The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-02

shepherd Of the text. But he had a bad
lot Of boys They were Jealous and
ambitious and every way unprincipled.
Joseph, however, seemed to be an ex-
oeption. but he had been gone many
years. and the probability was that he
was dead. As sometimes now In a house
you win find kept at the table a va
cant chair, a plate. q knife, a fork, for
some deceased member OF the family,
20 Jacob kept In his heart a place for
his beloved Joseph. There sits the old
man. the flock Of one hundred and for
~ years In their flight having alight-
ed long enough 10 leave the marks Of
their claw on forehead and cheek and
temple. His long beard SHOWS down
over his chest. His eyes are some
what dim. and he can see farther when
they are closed than when they are
open. for he can see clear back into
the time when beautiful Rachel. his
wife. was living. and his children
shook the Oriental abode with their
merriment.
The ccnlonarlan Il sitting dreaming
over the past when he hears a wagon
rumbling 10 the front door. lie gets
up and goes 10 the door 10 see who has
arrived. aud bis long absent sons from
Egypt come IN and announce TO him
that Joseph. instead OF being dead. Ia
living In an Egyptian palace. with all
the invesiiture Of prime minister. next
to the king In the mightlest empire Of
all the worldi The news was too sud
den and too glad for the old man. and
bis cheeks whlten. and he has a dazed
look. and his stan falls out Of bis
hand. and he would have dropped had
not the sons caught him and led him
to q lounge and put cold water on his
face. and famed him a little.
In that half dellrium the old man
mumbles something about his son Jo-
seph. lie says: you don't mean Jo-
seph, DO youf my dear son who has
been dead 20 long1 You don't mean Jo-
seph. DO your" but after they had
fully resuscltated him. and the news
was confirmed, the tears began their
winding way down the crossroads Of
the wrinkles. and the sunken lips OF
the Old man culver, and he brings bis
bent fingers together a. he says; "Jo-
seph is yet alive. will so and see
him before | die"
Il did not take the old man a great
while to set ready. / warrant you. lie
put on his best clothes that the shep-
herds warlrs6e could afford. He got
into the wagon. and though the AGED
are cautious and like to ride slow. the
wagon dld not get along fast enough
for this old man; and when the wagon
with the old man met Joscpha chariot
coming down to meet him. and Joseph
got out OF the chariot and got into the
wagon and threw his arms around his
fathers neck. Il was an antllhosls OF
royalty and ruslicity. Of simplicity and
pomp. Of illal affection aud paternal
love. which leaves "a 10 much In doubt
whether We had better laugh or cry,
that We DO both. So Jacob kent the
resolution Of the text viii 80 and
see him before ! die
What strong and unfaIllng thlnr
n patornal attachment Was Il not al.
most time for Jacob to forget Joseph
The hot suns OF many summers had
hlared on the heath. the river Nile had
OVERLOOKED and receded. overilowcd and
reccdod again and again. the seed had
been sown and the harvests reaped
stars rose and set. years Of plenty and
years Of famine had passed on. bat
the love OF Jacob for Joseph In my text
a overwhelmingly dramatic. Oh that
"a a cord that Il not snapped though
pulled on by many decades Though
when the little child expired the par.
ent may not have been more thar
twenty-five years Of age. and now they
are seyeniy-fvo, yet the vision Of N,
cradle. and the childish face. and IN,
hrst uttcrancea Of the lnfantllc lips az,
frcsh to-day. IN spite OF the nassag,
Of half century. Joseph was On fresh
IN Jacobs memory as ever though nj
seventeen years Of age the boy had d.
appeared from the old homestead.
found On our family record the story
Of an infant that had died atty year,
before. and ! said 10 my parents; "whal
d this record. and what does n meant
Their chief answer was a long. deer
slgh. Il was yet 20 them a very ten.
der sorrow. What does that an mean
why. Il means our children departed
are ours jet. and that cord Of attach.
ment reaching across the years viii
hold ua until Il briggs us together Ia
the palace. a. Jacob and Joseph were
brought together That IA one thins
that makes old people die happy. They
realize Il q reunion with those from
whom they have Ions been separated
am often asked az pastor and
every pastor IL asked the question
"Wiii my children be children IN
heaven and forever childrenY" Well
there was no doubt a great chango IN
Joseph from the time Jacob lost him
and the time when Jacob found him
between the boy Of seventeen years Of
ags and the man 10 mid-iife. his fore
head developed with the great busl'
nrls Of slate, but Jacob vas Flad 70 SET
back joseph anyhow. and Il dld not