Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-08-04
Slomth's Column.
SOLD FOR A SLAVE.

beautiful valley. They kept good look
out, because robbers or wild beasts might.
come atany time and carry off some of
the flock. Their sharp eyes at length
caught sight of a figure walking towards
them. 1t is a boy. As he came nearer.
they could see that he wore bright
colored coat that sparkled in the sun
light. 1t is their brother, their fathers
favorite son, and his fine tunic was his
fathers gift, to show everybody how
fond he was of him. Now his brothers
hated him, partly because his father
loved him better than them, but more
because God had sent him dreams that
said that one day he should be the great
est of all the family. There was another
reason why they hated him; they often
did what was wrong, and the boy told
his father. He was no .tell-tale,' how
ever; they sometimes treated him badly
and he never said word. He only told
his father what his father ought to know.
Still, it was the dreams they thought
most about
let US Stay him., proposes one of
them, and we can say that it was an
evil beast that did it. They all agree,
but-v nv Of thvm says, Here is an empty
we'll, put him in that, and let him starve
- I--.L, anu Jnen we shall not be guilty
of shedding his blood That pleases
them but you know that way of killing
him was just as much murder as the
other. Sin is sin, however you commit
it. But the one who had proposed put
ting him into the pit, meant to come
when the others had gone away and take
him out again. Directly the boy reached
them, they stripped his handsome coat
from him. and threw him into the we'll.
The one kind-hearted brother left them,
perhaps to think how he could get the
others from the place soon. before the
boy had been hurt The rest sat down
to eat and drink, and to make merry
over the bad deed.
While they were at their meal, cara
van drew near; long lines of camels
carrying spices, with the men who owned
them, and gang of slaves toiling along
on foot. Better sell the boy for slave
than kill him. says one (; we shall get
little money for him, and we shall not
be murderers.' So the boy is drawn up
out of the pit, How glad he would be
he would think they put him in only to
brighten him. But too soon he learns the
truth. He begs and prays. with many
tears. for mercy. But they will not hear
him and in few minutes he is walk
ing with the other slaves. How misera-
BILE he must have felt His brothers
then dipped his coat in the blood of a
kid and took it home to their father, and
he believed that wild beast had killed
his much. loved child. l dare say you
all know that the boys name was Joseph,
and his fathers Jacob; and that it was
Reuben who tried to save him, and Judah
who spoke first about selling him for a
slave. And you know God took care Of
Joseph, and that his dreams all came
true. But want to talk to you little
about the naughty feeling that made
Joseph's brothers act to him so cruelty
and wickedly as they did. The New
Testament tells us they were moved
with envy But what is envy?
If John has more playthings thar
James, and James wishes he had them
he is covetous. If Jane wears NICE
dresses than Mary. and Mary frets be-
cause her dresses are poorer than James
; she is discontinued. But neither Jane,
nor Mary is really envious. But if they
let themselves be vexed. not only becaus,
they have not the things. but becaus,
: the others have them, then they are en-
vious. Envy soon leads to dislike anc
on to hatred. And James boxes John
ears. not because John has harmed him
but because he does not like to see Johl
; so happy over his toys. And Mary give
Jane sly pinch, not because Jane ha
e wronged her. but out of spite that Jan
s has nicer dress than she has. | re
f member when | was at school seeing
little boy run out of the school room
quite joyful because he had just got t
the top of his class, and big boy, VIII
had been turned back in his lessons
l. kicked him so as to make him cry. 70
: see, he was envlous. Three or four year
y ago. l saw two girls 60 to house wit
s Christmas Collecting Cards for the Mis-
sions. By and by servant brongh
i them each some money. Perhaps tn
n lady of the house had not two coins {
l. the same value in her purse. At an
J. rate, she sent more money to one gil
! than to the other. AS soon as the gil
who had the smaller coin found that OF
. she snatched her companions card frol
IT her hand. threw it down into the mu
e and trod on it. You see. she was move
n with envy just as Joseph's brother
were.
;. expect all my little readers are som
~ times tempted to be envious. Thinl
70 dear children, how great sin envy i
t. and how much mischief it has done.
IN made Cain kill Abel it made the Jew
= cruelty Jesus Christ. And if you pra
- to Him, God will help you not to sho
T. envy by cross words or unkind deed
t. even if you feel it. And more. He wi
10 help you so to love everybody, that W