The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-05
az ETCHES ILLUSTRATIVE OF
BIBLE HISTORY.
BY ABB MORi.
The Kenites No. 4.

"ZIppOran, GEAR, 40 you ho'
it is nearing the time OF the evening
sacrifice and we ought to turn the
flock homeward 2" asked a lovely
fourteen wear old maiden of her elder
sister.
eyes, Adah, my pet, sound your
shell trumpet. and call them togeth-
err" The girl raised the shell to her
ruby lips and blew a long, vibrating,
musical blast. At the sound, several
other girls of various ages, approach
ed from the surrounding woodlands,
and following them slowly, came the
feecy flock. Each young figure was
robed in white, as pure and fresh as a
swan, and each young face was shaded
by a broad straw hat. AS they drew
near, Zipporah, the eldest sister, placed
her spindle and distaff in a basket
she had been spinning thread-and
took them successfully in her arms.
ssMy darlings, it seems a long time
since / have seen you. Now let us
hasten to our mother, and hope that
the shepherds will not detain us too
long at the WELL"
.sOh, Zipporah, those terrible shep-
herds Il cannot think how you can
be so brave as to go near Them said
Sarai. the second sister, who was as
tall as Zipporah, but not quite so fine
ly proportioned.
Il do not 90 very near them," said
Zipporah with a smile, ''but | I'M not
so very much afraid of them, because
l am always sure of one thing:-there
is no living race SO fleet of foot as the
Kenites even my little Adah run as
swiftly as a gaZelle. And therefore
we have nothing really to fear from
these savage shepherds, except that
we are usually detained longer than
we like, in watering III flock"
Sarai linked her arm in that of Zip
porah, and the beautiful group leis-
urely wendell their way toward the
well, with busy tongues and ripping
laughter, and following them came
the docile, well trained sheep. The
fountain was soon reached and the
troughs of water flied, and the eager
flock were pressing forward to drink,
when the wild shouts of the heather
shepherds were heard. They rushed
down the hillslOpe to drive away the
herds of Jethro. as was their habit.
Often they detained the gentle girls
until near night-fall, before they
could again reach the ~troughs. They
attempted no resistance or remon-
STRANGE, but withdrew to a little dis
lance and patiently waited until the
noisy crowd dispersed. But on this
particular evening a stranger sat be-
side the well and now as the shep-
herds drew near, he saw their inten-
ton, and rising from his seat, he in
terposed his tall and stately presence
between their appraised slaves and the
drinking flock. With scowls and
threats they still advanced, but he
drew a poniard from his richly
wrought girdle and cried, Back,
back, shame on you for your want of
manliness and honesty. He who OPP
presses women and children with
brute force does not deserve the name
of man."
Abashed, ashamed, and somewhat
afraid, they 1etreated, and waited sui
lenly until the troughs were empty.
The girls glanced gratefully towards
the princely looking stranger, but
were too timid to address any remark
to him. Again Adams shell trumpet
sounded its sweetly modulated blast
over the plain and the obedient flock
followed their young guides across the
~greensward and disappeared from
sight. Moses watched them sadly,
with the aching heart Of an exile, and
regardless of the vociferating shep.
herds, who now crowded around the
fountain, he sat with his eyes fixed
upon the ground, in dreamy abstrac-
ton. Atlength one of the rude shcp-
herds, with the hospitality almost
universal in the East, and at that ace
asked him to accept of the shelter of
his tent for the night.
Thanks, my friend" answered the
weary wayfarer, Il hoped to reach
the habitation of Jethro, the priest OF
indian, tonight. Can you tell me
where he lives 2"
"Surely, yes" replied the man,
'you have just watered his flock =
the maldens you have befIiended are
. hic 1anplforc