The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1857-12-31
T. gg. WAR2TTCX,,
Paper Hanger,
From Morsis & WilIiS'S Home Journal
A BIBIE-sTCRY FOR MOTHERS.
BY n. p. WILLIS.

RACHEL-(GENEsIs, XVIII. TO XXX)
Twas sunset in the land where Eden was
Haran, the fertile 10 the times of old.
And now the fiocks, from far off field and hill,
Home followed to the fold at Laban's well
And, when for them the stone wasr rolled away,
They drank, and Jacob numbered them. For
such
AS of it's life had well fu lfiled day,
The sunset seemed the giving of it joy
Joy for the horn'd cattle with their calves;
Joy for the goats with kids the sheep with
lambs;
Joy for the birds, that tilted on their nests,
Singing till twilight should enfold their young
And, from the louly hut beyond the well,
Rose the sweet laughter OF the shepherds
bate;
And Zipah's son, and Billah's, on the clean
Smooth f1oor between the household's circling
tents,
Played With the children of the unoved Leah.
Bot, in the shadow of he tallest palm.
There stood tent, apart. Til untrlmPed
grass
Told of no frolic feet familiar there;
And silence reigned within It's guarded roou';
And, by the half-drawu curtain of the door,
Safe one who felt her life too sorowful
To let the greeting of the sunset in
For, on the herds that watered The well,
And on the children that played joyous by.
And on the flowers, and birds, and laden
Each lacking nought Of life that was lis own
How could she look and feel she was of them
RAcHEL-the chiIdIess!
Twas another eve;
And other summers had on Haran snIed--
An eve of golden glory, that, again,
Found jacob with his iocks at Laban's well
And now-uncovered, as at prayer-he stood,
And looked where glowed the Bethel OF his
dreaH;
For, in The glory Of that Western sky,
He saw again the ladder rise 10 Heaven,
And the ascending and descending troop
That mnistered 10 him who stood above
The place none other than the house of Cod
There, where he poured the oil upon the stone
As ne came East from Canaan And, as wont,
In the devoutness Of that evening hour,
He recognised THE COVENANT fulfilled:
For he had food, and ralment to put on
His cattle and bis 1oc Ks in peace were there
A Fod still with him who increased his store,
And kept him in the way that he should 60,
And who the holy promise would fulfil,
Dearest 10 Jacob in that stranger land
To bring him TO his fathers house once more
" Thus prayed he. with the setting of the sun,
But oh, there was another gift from God.
And far more precious, tho unnamed with
these;
Whose Joy had waited not the sunsets glow
To kindle it TO prayer, but whose fond fire
Burned thanksgiving incense all the day.
She tohon, he LoUed had borne to him child.
And to the tent that stood beneath the palm
The tent apart, that was so shut and lone
The glory of the evening entered now;
The silken cord drawn eagerly and far
Fiat the sur's greeting should be all let in
The rosy record of day fulfilled
Being the mirror of mothers Joy
For, on the floor, rejoicing in its light,
Lay the boy babe of Bachel. She, of all
The daughters of the land most fair to see
Most loved, and so most needing to bestow
A jewel from her heart on whom she loved
She who of woman was reprOacbed to be
Barren tho beautiful-and thus unbest,
Refusing to be omfoited-behold
God had remembered her!
-s On mother loved
You who have taken to your breast child
New given from your beauty unto him
Whose soul is mingled in its life, the link
OF an immuraal.spirit welded now
Betwixt your twain forever, read you here
How I'm tho Scrinfnra Is vonY sfnrv writ