Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-06-26

which the great body of woi kshippers sang
with majestic effect The subject of DR..
Talmage's discourse was: People Who
| Have Lost Their Way. , He took for his
text: "And God opsied her e. es, and she
saw we'll of water; and she went, and
filed the bottle with water, and gave the
lad drink" Gen. xxi, 10. Fhe eloquent
preacher said:
Morning breaks upon Bee, sheba. There
is an early stir in the house of old Abra-
ham. There has been trouble among the
domestics. Hagar, an ass istani in the house
hold, and her son, a brick lad of sixteen
years, have become impGdent and insolent,
and Sarah, the mistress OF the household.
puts her foot down very bard, and says that
they will have to leave the premises. They
are packing mp now. Abraham, knowing
that the journey befnra his evant and her
son will be very long and acrnas desolate
places, in the kindpess IF bis heart sets
about putting up some bread AID bottle
with water in it. l. IL very plain lunch
that Abraham provid, S, bus l warrant you
there would have besn enough of it had
| they not lost their way God be with
your' said old Abraham as Le gave the
lunch to Hagar, and a gDnd many charges
as to how she should c3aducs the journey.
Ishmael, the boy, suppose bounded away
in the morning light. Boys al ways like
change. Poor Ishmae He has no idea
of the disasters that are ahead of him.
Hagar gives one long. lingering look on the
familiar place where she had spent so many
happy days, each scene sssoc ated with the
pride and Joy Of her be ait--ycung Ishmael.
The scorching noon comes on. The air
is sitting and moves acfoss the desert with
insufferable sufocatioa. Isbmae, the boy,
10 ar,lo loIv ey,6 M
Haear rouses him up, s. yis'g nothing about
her own WEAKNESS or tie sweltering heat;
for mothers can endure anything. Trudge,
trudge. trudge. Crossing the dead level OF
the desert, how weati!y aud slowly the miles
slip, A tamarind that Gcemed hours ago
to stand only just little ahead, inviting
the travellers to come under IFS shadow,
now is as fer off as t,e', CT seemingly SO.
Night drops upon the desert, aid the travel
lers are pillowless. Ishmael, very weary,
suppose, instantly falls asleep. Hagar, as
the shadows of the night begin to lap over
each other-Hagar hugs her weary boy to
.. her bosom and thinks Of The fact that it is
her fault that they are in the desert. A
: star looks out, ard every falling tear it
kisses with sparkle. A wing of wind
comes over the hot earth and lifts the locks
: from the fevered brow of the boy. Hagar
sleeps fitfully, and in her dreams travels
over the weary day. and half awakes her
son by crying out in her sleep, "lshmael
Ishmael p And 50 they go Oh, day after
day and night after night fer they have
lost their way. No path in The shifting
sands, no sign in the burning sky. The
sack empty of the flour, the water gone
&c from the bottle. What shall she dor As
she puts her fainting Ishnlael under a stunt
ed shrub of the arid plain. she sees the blood
: shot eye, and feels the hot hand, and watch
es the blood bursting from the cracked
tongue, and there is :; shrek IN the desert
l. of Beer shcba: We shall de! we shall
e dep Now, no mother was ever made
i. strong enough to bear her son ciy in vain
for drink. Heretofore she hsdg eheered
her boy by promising a speedy end OF the
Tourney, even smiled UPON bin when he fell
desperately enough. Now there is nothing
: to do but place him ut.Ger shrub and lei
him die. She had thnghl that she would
sit there and watch u.t'i the spirit of hel
boy would so away f,ioyer. AID then she
would breathe out her omi! life on bis siieu
heart; but as the by begns TO claw hi
tongue in agony of thi,s'. and struggle il
distortion, and beg his iao he. to slay him
she cannot endure the sptc.acie- She putt
him under shrub aud goes off a bow shot
= and begins to weep until all the deser
seems sobbing, and her CRY strikes clea
through the heavens; and an angel OF Got
comes out on cloud and looks down upol