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BOOK III WHO can write and who can tell of the wonders that happen to mortals? I was about twenty-five years old at the time of which I write. My husband was very energetic in business and I, too, helped. It is not to praise myself that I mention that he took advice from no one but me, and did nothing until we had talked it over together. At this time a young man, Mordecai, from Hanover-may the Lord avenge his blood-who worked for my brother-inlaw Lipman, came to Hamburg and was our guest. We took a liking to him and engaged him to travel for us in such places where business could be done. He was a native of Poland and knew the language well. We sent him to Danzig to buy seed pearls,l for we had heard that there were several parcels to be bought there, and seed pearls were then the most important article in the jewellery trade. We gave him a credit note for a few hundred reichstaler and instructed him how to buy the pearls. Had we sent jewellery to Danzig to be sold there and bought in return, we should have made handsomer profits, but we were so deep in the pearl business that we did not think of this. Mordecai went to Danzig, bought the pearls and sent them on to us. He bought well and we made a good profit. But he was a young man, and desiring to marry did not wish to remain in Danzig. He therefore returned to Hamburg, became engaged to the daughter of Tall Nathan and the marriage was fixed for six months later. My husband wished him to return to Danzig until his wedding . As if decreed from heaven, he refused. He said, 'It is less than six months to my wedding day. Before I go there and return the time will have gone. I will go instead to Germany to buy wine.' My husband then said, 'How do you come to buy wine? I want nothing to do with that business.' And Mordecai answered, 'Then I'll buy it on my own account.' My husband did not approve, and tried to dissuade him, first in a friendly and then an angry way, from this business, 1 These small pearls are sold, not singly, but by the ounce. The profit is made by picking and sorting, and selling according to size. 42 ' ••• OTHERWISE I SHOOT yOU!' 43 but it was of no avail. He remained quite firm and no one could move him. My husband sent for his future father-in-law to get him to use his influence to dissuade him from the ill-fated journey, but to no effect. It was just as though the good man had to go to make room for others. If God had prolonged his life, perhaps Judah Berlin and Issacher Cohen would never have come to their wealth, as I wU1 relate later. Thus Mordecai set out on his journey carrying with him about 600 reichstaler. This money he handed to my brother-inlaw Reb Lipman, when he reached Hanover, to be forwarded to those places where he bought wine. Thence he had to go to Hildesheim. Mordecai was a stingy man who grudged the money that taking the post would have cost him. He made the distance from Hanover to Hildesheim, three miles, on foot. When he was about 2000 feetl distant from the latter place, he came face to face with a poacher, who said to him, 'Jew, give me money for a drink, otherwise I will shoot you!' Mordecai laughed at him, for he knew that the highway between Hanover and Hildesheim is safer than that between Hamburg and Altona. The poacher addressed him again, 'You Jew carcase! Why do you think so long? Say yes or no!' and took his gun and shot him in the head. Mordecai fell dead immediately. This road was rarely deserted for as long as a quarter of an hour, but on this occasion, unfortunately, itjust happened that no one passed. Thus the upstanding, noble and honest young man met an early end and instead ofcelebrating his marriage, he had to creep into dark earth, though so innocent. My God! When I remind myself of this, my hair stands on end. He was a truly good, God-fearing man, and had his life been spared, he would have done greatthings anditwouldhavebeenbetterforus. God knows how...

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