1. There was once a jeweler, noted for many virtues. One day, the Jewish
elders came to him to buy some diamonds, to put upon that part of the
dress of their high priest, which the Bible calls an ephod.
2. They told him what they wanted, and offered him a fair price for the
diamonds. He replied that he could not let them see the jewels at that
moment, and requested them to call again.
3. As they wanted them without delay, and thought that the object of the
jeweler was only to increase the price of the diamonds, the elders offered
him twice, then three times, as much as they were worth. But he still
refused, and they went away in very bad humor.
4. Some hours after, he went to them, and placed before them the diamonds,
for which they again offered him the last price they had named; but he
said, "I will only accept the first one you offered to me this morning."
5. "Why, then, did you not close with us at once?" asked they in surprise.
"When you came," replied he, "my father had the key of the chest, in which
the diamonds were kept, and as he was asleep, I should have been obliged
to wake him to obtain them.
6. "At his age, a short hour of sleep does him a great deal of good; and
for all the gold in the world, I would not be wanting in respect to my
father, or take from him a single comfort."
7. The elders, affected by these feeling words, spread their hands upon
the jeweler's head, and said, "Thou shalt be blessed of Him who has said,
'Honor thy father and thy mother;' and thy children shall one day pay thee
the same respect and love thou hast shown to thy father."
DEFINITIONS.--l. Jew'el-er, one who buys and sells precious stones.
Not'ed, well known. Eld'er, an officer of the Jewish church. Eph'od, part
of the dress of a Jewish priest, made of two pieces, one covering the
chest and the other the back, united by a girdle. 2. Di'a-monds, precious
stones. 3. Hu'mor, state of mind, temper. 5. Close, come to an agreement.
EXERCISES.--Relate the story of the jeweler and his
diamonds. What did the elders say to him, when they heard
his reason for not giving them the diamonds at first?