St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-10-31
TALMAGE's SERMON.
A Discourse Devoted to Scenes O
Rural Life

A Discourse Devoted to Scenes OF
Rural Life
ney to Egypt In search Of Cora
| The Beautiful Story Of the
Boy Bsnjaoia.
| Rev. r. Dewitt Talmage delivered
the following sermon before his WASH
ington congregation, basing it on the
text:
| man did solemnly protest unto us, saying
We shall mot see my face, except your orotner
be with you.-Genesis xiiii,S.
Nothing to est! Plenty OF corn in
Egypt, but CHASTITY famine in Canaan.
The cattle moaning in the stall. Men.
women and children awfully white
with hunger. Not the failing OF one
crop for one summer, but the failing
of all the crops for seven years. A ma
ton dying for lack of that which is so
common on your table, and SO little
appreciated; the product OF harvest
field and grist-mill and oven; the price
of sweat and anxiety and struggle
bread! 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 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 taxed in
all ages, at the present time paying
between 20 and SO per cent OF their
products to the government 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 fam
ished-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.
crusade for bread has arrived. Jacob
gets his family up very early. But be-
fore the elder son starts 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-cven your younger brother
enjamin." All. Benjamin-that very
name was suggestive of all tenderness.
The mother had died at the birth of
that soma spirit coming and anotaer
spirit going-and the very thought Of
parting with Ben jamin must have been
a 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 UNI
less you can bring Ben jamin, 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
demonstrative in their grief, and l
hear the outwailipg of the father as
these elder sons kept reiterating in
his cars the announcement of the
Egyptian lord: I'VE shall not see my
face unless your brother be with YOU
''Why did you tell him you had
brother?" says the old man, complain
ing and Gliding them. "Why, father"
they said, ''he asked us all about our
family, and we had no idea that he
would make any such demand upon
us as he has made" mo use of ask
ing me. said the father, Il can not.
l will not give up Benjamin." The
fact was that the old man had lost
children, and when there has been be-
reavement in a family and a child
taken, it makes the other children in
the household more precious. So the
day of departure was adjourned and
adjourned and adjourned. Still the
horrors of the famine increased, and
louder moaned the cattle, wider open
became the cheeks. until Jacob. in
despair, cried out to his sons: Take
Ben jamin and be off, The older sons
tried to cheer up their father. They
said: 1--WE have strong arms and y
stout herrt, and no harm will come to
Ben amin. Well see that he gets back
again." Farewellv' said the young
men to the father in q tone of assumed
good cheer '.F.a.r-e-w-e-l-ly' said the
ED man; for that word has more qua
we're in it when pronounced by the
sged than by the young.
Well, the bread party, the bread
embassy, drives up in front of the
corn crib of Egypt Those corn cribs
are filed 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.
Huzxa! the journey is ended. The
lord Of the corn crib. who is 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 younger
brother whose presence demanded?'
The travellers are introduced into the
palace. They are worn and bednsted
of the way; and the servants come in
with basin of water in one hand and
. towel in the other, and kneel down
before these newly.srSived travellers.
washing of the dust of the way. The
butchers and poultercrs and caterers
of the prime minister prepare the re-
past. The guests are seated in small
sgroups. two or three at table, the
food ON a tray; all the Injuries from
Imperial gardens and orchards and
'aquariums and aviaries are brought
there, and are filing chalice and plat
Ser. Now is the time for this prime
II he has grudge against
asen jamin, to show it. Will he kill
him, now that he has him in his hands?
oh, no! This lcrd Of the corn-crib
is seated at his own table and