HE AMERICAN
THE WANDERING JEW.
b v e uqenc ue.
CHAITKH XVIII.
1BIUT AND CKHOIT.
For some seconds. Samuel and
)Uthheta remained nioUtmlmu. with
tlM-lr fled In far ami uueasintM on
the seven luminous points, which
shown throiiKh the darkness of the
nlfht from the summit of the blvl
dere; while, on the horltou. behind
the house, a palp, rosy hue announced
the dawn of day.
Samuel wan the drat to break the
ailenre. and aaJd to hit wife, a he
irw his hand arross hla brow. "The
grief caused by the remembrance of
our poor child hna prevented u from
rfriortlng that, after all, there should
be. nothing to alarm us la what we
see."
"How no, Samuel?"
"My father alwaya told me that he,
and my grandfather before him, bad
-n Bii.-h lights at long Intervals."
"Tee, Samuel but without belns;
nbl wiy mum ilian ourselves, U et
Ulaln the cause."
"Uke my father and grandfather,
we can only suppose that some sec
ret passage give admittance to per
sons who, like us, have some myster
ious duty to fulfill In this dwelling.
Ifcwldes, my father warned me not to
Im uneasy at these appearance, fore
told by him, and now visible for the
second time In thirty years."
"No matter for that, Samuel, It does
strike one as If It was something su
pernatural." "The days of miracles are over,"
raid the Jew, shaking his head sor
rowftily; "mnny of the old houses
in this qnarter have suuterrajnootm
rommunlcntlona with distant places
no trie extending even to the Seine and
the Catacombs, Doubtless, this house
is so situated, and the persona wlio
make these rare visits enter by some
such means."
"Put that the belvldere should be
thus lighted up?"
"According; to the plan of the build
ing, you know that the belvldere
forms a kind of skylight to the ap
pnrtmenl called the Great Hall of
Mourning, situated on the upper
story. As it Is completely dark, In
consequence of the closing of ail the
windows, they must use a light to
visit this Hall of Mourning a room
which Is said to contain some very
Ptrange and gloomy things," added
the Jew with a shudder.
But.bsheba, ns well as her husband,
gazed attentively on the seven lum
inous points, which diminished In
lrlghtness ns the daylight gradually
increased.
"As you say, Samuel, the mystery
may be thus explained," resumed the
Hebrew's wife. "Besides the day is
so important a one for the family of
Rennepont, that this apparition
ought not to astonish us under the
circumstances."
"Only to think." remarked Samuel,
"that theee lights have appeared at
several different times throughout a
century and a half! There must
therefore, be another family that
like ours, has devoted Itself, from
generation to generation, to acoonv
Mih duty."
"But what is the duty? It will per
baps be explained today."
"Come, come. Bathsheba," suddenly
exclaimed Samuel, as if roused from
bis reverie, and reproaching himself
with idleness; "this is the day, and
tefore eight o'clock our cash account
must be In order, and these titles to
Immense property arranged, so that
they may be delivered to the rightful
owners' and he pointed to the cedar
wood box.
"You are right, Samuel; this day
does not belong to us. It Is a solemn
day one that would have been
sweet, oh! very sweet to you and me
if now any days could be sweet to
us," Baid Bathsheba bitterly, for she
was thinking of her son.
t Bathsheba, said Samuel mourn
fully, as he laid hla hand on his
wife's; "we shall at least have the
tern satisfaction of having done our
duty. An has not the Lord been very
favourable to us, though He has thus
severely tried us by the death of our
eon? Is it not thanks to Hia orovl
dence that three generations ot my
family have been able to commence,
continue and finish this great work?"
"Yes, Samuel," said the JewesB af
fectlonately, "and for you at least this
satisfaction will be combined with
calm and quietness, for on the stroke
of noon you will be delivered from a
very terrible responsibility."
So saying, Bathsheba pointed to the
box.
lively, and Samuel, taking up his pen,
ocriipliHt himself once more with hla
calculations. His wife, In spite of
henielf, again yielded to the aad
thoughts which that fatal date bad
awakened, by reminding her of the
death of her son.
Iot. ua now trace rapidly the his
tory, in appearance ho romantic and
marvoioua, In reality so simple, of
the fifty thouaand crowns, which
thanks to the law of accumulation, and
to a prudent. Intelligent and faithful
Investment, had naturally, and neces
sarily, been transformed. In the space
of a century and a half. Into a sum
far more important than the forty
millions estimated by Father d'Alg
rlgny who, partially Informed on
thU subject, and reckoning the dis
astrous accidents, losses, and bank
rupted! which might have oecured
during so long a period, believed that
million might well be considered
enormous.
The hlAory of this fortune being
closely connected with that of the
Samuel family, by whom It had been
managed for three generations, we
shall give It again In a few words.
About the period 1670, some years
before his death, Marlus de Renne
pont, then travelling In Portugal, had
been enabled, by means of powerful
Interest, to save the life of an unfor
tunate Jew, condemned to be burnt
alive by the Inquisition, because of
hia religion. This Jew was Isaac
ftamuel, grandfather of the ipresent
guardian of the house In the Rue Saint
Francois.
Generous men often attach them
selves to those they have served, as
much, at least, as the obliged parties
are attached to thoir brow actors.
Having ascertained that Isaac, who
at that time carrlod on a petty brok
er's business at Lisbon, was Indus
trious, honest, active, laborious and
intelligent, M. de Rennepont, who
then possessed large property In
Franc, proposed to the Jew to ac
company him, and undertake the
rrmnagoment of his affairs. The same
hatred and suspicion with which the
Israelites have always been followed,
was then at Its height. Isaac was
therefore doubly greatful for this
mark of confidence on the part of M.
de Rennepont. He accepted the offer,
and promised from that day to de
vote his existence to the service of
him who had first saved his life, and
then trusted implicitly to his good
faith and uprightness, although he
was a jew, and belonged to a race
generally suspected and despised. M
de Retinopont, a man of great soul,
endowed with a good spirit, was not
deceived in his choice. Until he was
deprived of his fortune, it prospered
wonderfully in the bands of Isaae
Samuel, who, gifted with an admir
able aptitude for business, applied
himself exclusively to advance the In
terests of his benefactor.
Them came the persecution and ruin
of M. de Rennepont. whose property
was confiscated and given up to the
reverned fathers of the Company of
Jesus only a few days before his
death. Concealed In the retreat he
had chosen, therein to put a violent
end to his life, he sent secretly for
Isaac Samuel, and delivered to him
fifty thousand crowns In gold, the
last remains of his fortune. This
faithful servant was to invest the
money to the best advantage, and. If
he should have ft son, transmit to him
the same obligation; or, should he
have no child, he was to seek out
some relation worthy of continuing
this trust, to which would moreover
be annexed a fair reward. It was
thus to be transmitted and perpetu
ated from relative to relative, until the
expiration of a century and a halt. M
de Rennepont also begged Isaac to
take charge, during his life, of the
house in the Rue Sal n)t-Francois,
where he would be lodged gratis, and
to leave this function likewise to his
decendants. If It were possible.
If eves Isaac Samuel had not had
children, the powerful bond of union
which exists between certain Jewish
families, would have rendered prac
ticable the last will of De Rennepont
The relations of Isaac would have be
come partners In his gratitude to his
benefactor, and they, and their suc
ceeding generations, would have re
ligiously accomplished the task im
posed upon one of their race. But
several years after the death of De
Rennepont, Isaac had a son.
This son, Levy Samuel, born in
1869, not having had any children by
his first wife, married again at near-
had perished under the Russian
knout, at the age of thirty-sis.
Having established this humble
genealogy, we easily understand how
this successive longevity of three
members of the Samuel family, all of
whom had been guardians of the
walled house, by uniting, as It were,
the nineteenth with the seventeenth
century, simplfled snd facilitated the
execution of M. de Rennepont' will;
the latter having declared his desire
to the grandfather of the Samuel,
that the capital should only be aug
mented by Interest at five per cent.
so that the fortune might corns to
his decendants free from all taint of
usurious speculation.
The fellow men of the Samuel fam
ily, the first inventors of the bill of
exchange, which served them In the
Middle Ages to transport mysterious
ly considerable amounts from one
end of the world to the other, to con-
real their fortune, and to shield It
from the rapacity of their enemies
the Jews, we say, having almost the
monopoly of the trade In money and
exchanges, until the end ot the eigh
teenth century, aided the secret tran
sactions snd financial operations ot
this family, which, up to about 1820,
placed their different
ed the old man proudly. "Doubtless,
securities, ray grandfather, my father and myself.
which had become progressively im- have all been exact and faithful In the
menae. In the hands of the principal management of these funds; doubt-
Israelltlsh bankers and merchants of
Europe. This sure and secret manner
of acting had enabled the present
guardian of the house in the Rus
Salnt-Francols, to effect enormous In
vestments, unknown to all; aad It
was more especially during the per
iod of his management, that the cap
ital sum had acquired, by the mere
fact of compound Interest, an almost positive demands of M. de Rennepont,
given to my grandfather; nor is there
In the world a fortune that has been
obtained by purer means. Had it not
been for this disinterestedness, we
might have much augmented this two
hundred and twelve millions, only by
taking advantage of a few favorable
circumstances.
"Dear me! is It possible?"
"Nothing is more simple, Bath
sheba. Every one knows, that In four-
Incalculable development Compared
with him. his father and grandfather
had only small amounts to manage.
Though It had only been necessary to
find successively sure and Immedi
ate investments, so that the money
might not remain as It were one day
without bearing interest, it had ac
quired financial capacity to attain
this result, when bo many millions
were in Question. The last of the
Samuels, brought up In the school of teen g a capital will b6 doubled.
his father, had exhibited this capacity by the mere accumulation of interest
in a very high degree, as will be seen d compound interest at five per
Immediately by the results. Noth- cent Now reflect, that in a century
ing could be more touching, noble and and a haf there are ten tlme8 fourteen
respectable, than the conduct of the year8i ana that these one hundred and
members of this Jewish family, who, nfty thousand francs have thus been
count and investment
of Interest every six
months, producing, ss by
annexed vouchers - - 2I5.50,0M
Less losses sustained by
failures, expenses of com
mission and brokerage,
and salary of three gener
ations of trustees as PT
statement annexed - - 15,775,000
218,175.000
Francs 212.175.000
"It is quite right." said Samuel, af
ter examining the papers, contained In
the cedar-wood box. "There remains
in hand, at the absolute disposal of
the heirs of the Rennepont family, the
sum of two hundred and twelve mil
lions, one hundred and seventy-five
thousand francs." And the old man
looked at his wife with an expression
of legitimate pride.
"It Is hardly credible!" cried Bath
sheba, struck with surprise. I knew
that you had Immense property In
your hands; but I never could have
believed that one hundred and fifty
thousand francs, left a century and
a half ago, should be the only source
of this immense fortune."
"It Is even so, Bathsheba," answer-
less we have required some sagacity
in the choice of Investments, in times
of revolution and commercial panics;
but all this was easy to us, thanks to
our relations, with our brethern In all
countries and never have I, or any of
mine, made an usurious investment,
or even taken the advantage of the
lecal rate of Interest. Such were the
i
wicket, and saw three workmen, in the 'Why not open all the windows
garb of masons, accompanied by a asked the clerk.
young man dressed In black. I 'Because, sir, as guardian of this
'What may you want, gentlemen V
said the Jew, before opening the door,
as he wished first to make sure of the
Identity of the personages.
'I am sent by M. Dumesnil, the
notary.' answered the clerk, 'to be
present at the unwilling of a door.
Here is a letter from my master, ad
dressed to M. Samuel, guardian of the
house.'
'I am he, sir.' said the Jew; 'please
to put the letter through the slide, and
I will take it'
The clerk did .n Samuel desired, but
shrugged his shoulders at what he con
sidered the ridiculous precautions of
a suspicious old man. The housekeeper
opened the box, took the letter, went
to the end of the vaulted passage m
order to read It. and carefully com
pared the signature with that of
another letter which he drew from the
pocket of his lonr coat; then, after
all these precautions, he chained up
his dogs, and leturaed to open the gate
to the clrks and masons.
'What the devil, my good man!' said
the clerk .as he entered; 'there would
not be more formalities In opening the
gates of a fortress!'
The Jew bowed, but without answer
ing. 'Are you deaf, my good fellow?'
cried the clerk, close to his ears.
No, sir,' said Samuel, with a quiet
smile, as he advanced several steps be
yond the passage. Then pointing to the
old house, he added: 'That, sir, is the
door which you will have to open; you
will also have to remove the lead and
iron from the second window to the
right.'
house, I have received particular or
ders on the subject.' 'Who gave you
these orders?
'My father, sir, who received them
from his father, who transmitted them
from the master of this house. When
I cease to have the care of It the new
proprietor will do as he pleases.'
'Oh! very well," said the clerk, aot
a little surprised. Then, addressing
himself to the masons, he added: This
is your business, my fine fellows; you
are to unwall the door, and remove
the Iron frame-work of the second
window to the right'
Whilst the masons set to work, un
der the inspection of the notary's
clerk, a coach stopped before the out
er gate, and Rodin, accompanied by
Gabriel, entered the house In the Rus
Saint Francois.
DmI Tuiurr fepit ana mwi Imr i.ln Asj.
To quit tobaooo easily and forever, be ma
netic. full of life, nerve and visor, take No-Ts-Bae.
the wonder worker, that makes weak me a
strong. All druggists, toe or II. Cure guaran
teed. Boot't and sample tree. Addreas
Bierllng He . j Co.. Coloaro or Kew York.
AGENTS WANTED
I am anxious to Ret agents to work putting
un sates and s"Mrg rights and call your at
tention to THE GRANGER GATE
upon which I nave recently received letters
patent. ThU gate belDK so simple, durable
and cheap, It is bound to come Into quite
general use. Being constructed from seven
common fence boards, one 2i8 two feet long,
one pound of wrought nails, and one good
straight fence pott. It can be built on any
farm by any man who can saw a Loard and
drive a nail. There Is no trouble in selling
eltner the gate or farm or precinct rights,
and I want agents In every locality, to wham
I will allow a liberal commission.
If you have time to devoted to this work
you can make it pay.
Soliciting correspondence I am.
Respectfully Yours,
J. H. DUNDAS,
AUHITKN. NEB.
partners In the engagement of grati
tude taken by their ancestor, devote
themselves for long years, with as
much disinterestedness as intelli
gence and honesty, to the slow ac
quisition of a kingly fortune, of which
they expect no part themselves, but
which, thanks to them, would come
pure, as immense, to the hands of the
descendants of their benefactor! Nor
could anything be more honorable
to him who made, and him who re
ceived this deposit, than the simple
promise by word of mouth, unaccom
panied by any security save mutual
confidence and reciprocal esteem,
when the result was only to be pro
duced at the end of a century and a
half!
After once more reading his Inven
tory with attention, Samuel said to
his wife: "I am certain of the cor
rectness of my additions. Now
please to compare with the account
book in your hand the summary of
the Investments that I have just en
tered in the register. I will assure
myself, at the same time, that the
bonds and vouchers are properly ar
ranged In this casket, that, on ths
opening of the will, they may be pe-
llvered in order to the notary."
"Begin, my dear, and I will check
you," said Bathsheba
Samuel read as 'follows, examin
ing as he went on, the contents of
his casket:
Statement of the account of the heirs
of M. de Rennepont, delivered
by David Samuels.
DEBIT.
2,000,000 francs per annum.
in the French 5 P. C,
bought from 1S25 to 1832.
at an average price ot 99f.
60c. - - 39,800,000
900,000 francs, ditto, in the
French 3 P. C, bought
during the same years, at
an average of 74f. 25c - 22,275,000
5.000 shares in the Bank of
France, bought at 1,900 - 9,500,000
3,000 shares in the Four
Canals, in a certificate
from the Comnanv.boucht
at l,115t. - - 3.345,000
125,000 ducats of Neapoli
tans, at an average ot 82.
2.050.000 ducats, at 4f
400 9,020,000
5,000 Austrian Metal lies, of
1.000 florins, at 93 say
4.650,000 florins, at 2f. 50c. 11,625,000
75,000 pounds sterling per
annum, English Consoli
dated 3 P. C. at 88 say
2,218,760, at 26f. - 56,468.750
1,200,000 florins, Dutch 2V4
P. C. at 6028.860.000
florins, at 2f. 100 - 60.606.000
Cash In bank notes, gold and
silver ... 635,000
"It is true." replied the old man; "I ly sixty years of age, and, In 1750, he
had rather these immense riches were
In the hands of those to whom they
belong, than in mine; but, today, I
shall cease to be their trustee. Once
more then I will check the account
for ths last time, and compare ths
register with the cash-book that you
hold in your hand."
Bathsheba bowed her head afflrma-
also had a son David Samuel, ths
guardian of the house in the Rue
Salnt-Francols, who, In 1832 (ths date
of this narrative), was eighty-two
years old, and seemed likely to live
as long as his father, who had died
at the age of ninety-three. Finally,
Abel Samuel, the son whom Bathsheba
so bitterly regretted, born in 1790,
Francs 212,175,000
Paris, 12th February, 1882.
CREDIT.
150,000 francs received from
M. de Rennepont, In 1682,
by Isaac Samuel, my
grandfather; and Invested
by him, my father and my
self, In different securities,
at Flvs per Cent. Interest,,
with a settlement of ac-
doubled and redoubled, over and over
again. All that astonishes you will ap
pear plain enough. In 1682, M. de
Rennepont entrusted my grandfather
with a hundred and fifty thousand
francs; this sum, invested as I have
told you, would have produced in 1696,
fourteen years after, three hundred
thousand francs. These last, doubled
In 1710, would produce six hundred
thousand. On the death of my grand
father in 1719, the amount was already
near a million; in 1724, it would be
twelve hundred thousand francs; in
1738, two millions four hundred thou
sand; In 1752, about two years after my
birth, four millions eight hundred
thousand; In 1766, nine millions six
hundred thousand; in 1780, nineteen
millions two hundred thousand; in
1794, twelve years after the death ot
my father, thirty-eight millions four
hundred thousand; in 1808, seventy-
six millions eight hundred thousand;
In 1822, one hundred and fifty-three
millions six hundred thousand; and,
at this time, taking the compound in
terest for ten years, it should be at
least two hundred and twenty-five mil
lions. But losses and inevitable
charges, of which the account has been
strictly kept, have reduced the sum to
two hundred and twelve millions one
hundred and seventy-five thousand
trances, the securities for which are
in this box.'
'1 now understand you, my dear,'
answered Bathsheba, thoughtfully;
but how wonderful Is this power of ac
cumulation! and what admirable pro
vision may be made for the future,
with the smallest present resources!
'Such, no doubt, was the idea ot M.
de Rennepont; for my father has often
told me. and he derived it from his
father, that M. de Rennepont was one
of the soundest intellects of his time,'
said Samuel, as he closed the cedar-
box.
'God gTant his decendants may be
worthy of this kingly fortune, and
make a noble use of It!' said Bathshe
ba, rising.
It was now broad day, and the clock
had just struck seven.
'The masons will soon be here,' said
Samuel, as he replaced the cedar-box
in the iron safe, concealed behind the
antique press. 'Like you, Bathsheba,
I am curious and anxious to know,
what descendants of M. de Rennepont
will now present themselves.'
Two or three loud knocks on the
outer gate resounded through the
house. The barking of the watch-dogs
responded to this summons.
Samuel said to his wife: 'It is no
doubt the masons, whom the notary
has sent with his clerk. Tie all the
keys and their labels together; I will
come back and fetch them.'
So saying, Samuel went down to the
door, with much nlmbleness, con si d
erlng his age, prudently opened a small
if On
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