Page:Rachel (1887 Nina H. Kennard).djvu/14

 panied by his wife, Esther Haya, he wandered from town to town, and from fair to fair, pursuing, like the majority of itinerant Jews, a variety of avocations, selling whatever suited the market for the time being. They had only arrived in Munf a few days before Rachel's birth, and left it a few days after, helped on their road by the charitable contributions of some of the Israelite inhabitants of the village.

In consequence of this nomad existence each child of the Félix family was native of a different place, and each in turn was looked upon as a burden by the mother and an expense by the father. Several died in childhood; six only lived to grow up—Sarah, Rachel, Raphaël, Leah, Dinah, and Rebecca. Sarah, the eldest, was born in Germany, in the midst of the old customs and traditions of the nationality to which she belonged, and ever remained the most thoroughly Jewish member of the family. Raphaël was born in Macon, Rebecca (known for some years as Rosalie) was born in Lyons, and Dinah (known as Emilia) in Paris.

For ten successive years the family wandered through Switzerland and Germany, until at last, aided by the energy and industry of his wife, Abraham was able to take a small lodging in Lyons, where Esther sold and mended old theatrical dresses, and he gave lessons in German. The children were obliged to help towards paying the expenses of the household. Sarah, the eldest, went through the streets singing, accompanied by her younger sister, Rachel, who collected the few pence they were able to obtain from the charity of the passers-by. They often trundled a third child in a little cart between them, thus adding to the interest they excited, and relieving their mother of the care of the baby for a short time.