The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1897-10-09
Some New Lessons Drawn From
the = Org Of Joseph.
Strength OF Par 'ntaf Attachment-Gtur
Children Alway Children, No Matter
How Old I'll tiEow-Tiie Beau
les OF isI Affection.


The text is:
will go and see him be- ore die.-Genesis,
xiv, IS.
Jacob had long since passed the 100
year milestone. In those times people
Were distinguished for longevity. In
the centuries after, persons lived to
great nge. sNalen, the most celebrated
physician Of his time. took so little of
his own medicine that he lived TO 40
years. Il mnn>of undoubted vcracity
On the witness stand in England swore
that he remembered apeevent $50 years
before. Lord Bacon speaks of a coun-
tess who had cnt three sets of teeth and
died at lao years, Joseph Crele, of
Pennsylvania, lived 40 years. In 1857
book was printed con tanning the
names of 81 persons who lived 140
years, and the names OF II persons who
lived $50 years.
Among the grand old people Of whom
we have record was Jacob, the shep-
herd of the text But he had bad lot
of boys. They were jealous and am
bilious and every way unprin cipled.
Joseph, however, seemed to be an ex-
ception; but he had been gone nany
years, and the probability was that he
was dead. As sometimes now in a
house you will find kept at the table a
vacant chair, d plate, lNsfe, a fork,
for some deceased member of the fam
aly, SO Jacob kept in his heart place
for his beloved Joseph. There sits the
old man, the flock of lao years in their
flight having alighted long enough to
leave the marks of their claw on fore
head and cheek and temple. His long
beard SHOWS down over his chest His
eyes are somewhat dim, and he can ses
farther when they are closed than
when they are open, forahe can see
clear back into the time when beauti-
full Rachel, his wife, was living, and
his children shook the oriental abode
with their naerriment
The centenarian is sitting dreaming
over the past when he hears a wagon
rum bling to the front door. He gets
mp and goes to the door to see who has
arrived, S1Bd hisMong absent sons from
Egypt coSne in and announce TO him
that Sosoph, instead of being dead, is
livin In GA Egyptian palace, with all
the -eststure of prime minister, next
We KiE7g, ia the mightiest empire OF
ssas world! The news was too
suadsR s.a too glad for the OLD man,
ana his checks whiten, and he has a
dazse ie@8, and his staff falls out Of
his hand, aad he would have dropped
hsa R0t eAe sons caught him aad led
him 10 q l0ange and put cold water on
his fAee cad famed him little.
In shss half delirium the old man
mumblea 80 aething about his son Jo-
seRh. He sa :: "lou don't mean Jo-
seph, do yoas myydear son who has
bean dead SO 7ong? You don't mean
Joseph, do yor9' But after they had
fully resuscitatg 4 him, and the news
was confirmed, no tears begin their
winding way gown the crossroads of
the wrink IS, and the snnlSen lips of
the old ma quiver, and he brings his
bent fingers ogethcr as he says: 'Jo-
seph is yet We. / win go and see
him before | die"
1t did not take the old man a great
while to get ready, l warrant You. He
pat on the best clothes that the shep-
herds wardrobe could afford. He got
into the wagon, and though the aged