Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-04
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON,
A LESSON DRAWN FROM THE
FAMINE IN EGYPT.
Tho Remarkable Conjunction Of Big Crops
in America and Scarcity In Europe
Calls to Mind tho Similar Case In Jo-
soph's Time.
A Religious Lessos

SAoPs VI IlpcllIuS gram WHICH Dr
| Iaimage saw during his recent tour il
| the West, have combined to turn hi!
thoughts back to that patriarchal time
when all the world sent to Egypt to buy
\ corn, and to suggest gospel lesson
/ His text is Gen. Xiii 3, Eye shall not SEE
my face except your brother be will
| you"
This summer, having crossed eighteen
of the United States North, South, Eas1
and West, have to report the mghties
harvests that this country or any Other
country ever reapcd. If the grain gam
blers do not somehow wreck these har
vests we are about to enter upon the
grandest scene of prosperity that Amer
lea has ever witnessed. But while this
is so in our own country, on the other
side OF the Atlantic there are nations
threatened with famine, and the most
dismal cry that is ever heard will fea1
De uttered, the cry for bread.
pray God that the contrast between
our prosperity and their want may not
be as sharpas in the lands referred to by
my text There was nothing to eat.
Plenty of corn in Egypt, but CHASTITY
famine in Canaan. The cattle moaning
IN the STALL Men, women and children
awfully white with hunger. Not the
railing OF one crop for one summer, but
the failing of all the crops for seven
years. nation dying for lack Of that
winch IS 80 common on your table, and
SO little appreciated; the product of har-
vest field and grist mill and oven; the
price OF sweat and anxiety and struggle
bread! Jacob the father has the last
report from the flour bin, and he finds
that everything is out, and he says to his
sons. "Boys, hook up the wagons and
start for Egypt and get something to
eat"
The fact was, there was a great corn
crib in Egypt. The people of Egypt
have been largely taxed in all ages, at
the present time paying between 70 and
80 per cent. of their products to the
Government. No wonder in that time
they had large corncrib and it was full.
To thas crib they came from the regions
round About-those who were famished
some paying for corn in money; when
tho money was exhausted, paying tor the
corn in sheep and cattle, and horses and
camels; and when they were exhausted,
then selling their own bodies and their
families into slavery.
The morning for starting out on the
crusade for bread has arrived. Jacob
gets his family up very early. But be-
fore the elder sons start they say some
thing that makes him tremble with
emotion from head to foot and burst into
tears. The fact was that these elder
sons had once before been in Egypt to
get corn, and they had been treated
somewhat roughly, the lord of the corn
CRIB supplying them with corn. but say
ing at the close of the interview, "Now,
you need not come back here for any
more corn unless you bring something
better than money-evcn your younger
brother Benjamin.
suggestive of all tenderness. The
mother had died at the birth of that
soma spirit coming and another spirit
going-and the very thought of parting
with Benjamin must have been q heart
break. The keeper of this corncrib,
nevertheless, says to these older sons,
''There is no need of your coming here
any more for corn unless you bring
Benjamin, your fathers darling" Now
Jacob and his family very much needed
bread: but what a struggle it would be
to give up this son.
The Orientals are very demonstrative
in their grief, and hear the outwailing
of the father as these older sons keep
reiterating in his ears the announcement
OF the Egyptian lord, Eye shall not see
my face unless your brother be with
you.'; ''Why did yoa tell them you had
. brother?" said the old man, complain
Ing and Gliding them. ''Why, father"
they said, che asked us all about our
family, and we had no idea he would
make any such demand upon us as he
has made" mo use Of asking me, said
the father, 81 cannot, will not give I'D
Benjamin"
The fact was that the old man had
lost children; and when there has been
bereavement in household, and a child
taken. it makes the other children in the
household more precious. So the day
for departure was adjourned and adj
| journed and adjourned. Still the hor-
rors of the famine increased, and louder
moaned the cattle, and wider open
cracked the earth. and more pallid be-
came the cheeks, until Jacob, in despair,
cried out to his sons, "Take BENJAMIN
and be Off" The older sons tried to
cheer up their father. They said: eve
have strong arms and stout heart, and
no harm will come to Benjamin. Well
see that he gets back again. "Fare.
well!' said the Young men to thei,
rather, III tone OF assumed good cheer.
''F-a-r-e-w-e-l-l!' said the old man: fo1
that word has more quavers in it wher
pronounced by the aged than by the
young.
Well, the bread party-the bread EN-
bassy-drives up in front of the corn-crit
of Egypt These corncribs are filleG
with wheat, barley and corn in the husk
for those who have travelled in Canaan
and Egypt know that there is corn there
corresponding with our Indian maize
Huzza! the journey is ended. The lord
of the corncrib, who is also the prime
minister, comes down to these arrived
travellers and says: "Dine with ne to-
day. How is your father? Is this Ben
jamin, the younger brother whose pres
eEce demanded?"
The travellers are introduced into the
palace. They are worn and bedusten OF
the way; and servants come in with q
basin of water in one hand and q towe
in the other, and kncel down before
these newly arrived travellers, washing
off the dust Of the way. The butchers
and poulterers and caterers of the prime
minister prepare the repast The guests
are seated in small groups, two or three
at a table, the food on tray: all the