The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1897-10-08

~ - NAAANtNAtAh1 Nnat &c
ars. man ~ undoubted
acitySth the witness stAQd in Eng
I'D sworc that he remembered an
emit $50 years before. Lord Bacon
salxs Of countess who had cut three
Is Of teeth. and died at 40 years In
1851 vook was printed containing the
names of 81 persons who lived 40
years, and the names of II persons who
lived $50 years.
Among the grand old people Of whom
we have record was Jacob, the shop
herd of the text But he had bad lot
Of boys. They were jealous and ambi-
tious and every way unprineipled. Jo-
seph, however, seemed to be an excep-
ton; but he had been gone many years,
and the probability was that he was
dead As sometimes now IN house
you win find kept at the the table va
cant chair, a plate, a knife, a
fork, for some deceased member
Of the family. so Jacob kept in his
heart a place for his beloved Joseph.
There sits the old man. the flock of $40
years in their fight having alighted
long enough to leave The marks Of their
claw on forehead and check and tenn
pie. His long beard SHOWS down over
his chest. His eyes are somewhat dim,
and he can see farther when they are
closed than when ahey 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 centenarian is sitting dreaming
over the past when he hears a wagon
rumbling to the front door. He gets
mp and goes TO the door to see who has
arrived, and his long absent sons from
Egypt come in and announce to him
= Joseph, instead Of being dead, is
lg'in an Egyptian palace, with all
investiture Of prime minister, next
the king in the mightiest empire of
Il the world The news was too sud
len and too glad for the old man, and
his cheeks whiten, and he has dazed
'oolk, and his staff falls out of his
and. and he would have dropped had
his sons caught him and led him to
OUNCE and put cold water ON his
and famed him little.
III = that half delirum the old man
mnmbles something about his son
Joseph. He says: "You don't mean
Joseph. do you? My dear son who has
been dead so long? You don't mean
Joseph, do you?" But after they had
tnlly 'rsus-isaJed him and the news
was confirmed, the tears begin their
winding way down the crossroads of
the, wrinkles, and the sunl1en lips of
the old man culver, and he brings his
bent fingers together as he says:
Joseph is yet alive. viii go and see
him before die"
II did not take the old man a great
while to get ready, warrant you. He
put on his best clothes that the shep-
herds wardrobe could afford. He got
into the wagon, and though the aged
are cautious and like TO ride slow, the
wagon did not get along fast enough
fnYrthis old man; and when the wagon
with the cid man met Joseph's chariot
coming down re'ine~. him, and Joseph
got out of the chariot and got into the
wagon and threw his arms around his
fathers neck Il was an antithesis Of
royalty and rusticity. of simplicity and
pomp, Of filihi affection and paternal
love, which leaves US so much in doubt
whether we had better laugb or crv
that we do both So Jacob kent the
resolution of the text-..I will 90 and
see him before die y
What n strong and tinfailing thing IL
narentai attachment, Was II mot al
most time for Jacob 10 forget .Joseph9
The hot SIM ~ many summers had
hlazea on the heath the river Nile had
overf,oxved and receded overflowed
and reeeded AGAIN and again: the seed
had been sovn and the harvests reap-
ed. stars rose and set. wears Of plentv
and years of famine had nassed ON.
INT The love NJ Jacob for Josenh in NV
fext n overwhelmingly dramatic Oh
that IL cord that Is not snapped.
-t,,roob pulled on nv MANY decades
Thongh when the little child expired
the Parents NAV not have been more
than % -vears of aoe and now they are
* vet the vision N the cradle and the
chiid,sh FACE and the FIRST nj.
,erarces of the infantile lips
are fresh today in spite
"a the nassage of a half century 10.
seph was a. fresh IN Jacobs memory As
ever tbouoh al II wears Of AGE the boy
bad aisaDneared from the old home.
steaa found IN our family record