Lord—if Elsie was only like me,

A Christian, too, when she’s dead

I think I would like to see

Her also; but she cannot go

’Cause her fore-fathers—teacher said—

Were nothing but Jews and so

That settles it.” Then on the bed

The bright little one sank to sleep,

But a wee small voice in her breast

Seemed ever to rouse her and keep

Her feverish pulses from rest.

She dreamed that out of the skies

A great, white cross rose to view;

And Jesus looked at her with eyes

Like Elsie’s—and said: “I’m a Jew.”