The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-25


so little. and they are all good n Nasons,
The family lived In remote district a
district whose people were looksd upon
with something OF contempt or the Ca
lneans were Of a rebellious temper, and
even their language had been corruputed
by constant intercourse with the Gcatilcs,
There were thousands OF carpenters scat.
tered throughout the land and there
were thousands OF carpol l,er's soas who
Piled their humble trade Ia order to meet
the family expenses
Whon Jesus bcNme prominent by HIS
abandonmeag ot His fathers work bench
ana entered puolie lie as teacher max.
ing for Himself strange claims, witch
asJoundcd His mulutgdinous audiences
on plain, hillside and soashore worbins
such wonders tsat his nalnc was sen, IN
rosoundins reverberatious rrom one end
" the land to tho other and when. after
the people had become accustomed TO the
thrill Of His divine presence, they looked
back 70 discover His autccedSnts and 10
gather up the stories Of His youth. they
found as slender gloaniugs as Ruth did
In the tields OF Boaz The veil had al.
ready drcppci on the past. and no hts
tcrians eye WAS able to penetrate IT, The
recovery Of lc,s; faces was an impossiou-
ity, and We must netNis be content with
knowing ,hai no,hing can be known.
We must not corset that the whole his
tory OF the Jewish race was shaped by
the commands Of God. communicated nv
means Of visions and dreams one can.
not r,ad the Old Testament wi,hou, feel
ing that the ,wo worlds were very close
tOsther in those old days, aud that bea-
ven and earth touched each other at ever,
piont- II you were to elininate from
these ancient records the part which
Jehovah took in the affairs OF Has pc.
euiiar Pcople there would be little LEI,
excep, . bundle Of dry and anlnterlst ling
historic details. Their Jaws. their wor-
s0ip, their die, even. and the direction
Of their puhl.c and private affairs we're
AL She result Of commands resolved from
on higA through the mediation Of propa.
e's 1t Is the deligh, Of the Hebrews to
believe 'ha; 1aeir civil constitution and
their moral code are he gift OF the Lord
Almighty.
1t was therefore quite in accord with
the occurrences Of more :han .h,rty CEN
1uries that Joseph should regard his
strange dream as revelation Of Gods
will. anu that he should receive II as
mandatory. 1t did. in fact. change his
attitude toward the beautiful maiden to
whom he was espoused, and. instead .,
acting on his first impulse and procurlns,
divorce ne accepted the situation not
always with entire confidence. for age
and suspicion always 90 in company, bu;
at any rate with calm acqurescence. In
after yeans-fcr he lived until Jesus had
reached his nineteenth year-ae had am
pie proof, in the wonderfully sweet and
conifdins character which Mary deyeI-
oped, that The Lord had indeed conferred
upon his household a srea, blessing.
The couple toiled along The road. bu,
sven uhe beautiful scenery attracted very
little attention. for rhey were physically
weary with the journey and Mary was
from the prernonItory pains Of
childbirth. What a picture! Old .re
mi youth He looked anxiously after
he welfare Of his beautiful bride. MS
nind' without doubt, in a STATE OF coas,d.
rable confusion, fer the circumstances .
we're certainly peculiar enough to excite
lis constant wonder. 1. was impossible
o look into Marys face. sometimes sad
With pain and again lig1tei up with So Z
xalted and even ecsIailc an expression
nat he must have been awestruek With.
ur being foreibly reminded OF his dream
he assuredly recalled the strange ,pcl.
ents which accompanied and preceded
er pregnancy as the couple found their -
'ay along the dehles ami over the hin
ops and maryeled that so humble a wo I
nan as she should have been chosen.
No two persons ever had such strange
noughts. imagine. and when tsev
llked the matter over, as hey mus,
ave done again and again. they were
9th overcome and overwhelmed BY the
disabilities Of the fuuure.
We are left entirely to conjecture az
the personal appearance Of Jesus the !
oy, ard We have no means Of knowing
ow He looked as He wanderd over r,st, s.