The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11

ager,
by Hathor swear it. Meerah shall not
CO."
Pharaoh charge thee. stand from that
woman's side. that may bring her up with
her people out CT the land of bondage"'
by the hawk of Harmachis. now do l
repent my promise. Captains, TO your har-
ness. TO your horses, TO your chariots,
Scourge me these fleeing Apura back that
1 may lay my burden once more heavily
upon themr'
There was sprnging movement among
the arl<,ed men.
But Moses raised the terrible staff. the
awful rod which had drawn down the Ten
Terrors on the land. There was shudder
even among the captains, and Menepthah
stopped suddenly in his speech.
Pharaoh. 1 charge thee. stand from that
woman's side.''
And Pharaoh fell back appalled,. be-
numbed and strange.
Still holding up the staff. Moses raised
his left hand With curious action he ex-
tended it toward Meerah and drew it slowly
back. The girl. a dazed and helpless look
in her eyes, rose TO her feet; then, with
arms outstretched and palms uplifted be-
fore her, with tottering steps she drew to-
the folds of the great veil. and when the
folds fell the last of the children of Israel
had gone up with her people out of the
land of bondage.
When Horus. the Sun in his Strength,
arose next day. radiant with his victory
over Set. he beheld the multitude of the
Hebrews gathered together northward of
the city. on the edge of the desert above
the valley OF Gesem. Six hundred thou
sand mon they were, besides women and
children. Each man with his staff in his
hand and his water bottle by his side Then.
at signal from their leader, they set
forth. orderly array, with the women
and the cattle in their midst. Meerah. on
an ass, rode apart inasmuch as she had
been one of Pharaoh's women, and she who
but short while since had been the secret
envy of E.any a Hebrew maiden was now
regarded as dweller in the outer tents.
But she rode on unnoting. her face turned
constantly toward the southwest, where
Rameses was; her dark eyes dim with tears
and her heart filled with the image of
Menepthah. renowned for his gracious pres
ence and the beauty of his countenance.
Thus they journeyed silent in the soft
sand of the desert which overlooks the
green strip of the valley they now avoided.
but had so recently quilted. And when they
drew near to Thuku. or. in the language of
| the Hebrews Succoth. the people muir
INJURED and wished to stay, for they were
weary.
But their leader urged them on TO the
low hills. which would protect their flank.
exposed to Pharaoh's horsemen, should
they pursue; for Pharaoh's chariots were
then at Zoan, in the name of Tanis, to
the north. And when they pitched that
night at Thuku Meerah sowed the sand
with her salt tears.
OH she cried "why must this thing
be? Is one woman SO precious to this I'M
dertaking that /. against my will. must be
brought up out Of the land where the
strings of my heart are made fast? What
to me is land which promiseth not love?
They who leave love behind step forth into
the night. crying, not knowing whittier they
wander. The light of my life hath gone
out, and l stand alone in the darkness,
praying for the morning of the life be-
yondr'
But Harmi her father chided her. and
laid his staff heavily upon her, reviling her
for a reproach to him. So Meerah refused
to eat and to drink, and she dropped her
head as the lotus droops when the rise of
the river is no more than eight cubits
And they struck their camp and marched
still in a straight line. till they came on the
second day to Khetham. at the head of the
Lake of Crocodiles. Here. then, lay the
direct road into the country of the Canaan
ties: but Moses feared the men of Philistia,
inasmuch as at that time they were in
league with Pharoah and would surely drive
the people back into bondage. Therefore on
the third day, they crossed the canal
| (digged with their own hands, which sweet
ems the lake. and. turning south into the
desert, past the Bitter lakes. they marched
down to Pi-hahiroth, which is between
Mount Migdol and the Sea of Weeds.
Now, in these days and at this season,
was the head OF the Yam Suph broken up
into chain of large lakes, strewn with
islets of reeds and veined with causeways;
and the plain of sand was spread with
broad lagoons and rusty marshes. The
margins of the lakes and the depressions of
the earth thereabout exhibited incrusta-
tions of salt. which betokened that the
height of the waters varied as causes
wrought and conditions ruled.
Here was the full measure of his respon-
sibility poured out upon the shoulders of
the Hebrew leader; for, although his TANKS
were protected by the sea of weeds on the
one hand and the heights of Migdol on the
other. and favorable as was his position
against attack it afforded him small oppor-
tunity of safe and rapid retreat in the face
of pursuit: and retreat was his aim and I'M
dertaking. He could not cross the Yam
Suph, as he had hoped. for the waters were
full, and the desert TO the south was with
out wells. So they halted there over
against Baal-Zephon, Lord of the North.
All this time Meerah neither ate nor
drank. She failed under the burden of the
great heat as she toiled on, with her face
set steadfastIy in the direction of Rameses.
She slept not. but wept nightly at her lot.
Hatred and rebellion arose within her. and
she dashed her heart against the callous
rock of circumstances. She worshiped not
with her people, but stole out into the des-
ert at night. and sang softly and sweetly
the hymn to Pharaoh:
Hail 10 thee, King of Khem, Sun Of foreign
peoples,
Thy name is great in the land of kuSh.
Where thy war cry reSounded through the
dwellings of
Great is thy power, thou benevolent ruler;
The Paraoh. life, salvation, health TO him,
He is a shining Sun,
And Menepthah, from the roof of his pal
ace at Rameses had watched the Hebrew
host till it was enveloped in the orange