wasn’t a very pleasant sight.
“He didn’t say anything. He just plopped the sack down on the floor and slumped down beside it, right there in the synagogue!
“This made the boy angry. ‘What do you mean settling yourself here?’ he yelled at the old man. ‘This is not an inn where you get a night’s lodging.’
“ ‘I’m sorry,’ the stranger said. ‘I did not mean to dishonor the synagogue. But I’m so tired. Please, let me rest here for just a little while; then I’ll be off.’
“ ‘No, you can’t stay here!’ the boy shouted. ‘I’m sure my father wouldn’t like to have tramps coming in here with their dirty things.’
“The poor old man sighed wearily. He staggered to his feet, picked up his heavy bundle and went away.
“A little while later, the boy’s father returned to the synagogue. ‘Well, my son,’ he asked, ‘have you seen Elijah yet?’
“The boy shook his head sadly. ‘No, father, I haven’t. All I saw was an old tramp with a sack on his back.’
“ ‘Did you welcome him with the words
Shalom aleichem
[Peace be with you]?’ the father asked.
“ ‘No, father, I didn’t,’ the boy replied.
“ ‘Oh, my foolish son! Why didn’t you? Didn’t you know that that was Elijah?’ Sorrowfully he shook his head. ‘Alas, I’m afraid now it’s too late.’
“From that day on, the young boy changed. He never failed to welcome anyone, no matter who he was, or how he looked. And Charlie,” Papa held up a warning finger, “you must do the same.”
Charlie dug his hands into his pockets and walked slowly to his room. The picture of the old man plodding along with a heavy sack on his back kept reappearing before him. There was something very familiar about it. What was it?
Then, like a dart of lightning, it came to him! Of course! Grabbing his jacket, he slipped out through the parlor door so quietly, no one noticed his going.
The sun had set. The guests were already assembled around the table. To the right of Papa’s throne, were Uncle Hyman, Aunt Lena, Tanta, and Grace. To the left sat Aunt Fanny and Uncle Joe and Ruthie—looking a little less like a plucked chicken, now that her hair had grown out a little. All the other chairs were occupied by the family—all, that is, except one.
“Where’s Charlie? All day long he could hardly wait forthe Seder to begin,” Papa cried, annoyed. “Now where is he?”
“Charlie! Charlie!” the sisters called, running through the house searching everywhere—under beds, inside closets, behind the piano, and even out in the hall. No Charlie anywhere!
“He may have gone downstairs,” Henny suggested. “I’ll go look.”
“We didn’t see him when we came,” Aunt Lena declared.
“We didn’t see him either,” Aunt Fanny added. “Tsk, tsk! What could have happened to the child?”
“Could he have gone to your house, Grace?” Mama asked, by now a bit worried.
Grace hurried toward the door. “I’ll see.”
In a few minutes both she and Henny were back. No Charlie!
“Could he have gone to a friend’s house?” Ella offered.
Mama shook her head. “Tonight?”
“Where could he be?” everyone wondered out loud.
Papa was completely baffled. “He was in the kitchen with me just a little while ago. I was telling him a story. How was it no one saw him go?”
“We were all so busy with last-minute things, no one paid any attention,” Sarah put in.
“Tonight of all nights!” Papa’s voice rose angrily.
Aunt Lena signaled to Mama. “Why don’t you call up one of his friends anyway?” she urged.
“Yes. Yes, I will.” Mama started for the phone.
Precisely at that moment, the kitchen door was heard opening.
“Charlie?” Mama called out hopefully.
“Papa, Papa!” Charlie’s voice sounded all excited.
“Charlie, where were you?” Papa cried. “Just when we are to begin the …” Papa’s unfinished sentence hung in midair. Charlie was not alone. Behind him trailed a short, stocky man
“He didn’t say anything. He just plopped the sack down on the floor and slumped down beside it, right there in the synagogue!
“This made the boy angry. ‘What do you mean settling yourself here?’ he yelled at the old man. ‘This is not an inn where you get a night’s lodging.’
“ ‘I’m sorry,’ the stranger said. ‘I did not mean to dishonor the synagogue. But I’m so tired. Please, let me rest here for just a little while; then I’ll be off.’
“ ‘No, you can’t stay here!’ the boy shouted. ‘I’m sure my father wouldn’t like to have tramps coming in here with their dirty things.’
“The poor old man sighed wearily. He staggered to his feet, picked up his heavy bundle and went away.
“A little while later, the boy’s father returned to the synagogue. ‘Well, my son,’ he asked, ‘have you seen Elijah yet?’
“The boy shook his head sadly. ‘No, father, I haven’t. All I saw was an old tramp with a sack on his back.’
“ ‘Did you welcome him with the words
Shalom aleichem
[Peace be with you]?’ the father asked.
“ ‘No, father, I didn’t,’ the boy replied.
“ ‘Oh, my foolish son! Why didn’t you? Didn’t you know that that was Elijah?’ Sorrowfully he shook his head. ‘Alas, I’m afraid now it’s too late.’
“From that day on, the young boy changed. He never failed to welcome anyone, no matter who he was, or how he looked. And Charlie,” Papa held up a warning finger, “you must do the same.”
Charlie dug his hands into his pockets and walked slowly to his room. The picture of the old man plodding along with a heavy sack on his back kept reappearing before him. There was something very familiar about it. What was it?
Then, like a dart of lightning, it came to him! Of course! Grabbing his jacket, he slipped out through the parlor door so quietly, no one noticed his going.
The sun had set. The guests were already assembled around the table. To the right of Papa’s throne, were Uncle Hyman, Aunt Lena, Tanta, and Grace. To the left sat Aunt Fanny and Uncle Joe and Ruthie—looking a little less like a plucked chicken, now that her hair had grown out a little. All the other chairs were occupied by the family—all, that is, except one.
“Where’s Charlie? All day long he could hardly wait forthe Seder to begin,” Papa cried, annoyed. “Now where is he?”
“Charlie! Charlie!” the sisters called, running through the house searching everywhere—under beds, inside closets, behind the piano, and even out in the hall. No Charlie anywhere!
“He may have gone downstairs,” Henny suggested. “I’ll go look.”
“We didn’t see him when we came,” Aunt Lena declared.
“We didn’t see him either,” Aunt Fanny added. “Tsk, tsk! What could have happened to the child?”
“Could he have gone to your house, Grace?” Mama asked, by now a bit worried.
Grace hurried toward the door. “I’ll see.”
In a few minutes both she and Henny were back. No Charlie!
“Could he have gone to a friend’s house?” Ella offered.
Mama shook her head. “Tonight?”
“Where could he be?” everyone wondered out loud.
Papa was completely baffled. “He was in the kitchen with me just a little while ago. I was telling him a story. How was it no one saw him go?”
“We were all so busy with last-minute things, no one paid any attention,” Sarah put in.
“Tonight of all nights!” Papa’s voice rose angrily.
Aunt Lena signaled to Mama. “Why don’t you call up one of his friends anyway?” she urged.
“Yes. Yes, I will.” Mama started for the phone.
Precisely at that moment, the kitchen door was heard opening.
“Charlie?” Mama called out hopefully.
“Papa, Papa!” Charlie’s voice sounded all excited.
“Charlie, where were you?” Papa cried. “Just when we are to begin the …” Papa’s unfinished sentence hung in midair. Charlie was not alone. Behind him trailed a short, stocky man
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