Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-01-02


that terrible journey which He took
when Joseph and Mary fled with Him
from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape the
Of Herod. All tradition, Is
we'll as all history, points out this house
in Cairo IS the one in which these three
fugitives lived while in Africa. The
room Is nine steps down from the level
of the street. measured the room and
found it twenty feet long and seven and
q half feet high. There are three shelv-
lngs Of rock, one of which think was
the cradle Of our Lord. There is no win
dow, and all the light must have come
from lantern or candle. The three ar
rived here from Bethlehem, having
crossed the awful desert.
On the !sMediterrnnoan steamer going |
from Athens to Alexandria met the emf
nent scholar and theologian, DIR. Lans-
ing, who for thirty-fve years has been o |
resident Of Cairo, and he told me that he |
had been oil over the road that the three
fugitives took from Bethlehem to Egypt.
He says it is o desert way, and that the
forced journey Of the infant Christ must
have been q terrible journey. Going up
from Egypt, DIR. Lansing met people
from Bethlehem, their tongues swollen
and hanging out from the inflammation
of thirst, and although his party had but
one goat-skin Of water left, and that was
important for themselves, he was so
moved with the spectacle of thirst in
these poor pilgrims that, though it ex-
cited the indignation of his fellow trav-
elers, he gave water to the strangers.
Over this dreadful route Joseph and
Mary started for this land of Egypt No
time to make much preparation. Herod
was after them, and what were these
peasants before an irate King? Joseph,
the husband and father, one night
sprang up from his mattress in great
alarm, the beads Of sweat on his fore
head and his whole frame qnaking. He
had drea.. Jed Of massacres Of his wife aud
babe. ey must be of, that night,
right avDm Mary put upa few things
hastily, and Joseph brought to tho door
the beast of burden, and helped his wife
and child to mount. Why, those loavcs of
bread are not enough; those bottles of
water will not last for such long
way. But there is no time to get any
thing more. Out and on. Goodbye to
the dear home they expect never again
to see. Their hearts break. 1t does not
need that ours be big house in order to
make US sorry to leave it.
Over the hills and down through the
deep gorge they urged their way. BY
Hebron, by GAIA, through hot sand, un-
der blistcring sun, the babe crying, the
mother faint, the father exhausted.
How slowley the days and weeks pass!
Will the weary three ever reach the
banks of the Mile? VIII they ever see
Cairo? Will the desert ever end? When
at last they cross the line beyond which
old Herot, has no right to pursue, their
Joy is unboundcd. Free at last! Let
them dismount and rest. Now they re-
sumo their way With less anxiety. They
will find place somewhere for shelter
and the earning of their bread. Here
they are at Cairo, Egypt.
They wind through the crooked
streets, which are about ten feet wide,
and enter the humble house where I
have been to-day. But the terminus of
the journey of these three fugives was
not as humble as their starting point at
Bethlehem. If that journey across the
desert ended in cellar it started from
barn Everything humble around that
barn, but everything glorious overhead.
Christ's advent was in the hostelry called
the house of Chin Ham: the night with
diamond finger pointing down to the
place; the door of heaven set wide open
to look out; from. orchestral batons of.
light dripping tho oratories Ct the Mes
siah; on lowest doorstep of heaven the
minstrels of God discoursing of glory
and good will. Soon after the white
leathern pouch ehink and shekels, and
from open sacks cxhale the fra1kincense
and rustic out the bundles of myrrh.
NI,n 1cfo In
of celestials; the chill December night
afush with May morn, our world lost
star, and another star rushing down the
sky that night to beckon the wandercr
home again, shall yet make all nations
keep Christmas.
But it was q star, and that means JOY,
that means hope, that means good cheer,
that means asccndancy. A star! That
means creative power, for did not the
morning stars sing together when the
portfolio of the worlds was opened? A
star. That means defense, for did not
the stars fight in their courses against
Sisera and for the Lords people? A
star! That means brilliant continuance,
for are not the righteous to shine as the
stars forever and ever? A star! That
means the opening OF eternal Joy. The
Cay star III the heart. The morning
star Of the Redeemer.
The usual appearance that night may
laye been strange conjunction of
worlds AS the transit of Venus in our
time was forctold many years ago by as
trunomcrs, and astronomers can tell
WHAT will be the conjunction of worlds a
thousand years from now, SO they can
calculate backward; and even intidel as
Itronolners have been compelled to testify
that about the year there was very
,lnusual appearance in the heavens.
Tie Chinese record, of course entirely
ind pendent of the Word of God, gives
as i matter Of history that about the
year 1 there was strange and anac-
counlable appearance in the heavens.
lsul it may have been 8 meteor such