The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-08-17
The Higher Law.

The great prophet, Moses, the rabbis say,
once heard voice from heaven commanding
him to ascend to the top of certain mountain.
He obeyed, and upon reaching the cl0ud-cap-
ped summit he found himself in the presence
OF the Supreme Being, who asked him if he
was entirely satisfied with the way and man
| ner in which the world was governed.
Speak freely" said Jehovah. Thou art
the leader of my chosen people, and would
that thou shouldst be enlightened"
In the midst of the Divine speech Moses
CHANGED to look down upon the plain. At the
foot of the mountain was spring of pure fresh
water, where he saw man In armor dismount
from his horse for the purpose of quenching
his thirst. While bending over the fountain q
welltilled purse slipped from his bosom and
fell upon the sand, but he did not observe it.
and went away before he had discovered his
loss
Hardly had the warrior departed when q
fair and comedy youth approached, and took
his place at the spring. He saw the purse
and took it up. and soon finding it filled with
gold, and discovering no possible owner in
sight, he put 1t in his bosom and went his
way.
Following the youth came gray-haired
slow paced old man to the fountain, who, hav.
ing quenched his thirst, sat down to at, and
while he thus sat the warrior who had lost his
purse returned TO seek it in that place, where
he knew he must have let it fall. He asked
| the old man if he had seen it.
The latter swore that he had not, and called
upon heaven to witness to his honor but the
| loser would not believe him. The old mans
| face was troubled, and he seemed to swear too
| roundly, and in the end the man alarms, full
of wrath and regardless of the others protesta.
| tons, drew his sword and killed him on the
spot.
Moses, sorely affected at this spectacle, pros
| trated himself on the ground, and was on the
| point of complaining of this sad piece OF in
justice. when voice from the 0'er-tOpplne
| cloud addressed him in these words:
"Dissipate thy fear and thy surprise; do not
ask Him who governs the universe why Ht
4 has permitted that which thou has just wit
messed. The youth who found the purse was
the cause of the old mans death; but know
that this same old man was the wicked muir
derer OF that youths father"
! To GtsNTLEMEN.-Is it not time that the Ell
tort should be made to Danish from the CONVEX
| sation of men who respect themselves that
fearful habit of nsing prOfane words, Whici
has almost, if the idea is not too horrible To-
expression, made itself national characters
/ tic +? think that in England there has been
l great reform made in this respect ;that amOnl
the higher classes the old ways Of evil Ian
guage have been materially changed, and tn
social atmosphere purified Of at least so mucl
that was deplorable. Cannot the gentlemen
OF American society quietly, by individual, no
associated action, break the letters Of q wa.
or a habit which is nothing but evil? And
they herald the way the influence on all other
may be such as that out Of the depths OF 1t
degration American speech may 0ecOm
| clean and ouph no man NAV n calm mOm6ntf
think of it without horror. I commend th
suggestion to the quiet thought OF the well
bred men who desire to fill the complete stan
dard of a gentleman in all things. The wron
is to-day simply frightful, and the remedy
| before us all.