Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24

than to deliver it to you, who. next to your
brother, dwells nearest to God. I pray you
now to hear me; but the words have to
speak are not yet ripe for any third hearer.
At this Hur drew himself up. Breaking in
on Joshua's speech he asked Miriam
whether it was her desire to hear what the
son of Nun should say without witnesses,
and she replied in low voice, Eyes.
Hur turned to the warrior and said, with
cold pride: 81 believe that Miriam knows
the will of the Lord, and likewise her
brothers, and that she is aware of what
beseems a woman of Israel. If 1 am not
mistaken it was under this very tree that
your own father, the venerable Nun, re-
peated to my son Uri the only reply which
Moses will give to the bearer OF such
message as yours"
"Do you know it, then?" asked the SOL
dier, sternly.
"No," replied the other, shut guess its
purport. See here" He stopped with
youthful agility, raised two large stones so
that they supported each other, rolled few
smaller stones into heap around them, and
then. in breathless eagerness, he spoke as
follows:
HThis heap shall be witness between me
and thee, like the heap of Mizpah which
Laban and Jacob made when Laban called
upon the Lord to watch between him and
Israel; so do now, and show thee this
heap that thou mayest remember it when we
are absent one from another. lay my
hand on this heap of stones, and declare
that !, Hur, the son of Caleb and Ephratah,
put nv trust in none other but only in the
Lord, the God of our fathers. and am ready
to do His biding by which He calleth us out
of the land of Pharaoh to the land
which He mas promised us. And thou,
Joshua, the son of Nun, do ask, and the
Lord our God heareth thee: Dost thou look
for any help other than that of the God of
Abraham, who chose thy nation to be His
own people? Moreover, thou shalt answer
and say whether henceforth thou wilt hold
the Egyptians who oppressed us, and out of
whose hand the Lord our God hath promised
to redeem us, as the foes forever of thy God
and thy people?"
There was a dark look in the warriors
bearded face, and he was inclined to kick
down the heap of stones and dismiss the
overbold questioner with a wrathful reply;
but Miriam had laid her hand on the top of
the heap, and, seizng his right hand, she
cried:
'He inquiries of thee in the sight of our
God and Lord who is our witnessl"
Joshua was able to control his wrath, and
pressing the maiden's hand as he held it, he
answered with due solemnity: "He asks me,
but cannot answer him; for yea and nay
say little in this case. Yet call God to
witness on my part, and here by this heap
of stones you, Miriam, shall hear what I
have in my mind and wherefore am come.
And thou, Hur, see herei Like thee Law
my hand on the heap and testify that 1.
Joshua, the son of Nun, put nv trust in none
other but only in the Lord God of our
fathers He shall stand between thee and
me as a witness and decide whether my way
is His way or the way of an erring man. 1
will walk in His way as He hath declared
it to Moses and to this noble maiden. That
swear with an oath, and to that God benny
witness"
Hur had listened eagerly, and now, per-
suaded by the gravity of Joshua's speech,
he cried:
1.-The Lord our God hear mine oathI And
l, too, by this heap, will take an oathl If
the hour should come when, remembering
this heap, though shalt give the testimony
which thou hast refused me, no wrath
henceforth shall come between us; and if it
be the will Of the Lord will deliver into
thy hands the leadership, for thou in many
wars hast learned more skill than I, who
have ruled only over herdsmen and focks.
And thou, Miriam, bear in mind that this
heap is a witness of the words you twain
shall speak here in the sight of God. Call
to mind the wrathful words we heard spoken
under this tree by this mans father; yea,
and call God to witness that would have
darkened the life of Uri, my beloved son,
who is the joy OF my heart, if he had spoken
to the people to persuade them by the mes
sage which he delivered to us, for it would
have turned away those of little faith from
their God. Remember this, maiden, and
again hear this: If thou needest me thou
canst find me. The door opened, come
what may, will never be shut"
And he turned away from Miriam and the
soldier.
Something, they knew not what, had
come over them. He, who all through his
long ride, beset with many dangers, had
longed with burning ardor for the moment
which should see him reunited to the maid
he loved, stood looking down in confusion
and deep anxiety. Miriam, who, at his ap-
proach, had been ready to bestow on him all
that woman has of best and sweetest to re-
ward truth and love withal, had sunk on the
ground in front OF the awful heap Of stones
close to the sycamore tree, and was pressing
her head against its hollow trunk.
CHAPTER XIV.