The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-10
For the FARMER AND MECHANIC,
SKETCHES ILLUSTRATIVE OF
BIBLE HISTORY.
JAEL.

sion. She is evidently waiting walt
ing and listening, as people wait and lis
ten for the sounds of battle. At length
a distant clangOur,-not the cry OF con
tiictine armies, but a blowing of trum-
pets, beating of drums, and shrlll sound
of pipes is bourne upon the air. And
q distant object meets her expectant
gaze-a single object, a white robed,
flying figure, is coming towards her
through the valley. How swiftly it
approaches and all. what terror and
agony is depicted upon the young face
which at length rests itself at Jaels
knee. "Oh Jael," she gasps, my
child my beautiful boy! save him
save him!" As the mother speaks, she
points to a line of grey smoke, which
cuts the blue sky in twain, and in the
same direction the noisy, discordant but
distant music is heard. Jael looks, and
her eyes grow large with horror; her
worst fears are realized they are
burning their children to Moloch. She
clasps her hands, and throwing them
wildly above her head, cries, oh, my
God, help us! help US! help us!' The
young mother has fallen at her feet and
lies insensible. Jael makes an effort to
restore her, but fails. God is merci-
full she murmurs, as the agOnlzed eX-
preston of the sufferer fades away into
the peaceful rest of death. The long
flight, and the breaking heart, had
snapped the cord of life beyond all hope
of restoration. Jael becomes calm, but
a look of fixed purpose III into the
firm lines of her noble and aged brow.
MY husband is at peace with Jabin,
King of Hazor,' she said, but he and
his chiefs, are the origin Of all this evil;
and if they ever come within reach Of
M vengeance, | will, with Gods help,
destroy them utterly. 1t is a war with
the prince of evil and weakness in de-
fence of the right is now a crime
With gentle hands and loving care
she ' the dead young lsraelitish
mother into her tent and prepares her
for burial. Very beautiful the corpse
looks when all is done, and the stately
figure Of Jael is seated motionless be
side it, when, a few hours later, Heber'o
step is heard, returning from Hebron.
He starts as his eye falls upon the scene
his home. My darling, what
has occurred ?" he asks breathlessly.
She raises the white linen and reveals
the face ;-they, the childless Old couple
had both loved her, the dead one, very
and her beautiful boy kedar
was as dear to them as if he had been
their grand-child. Jael pointed at the
still ascending smoke in the distance,
and said, 'Jabin and Sisera have per
,uaded her husband to sacrifice his son"
md her calm voice failed, and the tears
,prang to her dry eyes as she added
our beautiful pet, our little kedar has
been thrown into the fiery arms Of Mo
och. Thank God that the mothers
| 0 is over; thank God that she is
lot to live, and see daily before her the
husband who could be persuaded to
,uch a murder.
Poor wretch" exclaimed Heller.
'Sisera was his intimate friend and per-
uaded him that Moloch demands our
nearest and dearest as he has done
0 many other misguided israelites. ;
rod help US. God help us"
God sometimes gives us the strength |
} help ourselves, answered Jael, set
ing her firm lips together, and the light c
fhich blazed in her eyes seemed to dry e
ID the tears like a scorching flame.
Hear me, Heber, | will hence forward i
ray to be delivered from all womanish '
Ears. l pray that God may give to d
hese feeble hands the power to arrest '
he influence of Sisers.' +
THAT can only be done by his DEATH a
, ,wered Heber, for | have used every b
possible to dissuade him from v
i course. While his ~eloquence leads a
hers into what they would otherwise o
, ink from. he himself has no belief In V
Ioloch. He is a fiend, and wells his t
,rocious moral deformity with assumed +
,triotism and philosophy II
..As long as we had judges in Israel" s.
swared ,Jael, ''who obeyed Gods p