Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-28
rnE eBNrLs.u.sv or GENESIS.
THE STORY OF JOSEPH NEWLY TOLD.


the only symmetrical figure was Joseph's.
Adam had dominion over tho earth but
he attempted to shield himself from the
Divine dspleasure 10y. laying the blame on
his wife, which no gentleman would ever
do. Noah was Just man aud perfect in
his generation, IL you do not mind an oc-
casional fl of drunkenness. Abraham was
a fine old sheikb, Il truly heroic figure,
brave, generous, courteous, hospitabe,
magnanimous. No wonder the naughty
Jews loved TO remember and: repeat that
they were Abraham's children. But Abb
raham had his weakness and fell before
his temptations and Isaac followed in his
footsteps. OF Jacob, perhaps, the least said
the better, though he maintained his posi-
ton as head of his family with unrelenting
vigor, calling no man master, either son or
king. There may have been other men
whose life was without fear and without re-
proach but their history is unknown to
MS, their portrait is hardly more than a
name. Joseph alone rises up out of that
vast, far world, clearly outlined distinctly
seen, simple, sanity, strong-a perfect gen.
tleman.
Yet wo. should hardly EXPECT il. His
father was a man of double-dealing, and
| courageous only in extremity. His moth
| er could steal uponioccasion and lie like a
French woman, and was envlous, petulant
and unreason ibe. His brothers showed
their blood and training. They were not
| without admirable traits but they were
| given to low vices-they were trcach-
| 4 Il
| ly was Joseph the son of his fathers be-
| loved wife-the child of long-waiting and
many hopes-but his mother died in his
early boyhood, and left him thus still more
at the mercy of unframed and unwise fav-
oritism. Surely, Joseph had every pros
| pect of becoming spoiled child yet he
came ont of it all tender and sweet and
pure as the angels in heaven. No one pre-
| tends that he ever was disciplined. If there
is anything injudicious and unnatural, it
is Partially in parental feeling and treat
ment Yet Jacob made no secret that he
loved Joseph more than all the rest of his
sons. 1t naturally made the others angry !;
but Joseph's loneliness of temper and dis
| position seem TO have been beyond the
reach of the spoiler. We see, therefore,
that even Solomon cannot have ii all his
own way. If you do not train up a child
| in the way he should go, he may 90 there
in spite of you. Love-demonstrative,
| overlooking, everlasting-seems toi.have
done for Joseph everythin- that the sever
est discipline, the most careful training
could have done. Let us take courage. We
cannot all be wise, but we can all love.
Life lowered darkly over his dreams when
this handsome, spirited young fellow was
torn away from his fond old father and
sold into apparently perpetual and hope
less slavery. From being the pet and
| pride of the house, with great expectations
| ofimmense wealth, free, commanding and
beloved, this wandering heir was an alien
and a servant, and presently in dungeon.
| One would think his heart would have
broken-his free, wild soul, bred to the
hills and the skies and all the wide wilder
ness but he held himself firmly and equa-
bly,. Servitude.and the prison were but
his opportunity. There he developed his
high executive ability and honor the most
delicate and loftiest. 1t was not supine-
ness, nor even an Oriental submission to
fate, for his one prayer was TO be taken
tout of this house - but while lie was in
it he lived aud learned and labored, in
stead of pninG. How came that grand and
tranquil spirit into the form of the spoiled
child? Where in his nomad, turbulent
| tribe did he learn this serene elf-posses-
sion, this instructive gh-mindedness :?
He had genteman's spontaneous shrink
| inv f,D, Ia
longer restrain himself, when there was no
longer need that he should restrain hims self,
since he had tested his brothers DISPOSE
ton, and iuund.ithat thosel:wh no had sold
| him into bondage were now ready 10 AS
sumo the dungeon. themsevesito save their
| young brother for their father SAX q, he sent
every man-every officer, servant, attend
ant-out of the room while he made him
self known TO his brethren. No stranger
| should witness that solemn moment. And
then how his great heart broke in the an
guish of his love and tenderness and long
ing ! Recognition, reinsurance, inquiry,
comfort he pours upon them incoherently,
impetuously No tact of French suion
could surpass the tender tact of this true
hearted gentleman. Their sin and shame
must come up, there is no help for that, his
identity required il; but they came up,
only u be buried away out of sight and
sound forever. He gives them 10 chance
to repent. He takes the words out of THEN
mouths he would take the thought out of
their hearts, If he could. He forgives them
so completely that they never sinnCd. 1t
was not they that sent him hither, but God!
Whitest of all white lies Whittier and
| purer and fairer than the truth itself! Sweet
| lie that deceives nobody and consoles the
remorseful and succors the faintng heart I!
And how guileless, filal and natural is his
exultstion over his proud pre-emnence
Doubtless, he goes in and out before the
Egyptians az stately and pompous as any
Pharaoh of them all. No look or word be.
trays the smallest consciousness of purple
robe or regal chariot but with these, his
brothers, who knew him as boy playing
among the sheep-folds, he delights to speak
of his power. and perhaps the first pure joy
in his glory he feels when he bids them
"iell my father Of all my glory in Egypt"
| And let 1t not be forgotten, this petted,
dreaming boy, this spotless man, this fond,
forgiving brother and yearning son was no
milksop, but great powerful, ambitious,
far-seeing man. Premier OF Egypt con-
nected by marriage with the first fam
lilies, emphatically a ruler in his own right
and by his own might. Many boys and
some men and some women, seem TO think
that to be tender and pure and loving is to
be "spooney." Our knowing philosophers
| are apt 10 assert that tho good ones aren't