Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-09-04
THEGAMBLERS In GRAIN.
DR.. TALMACE POURS SOME HOT
SHOT AT THEM.
The Present Prosperity Wight Ese
spoiled by the Specuiators-The
United States IL Otherwise Like
the Egypt OF Old.

BRooKIYN, n. ", Aug. 30, ls9l.-The
cabled reports of meagre harvests in
Europe, and the memory of the vast
crops of ripening grain which DIR. Tai
mage saw during his recent tour in
the West, have combined To turn his
thoughts back to that patriarchal time
when all the world sent TO Egypt TO
buy corn and To suggest n gospel les
son. His text is Genesis 1873, "Ie
shall not sec my face except your
brother be with you.'
This summer, having crossed eigh-
teen Of the United States, North,
South, East and West, / have to report
the mightiest harvests that this coun-
try, or any other country, ever reaped.
If the grain gamblers do not somehow
wreck these narvests, we are about 10
enter upon the grandest scene of
prosperity that America 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 fear
be uttered-the cry for bread. l pray
God that the contrast between our
prosp erity and their want may not be
as sharp rs ia the lands re erred to by
my teXt There was nothing to eat.
PLENTY of corn in Egypt but
CHASTITY famine in Canaan. The ca tile
moaning in the stall Men, women
and children awfully white with
hunger. Not the falling Of one crop
for one summer, but the failing Of all
the crops for seven years. A nation
dying for lack of that which is so com
mon on your table, and so little APP
preciated; the product OF harvest field,
and grist-mill, and oven the price
of sweat, and anxiety. and struggle,
-breadl 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 wag-
ons and start for Egypt, and get us
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 seventy and eighty
per cent of their products to the gov
eminent. No wonder in that time
they had large corn-crib, and it was
full. To that crib they came from the
regions around about-those who were
famished some paying for corn in
money, when the money was exhausted,
paving for 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 n the
crusade has arrived. ia oh gets his
family up very early. But before the
elder sons start they say something
that makes him tremblc with emotion
from head to foot, and burst TO tears
The fact was, that these elder sons had
once before been in Egygt to get corn,
and they had been treated somewhat
roughly, the lord of the corn-crib sup
plying them with corn, but saying at
the close OF the interview: NOW, you
need not come back here for any more
corn unless you bring something better
than monev-even your younger broth
er Ben iamin." All Ben iamln-a name
suggestive of all tenderness The
mother had died at the birth OF that
soma spirit coming and another spirit
going-aud the very thought Of parting
with Benjamin must have been heart
break. The keeper of this corn crib,
nevertheless, says to these older sons:
There is no need of your coming here
any more for corn unless YOU bring
Ben iamin yCur father sdarlirg." Now
JdcOD anu HIS Id. IIiy TCIy ihuCh lltttcb
bread but what struggle it
would be TO give up this son.
| The Orientals are very demon strative in
their grief, and hear the outwailing
| Of the father as these older sons Keep
relterating in his ears the announce
ment of the Egyptian lord "Ye shall
not see my fac unless your brother
be with you" Why did you tell them
you had brother?' said the old
man complaining and Gliding them.
''Why, father" they said, The asked
us all about our family, and
we had no idea he would make any
such demand upon us as he has made. "
"No use of asking me, said the father,
81 can not, ! will not, give up Benja-
min The fact was that the old man
! had lost children and when there has
| been bereavement in a household, and
a child taken, it makes the other chill
! dren IN the household more precious.
! So the day for departure was adj
| journed, and adjourned, and adj
| journ d. Still the horrors of
the famine increased, and louder
m.oaned the cattle, and wider
open cracked the earth, and
more pall.d became the cheeks,
until Jacob, in despair, cried out TO his
sons, Take benjamin and be off. I he
older sons tried TO cheer up their
father. They said: 1--WE have strong
arms and stout heart, and no harm
will come to BENJAMIN. Well see that
he gets back again" FAREWELL said
the young men 10 the father, in a tone
of assumed good cheer "F-a-r-e-
we'll !" said the old man; for that
word has more quavers in it when pro-
nounced by the aged than by the
| young.
Well, the bread party-the bread
embassy-drives up in front of the
corn-crib of Egypt. These corn-cribs
are filed with wheat, and 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
corn crib, who is so the Prime Min