The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-07-05

or to what.
A long. time they wandered in the
rough sandy wilderness. When they
were tired, they lay down to sleep under
the thorn-bushes when they were hun
CRY, they broke piece off the loaf and
drank from the bottle. Gradually the
loaf grew less, the last drops were
drained, and still they were in the desert
wilds, and as far from human help as
ever. The poor boy cried with thirst,
and the mother was thirsty, too, though
she suffered in silence. At last the boy
lay down. He could go no farther.
His hand were hot, and his head burned
with fever. Each moment he grew more
i'll. His mother tended him, but what
could she do without food or medicine ?
At last his eyes closed, he no longer
moved or spoke, and gradually the con-
viction grew in her that, unless aid
came from somewhere, he must die.
Where could she hope for help? The
hot sand gave none, the blue sky looked
pitiless. All she could do was to draw
him beneath the shadow of some bushes,
put stone under his head by way of
pillow, kiss him, call his name and for
neither kiss nor call did he open his eyes.
At last, with great sob, she went away
quite a long way of-and sat down
with her back to him. "Let me not
see the death of the child,'' she said
within herself; and with the words
came thoughts of what dear baby
he had been; how brave and
bright always how pretty and coaxing
in his ways; and she began to cry,
gently at first, then loudly, with means
and sobs, as if, in that inhospitable spot,
some one might hear and come to her re-
lief. There was no chance of that, she
knew still, the tears seemed to relieve,
in part, the misery of her heart.
But some one did hear Mans ex-
tremity is Gods opportunity" good
man has said and in this poor mothers
extremity help came to her. A voice
called her name. She looked up, and
there above her head was the shining
form of an angel.
"What aileth thee ?" the angel said
Clear not, for God hath heard the voice
of the lad where he is Arise, lift the
lad and hold HIM in thy hand, for will
make of him great nation" Then the
angel vanished.
"Oh r' gasped the poor mother,
"what can he mean? "A great nation
when have not even a drop of water to
give him to drink %
She arose, however, for the angel was
not to be disobeyed. 1t seemed as if
God led her, for, as she went back to
where her son lay, her feet, as if of
themselves, turned aside in the thicket,
and there, shining out from the sand,
was cool, bubbling spring of water
There it had been all the time, while she
sat despairingly with her back to
the dying lad-there, close by but she
had not guessed it until Gods moment
came.
I think, do you know, that there is a
beautiful thought here for all of us. Al
most every one, at some time or other IN
his life, has unhappy days when hope
| seems dead, and all things go wrong. II
our eyes were opened to see, on such
days, or our faith were stronger, perhaps
for us too would be revealed some bright
| fountain of refreshment which God has
set for us to drink from, and which,
pretty soon, we shall come to, if only we
4
wait His pleasure.
You can guess how glad the poor
mother was when she saw the water. She
ran to her boy, lifted him in her arms,
and laid him down beside the spring.
where the ground, carpeted with fresh
herbs, made a soft bed. Then she bathed
his head with water and gave him drink;
and when he felt the cool touch on his
lips he opened his eyes and smiled, and
she knew that he was saved.
We don't know much about the history
of the mother and boy after that day.
The Bible tells us no more, except that
God was with the lad, and he grew and
dwelt in the wilderness, and became
an archer" Later, when he was man,
he married an Egyptian girl. 1t is from
him that the Bedouins of the desert
and the wild tribes of Palestine
and India are descended. Ishmael-
ties :" they are called, from the boy S
name for now that you have guessed, as
L think you must, [ don't mind telling
that the story is about Hagar AMI Ish-
mael, and the old man who sent them
forth into the wilderness was Abraham.
the friend ard servant of God, about
whom such wonderful and beautiful
things are told in the Old Testament.
have heard just one more curious
little story about Ishmael, which I will
tell you. 1t is not given in the Bible.
and may not be true; but the Jews ac-
cept 1t as a tradition, OF unwritten story,
handed down from one generation to an
other:
Ishmael lived wandering life with
his wife and cattle, and the Lord
blessed his focks, and he had great pos
sessions. But his heart remained the
same /; and he was master of archery,
and instructed his neighbors in making
bows.
/" After some years, Abraham, whose
heart longed for his son, said to Sarah.
must see how my son Ishmael fares.
And she answered, 'Thou shalt go, if
thou wilt swear to me not to alight from
off thy camel So Abraham swore.
Then he went to Paran. over the desert