, 1879-05-18

the probable numbers OF the third generation,
aud allow the whole balance OF the time 1or That
generation to develop its numbers, Tor children
to grow up, and for the tagging divisions OF our
family host to fall into line, that We may count
them and take q new start. Many members OF
the fourth generation must have appeared, but
| We treat them as not yet born, and ouly count
/ them in the next period. Ephram himself ap-
| pears not to have entered polygany, nus TO nave
| follow ed the example OF his admirable father
He had, however, at least ten sons, as the names
| OF that many are recorded. Perhaps he had
more. Two of these SONS were slain IN battle
Il Chron, Z, 2n AS they NAY have been Yoang ; y;
sons as eight. To these eight young Princes we
allow so average of five wives and twenty chill
dreu, over and above those dying in carly years.
This will appear very moderate estlniate
when we consider the circumstanc und
remember Gideon's seventy sons, King Keho-
| boam's eighty eight children, and King Abijam's
! thirty-eight children. Thus the second gen
| Grafton IN Ephraim numbers 160. In this gen
| Grafton there was also one daughter, apparently
| Sherah, in seeming compliment. to Jacobs only
| granddaughter Serah. A rank was accorded
| 6er in keeping with the preciousness and
rarity Of daughters; and tie building Of 1 three re-,
| two Beth Horons. She appears to have married
| q Phlistine Prince. No trouble is yet en-
countcred BY the 160 young men IN obtaining or
! supporting numerous wives vitality IS, how
| ever. uLLlE CuECACQs AHA AEAAo4C VIZ tAo Oes+aa
to aopear. We compute for them an average
of i've wives and fifteen children each. This q
total Of 2,4OO, OF which number We set down
| 2uOO as males. At this point Pharaoh and the
Egyptians take fright. Had they possessed
saGacitv enough to let alone until luxury amt
oyer-fecunditY had time to work their natural
results, 1srael's rapid increase might have been
checked. God willed it otherwise. Before the
first reservoir had been drained Pharaoh blntil}
renewed 1t BY imposing physical discipline ant
With 1000 young males NE may now enter ths
| second period, r which we have estimated at tWen
| ~ wears, Seryitude Is imposed for the avoWet
purpose of stopping their increase. Most OF tut
| generation were married before the persecution
began. many of them to more than one wife
Egypt is full Of comers and goers OF all nations
and from them all the wives needed can be 90
rained. The contemplate character OF the Der
xerntiou srouscs the determination not to y1tlt
and be reduced to childiessness; and as a resul
W. read: "The more they afflicted them tn
! | rnore thew multiplied and grew. And they Wer
rrieyed because of the childrtn OF Israeli" tExo
Ans. T., 12) This Of course refers to tue aggregate
increase, not to the ratio. In the previous t"ent
rears It had only been about 2,00o; buE IN th1
twenty wears it was many thousands. WE com
nnte that each father added to his flock an aver
are of two sous for each five years, or eight dul
;Hg the period THIS is indeed someWha
remarkable, but nothing commonplace Will .
a1i comDorr with tile energy OF the historian
sfotement. This puts the generatton porn I
t honflare at 49, 600 males; the births Of 1emaie
, elan a1,ountiug to many thousands. e.
A new period opens IN WHICH more s12otuu