Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29
their own families; but the precious fiuil

their own families; but the precious fluid
was snatched away from many before it
could be conveyed to its destination,
Joshua and his troop had made their way
to the immediate vicinity of the wells, to
keep order among the thirsty people. How
ever, for some little time there was nothing
for it but patience, while the mighty men
Of the tribe Of Judah, who. with Hur at
their head, had been the first to reach The
spot, welded their axes, and stroYe with
levers hastily made ont Of the trunks Of
acacia trees to clear away the huge bOuld-
ers which strewed the path, and open up the
way to the spring winch leapt forth from
several riffs in the rock.
At first 1t had flowed among a chaos Of
moss-grown blocks Of granite; but presently
they succeeded in directing the flow of the
precious fluid, and in checking the water by
forming sort of tank, where even the cattle
could drink. Those who had filed their
jars had caught the water in its overflow
from the hastily contFived dam. Now the
men whose duty il was to watch the camp
kept the throng of, so as to give the water
time to settle and clear in the large new
basin, which it filed with amazing rapidity.
In sight actually of the blessing for which
they had so loudly clamored, it was easy
now to have patience. They had found the
band it. Not word of discomfort or com.
plant or reviling was now to be heard;
many, indeed. looked abashed and ashamed
on this new mercy from the Most High.
Loud and jubilant voices were heard
far and wide, shouting and talking; but
the man OF God who knew every rock and
valley, every pasture and spring of the
hills of Horeb better than any one, and who
had again been the instrument of snch
great blessing TO his people, had retired into
a neighboring ravine, as If seeking refuge
there from the thanks and acclamations
which rose louder and spread further every
moment seeking peace and silence above
all things for his deeply agitated spirit.
Presently hymns Of Thanksgiving to the
Lord were to be heard from the Hebrew
multitude, who, refreshed and revived, and
overhowing with gratitude, were pitching
their camp with as much hope and conf
dence as ever they had known. The sound
of song, OF happy laughter, jests and en-
couraging cries, formed an aecompaniment
to the workOt putting up tents, and the en-
campment was rapidly effected, as rapidly as
if it had been raised from the earth By .
magic spell.
The eyes Of the young men flashed with
martial ardoT, and many q beast shed its
blood to make feast.
Mothers, after doing their part by the
hearth and in the tent, led their little ones
to the spring to show them the spot where
Moses with his staff had pointed ont the
spring bubbling through the rift in the
granite. Many men likewise stood with
hands and eyes raised to heaven round the
place where Jehovah had shown such grace
to His people, and among them
were not a few Of those mur-
murers who had picked up stones
wherewith to stone the servant OF God. None
doubted that they here beheld the result of
a great miracle. The elders impressed on
the little ones that they should never forget
this day or this water, and an old grand
mother was wetting her grandchildren
brows at the brink of the pool to insure di-
vine protection for them for the rest of their
lives
Hope, thankfulness and the glow Of trust
prevailed on all hands; even the fear Of the
hostile Amalekites had vanished, for what
III could come to him who put his trust in
the mercy OF 90 omnipotent Protector.
Joy was absent from one tent alone, and
that the finest OF them-the tent of the head
of the tribe of Judah Miriam sat among her
women after distributing the midday meal in
silence to the men over6owing with grateful
During the hours Of the evening watch
the warriors all marched past her, and from
rank to rank the cry re-echoed Of 'sHail to
Joshuar' And those who repeated the
watchword, ''Steadfast and strong." did 50
in honor Of the man she once had loved,
but now hated as she confessed to
herself None but the men Of his own
tribe had honored her husband with
3 special cry. Was this their gratitude
for the generosity which had led him to ab-
aicate the post, to which be alone had the
right, in favor Of younger man? It cut
her to the; heart to see her husband 50 de-
posed; but itwounded her yet more to fnd
hat Hur could thus abandon his lately we'd
led wife