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

Frightened at her own weakness, Miriam
presently freed herself from her lovers
arms. but she was ready to listen with eager
glsdness to his tale OF fresh mercy vouch-
safed by the Most High and his brief ac-
count of all he had done and felt since he
had received her call.
First he described how terribly he had
been divided in his mind; how then he had
found entire faith, and in obedience to the
God of his nation and to his fathers appeal
had gone to the palace, facing the risk Of
imprisonment or death, to be released of his
oath. Next he told her how graciously the
mourning soyereigns had received him, and
how finally he had taken upon himself the
Office of appealing to the leader Of his peo-
pie and persuading him to take the Hebrews
only short way into the desert, and then
bring them home again to Egypt, where a
new and splendid province should be grant
ed them on the west OF the Nile. Hence
forth no Egyptian overseer should oppress
them; their own elders should be permitted
to rule them; and man OF their own choos-
ing should govern them.
To conclude, he observed that he himself
was minded to become the captain Of the
Hebrew fighting men, and also to mediate
and smooth matters between them and the
Egyptians whenever it might seem needful.
Happily united to her in that new home,
he would extend his care to the humblest of
his brethren. On his way bither he had felt
as though, after furious fight, the blasts of
the trumpets proclaimed victory. And, in
deed, he had q right to believe himself
messenger and ambassador from the Lord.
Here, however, he interrupted himself,
for Miriam, who at first had listened to him
with anxious ears and flashing eyes, had
heard him as he proceeded, with q more and
more anxious and troubled mien And
when be spoke of his hope that they might
together do much for their people, she drew
away Her hand, gazed with terror into his
handsome face glowing with glad excite
ment, and then cast down her eyes az If
striving for selfcontrol.
Unsuspicious of what had moved her thus,
he went closer to her. He deemed that It
was maidenly shyness that held her silent at |
having yielded first favor to the man she |
loved. But when she shook her head dis |
approvingly at his last words, announcing |
his commission as Gods messenger, he was |
almost beside himself with cruel disappoint- |
ment, and exclaimed vehemently:
ssThen do you believe that the Lord hath |
defended me, as by miracle, against the |
wrath of the mighty, and give me grace to |
win for His people, from the hand Of the |
great King, such boons as never before did |
the strong vouchsafe to the weak, only to |
trife with the happy trustfulness of q man |
whom He Himself called to serve Him?"
At this she interrupted him in woful |
voice, with difficulty restraining her tears: |
'The strong to the weakl If this is your
thought you force me to ask you in your
own fathers words: Who, then, is the |
mightier, the Lord our God or that poor |
creature en- the throne, whose frst born has |
perished at sign from the Most High as /
grass is cut down and Withered?' Oh, Hosea,
HoseaI'
'sNay, joshua" he wildly exclaimed,
"Do you refuse me the name which your /
God has bestowed on me? I trusted in His
aid when entered the palace Of the great |
King; sought redemption and release for
the nation under Gods guidance, and I |
found them, and you-you-"
Moses and your father, aye, and all the |
faithful leaders of Israil, seek no redemp-
tion at the hand of the Egyptians" I" she re-
piled, with futtering breath. "All that |
they can bestow must brimg destruction on |
Israel; the grass that we have sown witkers |
where the Egyptian treads. And you, whose
honest soul they have but mocked at, you |
are the lure sent forth BY the bird catcher TO |
entice the birds into the net. You are, are |
as it were, the hammer in their hand to |
rivet the fetters withal more firmly than |
ever, which we, by Gods help, have broken. |
With the eyes Of the spirit see"
"Enoughl Too mHchI' cried the warrior,
grinding his teeth with rage Hatred has
clouded your clear soul. And if the bird |
catcher, as you would have it, is Of truth /
using me as his lure, and Knocked at me and |
led me astray, 1t was from you, yes you, that |
he has learned 1t. Encouraged BY you, I |
built on your love and faithfulness; Of you |
I hoped everything. And that love-Whers |
is IT'D You have spared me nothing that
could wound me, and I, likewise win not
spare myself, but confess the whole truth.
It is not alone because the God OF nv fathers
bid me, but. because it was through you
and my father that the call Icame to me, that
obeyed. You aspire alter land in the
far unknown, promised By the Lord. I /
opened to my people the way to certain
and happy home, GoEKag i foF their aaks.