Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-15


summer, but the
failing of all the crops for seven years.
A nation dying for lack of that which
Is so common on your table, and so III
tie appreciated; the product OF har-
vest field and grist mill and oven; the
brice of sweat and anxiety and strug-
gle-Bread! Jacob, the father, has
the last report from the -four 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 us
something to eat" The fact was, there
was great corn crib in Egypt The
people of Egypt have been largely tax
ed in all ages. at the present time pay
ing between seventy and eighty per
cent of their products to the govern
ment. No wonder in that time they
had large corn crib, and it was full.
To that crib they came from the re-
gions around about-those who were
famished-some paying for the 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 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
something 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 saying at the close of
the interview, Now. you need not
come back here for any more corn un-
less you bring something better than
| money-even your younger brother
Benjamin" All! Benjamin--that very
name was suggestive of all tenderness.
The mother had died at the birth of
that son-a spirit coming and another
spirit going-and the very thought of
parting with Benjamin must have
been heart-break. The keeper of this
| corn-crib, nevertheless, says to these
elder sons, There is no need Of your
coming up here any more for corn un-
less you can 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 de-
monstrative in their grief. and / hear
the outwailing of the father as these
elder 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 you tell him you had a brother?"
says the old man, complaining and
Gliding them. why, father" they
| said, "he asked us all about our fam
| lily, and we had no idea that he would
has made" mo use of asking me-"
said the father, Il cannot, will not,
| give up Benjamin" The fact was that
| the old man had lost children. and
when there has been bereavement in
household, and child taken, it
makes the other children in the house
! hold more precious. So the day for
departure was adjourned and adjourned
and adjourned. Still the horrors of
the famine Increased, and louder moan
ed the cattle, and wider open cracked
the earth, and more pallid became the
checks, untu Jacob, in despair, cried
out to his sons. Take BENJAMIN and
be off," The elder sons tried to cheer
up their father. They said, I'VE have
strong arms and stout heart, and no
harm will come to Benjamin. Wen
see that he gets back again" Fare
we'll" said the young men to the faith
err. in tone OF assumed good cheer.
| "F-a-r-e-w-e-l-l /" said the old man:
for that word has more quavers in it
when pronounced by the aged than by
the young.
Well, the bread party. the bread en-
| oassy, drives up in front of the corn
crib of Egypt. Those corn-cribs are
filled with wheat and barley and corn
in the husk. for modern travellers in
those lands, both in Canaan and in
Egypt, tell us there is corn there cor
responding with our Indian maize
Huzza! the journey is ended The
lord of the corn-crfb, who i3 also the
Prime Minister comes down to these
newly-arrived travellers, and says,
"Dine with me to-day. How is your
father? Is this Benjamin, the young
er brother, whose presence | demand
ed?" The travellers are introduced
into the palace. They are worn and
bedusted Of the way; and servants
come in with basin OF water in one
| hand and a towel In the other. and
kneel down before these newly-arrived
travellers, washing of 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 table,
| the food on a tray; all the luxuries
from imperial gardens and orchards
and aquariums and aviariesa are brought
there, and are filing chalice and plat
ter. Now is the time for the Prime
Minister, if he has a grudge against
Ben jamin, to show 1t. Will he Kill
him, now that he has him in his
hands? o. no, This lord OF the corn
crib Is seated at his own table, and he