The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-09-17
THhuHoE's SERMON.

{
t'And Judah spake unto him saying, the man
a nnt solemmly protest unto u.s. saying Ie shall
you" Genesis xiii, 8.
Nothing to eat! 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 falling
of all the crops for seven years. A
nation 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 some
thing 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 70 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 furnished
some paying for the corn in money;
when the money was exhausted, pay
ing for the corn in sheep and cattle
and horses and camelS; and when they
were exhausted, then selling their own
bodies and 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 son starts they say some
thing 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 t o get corn, and they had
been treated somewhat roughly, the
F lord of the corn-crib supplying them
with corn but saying at the close of
the interview, Nov, 70 uneed not
come back here for any more corn IN
less you bring something better than
money-even your younger brother
Benjamin. ALI! Benjamin-that very
name was suggestive Of all tenderness.
The mother had died at the birth Of
that sonia spirit coming and another
spirit going-and the very thought Of
parting with Benz amin must have been
a heart-break The keeper of this corn
crib, nevertheless, says to these elder
sons, There is no need of your COM
ing up here any more for corn unless
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 demon
strative in their grief, and I hear the
outWailing of the father as these elder
b sons Kept reiterating in his ears the
announcement of the Egyptian lord,
"Ye shall not see my face unless your
brother be with you" 'Why did YOU
tell him you had BROTHER says the
old man, complaining and Gliding
them. why, father they said, che
asked us all about our family, and we
had no idea that he would make any
such demand upon us he has made.'
No use OF asking me- said the father,
Il cannot, [ 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 adjourned
Still the horrors of the famine in
creased, and louder moaned the cattle.
and wider open cracked the earth and
s iAOIS pttllIu UcCdl1lc luo CueekS, uuCll
Jacob in despair cried out to his sons.
'"Take Benjamin and be off" The
older sons tried to cheer up their
father. They said, 1--WE have strong
arms and a stout heart, and no harm
will come to Benjamin. Well see that
he gets back again." "Farewellv' said
the young men to the father in a tone
OF assumed good cheer. ''F-a-r-e-w-e-l-lr'
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-
bassy, 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.
fiuzza! 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 pal
ace. They are worn and bedusted of
the way; and servants come in with 4
Dasln OF water in one hand and a towel
in the other. and kneel down before
these newly arrived travellers, washing
on 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
tray; all the lUXuries from imperial
gardens and orchards and auuariums
and .aviaries are brought there, and
are filling chalice and platter. Now
is the time for this prime minister. if
he has a grudge against BENJAMIN. to
show it.. Will he kill him. now that
he has him in his hands? Oh. no!
This lord of the corn-crib is seated at
his own table, and he looks over to the
tables OF his guests; and he sends a
portion to each Of them, but sends q
larger portion to Benjamin, or as the
Bible quantity puts it, ..Beniamin's
mess was five times as much as any Of
theirs Be quick and send word
back with the swiftest camel to
Canaan to old Jacob, that Benjamin
is well; all is well; he is faring sump-