The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-11-05

book which you and carry to church in
a pocket. SO methought amid the ashes
of Alexandrlan libraries.
But all aboard the Egyptian rail train
going up the banks Of the Nile! Look
out OF the window and sec those camels
kneeling for the imposition of their load.
And l think we might take from them
lesson, and, instead of trying to stand
upright in our own strength, become
conscious OF our weakness and need of
divine help before we take upon us the
heavy duties OF the year or the week or
the day, and 80 kueel for the burden.
We meet professions of men and beasts
on the way from their days work, but
alas, 1or the homes to which the poor
inhabitants are going, for the most part
novels of mud. But there is something
IN the scene that thoroughly enllsts us :.
IL is the novelty Of wretchcdness and a
scene OF picturesque rags. For thOus.
ands of years this land has been under
very damnatiOn Of taxes. Nothing
but Christian civilization will roll hack
tho influences which arc ".poiling the
Esyptians." There are gardens and
palaces. but they belong to the rulers.
About here under the valiant Murad
Bey, the Mamelukcs, who are the fin
est horsemen in the world, came like a
hurricane upon Napoleon's army. but
they were be lten back by the French in
one OF the ticrcest battles Of all time.
Then the Mamelukes turned their hor-
ses' heads The other way, and in desper-
alton backed them against the French
troops, hoping the horses would kick
the lie out Of the French regiments,
Inc Mameiukes, falling again, plun9cd d
INTO [hls Nile and were drowned, the
French were for days fishing out the
dead bodies Of the MamelukcS to get the
Valuables upon their dead lodcs. Ma
poleon, at the daring OF these Name
lukes, exclaimed, Gould | have united
the Mameluke holse to the French i'll
lantry, L would have rcckoned myself
master of the world"
This ride along the Nile is one OF the
most solemn and impressive rides Of all
my lie time, and our emotions deepen
as the curtains Of the night fall upon all
surroundings. But VIC shall not be sat-
lsllcd until we can take q ship and pass
right out upon these wondrous waters
and between the banks crowded with
the story OF empires.
According to the lead pencil! mark in
my Bible 1t was Thanksgiving day morn
lug, Nov. %, 1889, that with nv family
and friends we stepped aboard the
steamer on the Nile. Tie Mohummedur
call to prayers had been sounded by the
priests OF that religion, the Muezzins
from the four hundred mosques Of Cair,
as the cry went out: God great.
bear witness that there IS no God bu
| Il,
The apostle of God. Come to pray yers
Come to salvation. God is great. Their,
ID no other but God. Prayers arc bctLe
than sleep"
AS we slowly move up the majesti,
river L sec Oil each bank the wheels, the
pumps, the buckets for irrigation, ant
see man with his foot on the treadlc O
a wheel that tetchcs up the water for s
garden, and then for the first time | un
derstanu that passage In Deu eronom,
which says Of the Israelltcs after they
had got back from Egypt, THE lanC
whittier thou goesL III 10 opossess it is not
as the land Of Egypt, from whence ye
came out. where thou sowedst thy seed
and watercdst it with thy foot" Then
L understood how the land could be
watered with the loot. How do you
suppose l felt when on the deck of that
steamer on the Nile looked off upon
the canals and bitches and sluices
through which the fields are irrigated by
that river, and then read in Isaiah, "The
burden OF EgyDt-the river shall be
wasted and dried up, and they shall turn
the rivers far away and the brooks OF
defense shall be emptied aud dried up;
and they shall be broken in the purposes
thereof, and that make sluiccs and ponds
Tor fish,"
That Thanksgiving morning on tho
Nile found my text Oftodav. Pharaoh
in this chapter is compared to the dragon
or hltpopotamus suggested 10y the
crocodilcs that used to line The banks OF
THIS river. "ThuS saith the Lord God:
Behold L am against thee Pharoah, king
Oh Egypt the great dragon that lieth in
the midst Of his rivers, which hath said
my river Is mine own, and | have made
1t Tor myself. But | will put hooks in
thy jaws and will cause the fish of thy
rivers to stick unto thy scales, and |
Will bring thee up out of the midst of thy
rivers, and all the fish Of thy rivers shall
stick unto thy scales, and the land OF
Egypt shall be d 'sololc and waste, and
they shall know that am the Lord; be-
cause he hath said the river is mine end
L have made it,"
While sailing on this river or stopping
at one of the villages, we see people on
the banks who verify the Bible descrp.
ton, for they are now as they were in
Hlbie times. Shoes are now taken of
III reverence to sacred places. Children
earned astridc the mothers shoulder as
III llNgar's time. Women with prOlusion
OF jc" clry as when Rcbecca was atlianc.
ed. lentils shcllcd into the pottage. as
Thcn Esau sold his birthrght to get
such Il dish. The same habits OF saluta-
ton as when Joseph and his brethren
fell on each others nccks. Courts OF
mw held under big trees as in oldcn
times. People making bricks without
straw, compelled by circumstances 20
use stuhble instead Of stray.
Flying over or standing on the banks
as in Scripture days are tlamngocs,
osprcys eagles, pclicans, hcrons, ,cucko0s
and builinchc.. On all sides Of this
river scDuichcrS VillnUn2 Of spOul-