the households composing it. But not every household had to supply
a recruit. A household with a large number of sons secured the
exemption of a household with fewer sons. For instance, a household
with four sons in it was exempted, if there was a household with
five sons to levy from in the same family. And a household of three
sons was spared when there was, in the same family, a household of
four sons. And so forth.--

And as father was speaking--the old man continued--mother
contemplated us, as one that escapes from a fire contemplates the
saved remnants; and her eyes overflowed with silent tears. Those
were the last tears shed over the grave of Dovidl, and for those
tears father had no rebuke. We felt that Dovidl was a saint: he had
departed this life to save us from the hand of the Catcher. It
seemed to me that the soul of Dovidl was flitting about the room,
listening to everything, and noticing that we were pleased that he
had died; and I felt ashamed.

The next day I went to the Heder, somewhat proud of myself. I
boasted before my mates that I was a Third. The Fourths envied me;
the Fifths envied the Fourths, and all of us envied the Seconds and
the only sons. So little chaps, youngsters who knew not what their
life was going to be, came to know early that brothers, sons of one
father, may at times be a source of trouble to one another.

That was at the beginning of the summer.

The teachers decided that we remain within the walls of the Heder
most of the time, and show ourselves outside as little as possible
during the period of danger. But a decree like that was more than