Connecticut western news., 1891-09-03
THETABERN
DIR. TALMAGE DRAWS A LESSON FROM
 THE FAMINE IN EGYPT.

Tho Remarkable Conjunction of Big Crops 1 in America and s Scarcity In Europe 1 Calls to Mind the Similar Case In Jo-
 seph's Time-The Religious Lesson.
 ports of meager harvests in Europe and
 the memory of the vast crops of ripen
 ing grain which Dr. Talmage saw during
 his recent tour in the west, have coln
 bined to turn his thoughts back to that patriarchal time when all the world
 sent to Egypt to buy corn, and to sug
 5est Gospel lesson. His text is Gen.
 xiii, 3, ''Ye shall not see my face ex-
 sept your brother be with you.
 This summer, having crossed eighteen | of tile United States. north. south, east
 and west, l have to report the mighti ! ast harvests that this country or any
 other country ever reaped If the grain
 harvests we are about to enter upon
 the grandest scene of prosperity that
 America has ever witnessed But while
 this is so i'll our own country. on the
 other side of the Atlantic there are na.
 tions threatened with famine, and the
 most dismal cry that is ever heard will
 l fear be uttered. the cry for bread. pray God that the contrast between
 our prosperity and their want may not
 be as sharp as in the lands referred to l by my text. There was nothing to eat ! Plenty of corn in Egypt. but ghast!y | famine in Canaan The cattle moan
 ing in the stall Men. women and
 children awfully white witt, hunger.
 Not the failing of one crop for one l summer, but the failing of all the crops
 for seven years A nation dying for l lack of that which is 90 common on your table, and so little appreciated. 1 the product Of harvest field and grise
 anxiety and struggle bread Jacob
 the father has tile last report from the l -four bin, and ile 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 1 have been largely taxed in all ages, at
 the present time paying between 70 and 30 per cent. of their products to the government No wonder in that time they had a large corlicr;b and 1t was full. To that crib they came from the regions round about-tilose who were
 famished paying for corn in | money; when the money was exhaust ed, paying for the corn in sheep and cattle, and horses and camels: and
 when they were exhausted, then sell ing their own bodies and their fam flies into slavery. ... THE JOURNEY TO Ef7YPT.
 The morning for starting out OH the l crusade for bread ilsls arrived. Jacob gets his family up very early. But be- fore the elder sons start they say some
 thing that makes him tre1nble 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 corncrib supplying them with corn,
 but saying at the close of the inter | view, "Now, you need not come back here for any more corn unless you bring something better than money sven your younger brother Ben jamin. Ahl Benjamin very name was
 suggestive of all tenderness The mother had died at the birth of that ] son-a spirit coming and another spirit soing-and the very thought of part Ing with Benjamin must have been a heart break The keeper of this corn crib, nevertheless. says to these older
 sons, There is no need of your com-
 ing here any more for corn unless you l bring Benjamin, your fathers darling" | Now Jacob and his family very much l needed bread; but what struggle it
 would be to give up this son.
 The orientals are very deInonstrative l In their grief. and hear the out wailing of the father as these older sons keep
 reiterating in his ears the announce
 ment of the Egyptian lord. ''Ye shall
 not see my face unless your brother be
 with you" Why did you tell them you had brother?" said the old man. complaining and chiding them Why, \ father" they sad. The asked us all l about our family and we had no idea | he would make any such demand upon ] us us he has made" No use of ask ] ing me" said the father. II cannot. 1 will not give up lkrnjalnin."
 The fact was tliat the old man had 1 lost children. and when there has been | bereavement in household. and a l child taken. it makes the other children l in the household luore precious. So l the day for departure was adjourned and adjourned and adjourned. Still 1 the horrors of tise famine increased. and l louder nloaned the cattle, and wider open cracked the earth and more pal
 lid became 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. We have strong arms and stout heart. and no harm will come to Benjamin. We'll see that he gets back l again" "Farewell!" said the young men to the father. in d tone of assumed
 good cheer "F-a-r-e-w -e-l-ll" said the
 old man; for that word has more quay.
 CTS in it when pronounced by the aged
 than by the young.
 THE DEMAND FOR BENJAMIN. l We'll. the bread party the bread ell 1 bassy drives up in front of the corn,
 crib of Egypt These corncribs are filled with wheat. barley and corn in
 the halsk. for those who have travelled
 in Canaan and Egypt know that there
 Indian maize. Huzzal the journey Is l ended. The lord of the corncrib, who