The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-04-01
NEXPECTED HELPS.
sons from the Trials Of Hagar
in the Wilderness.


tn Elln AEfs H. DEAHANl ANl~
takes a well-kuown biblical
ory and draws from it some stirring
sons. The text is:
and Cod opened her eyes, aud she SAB d well
water. and she went and Glled the bottle
th water and gave the lEd to dr~ink-Genesis
-. ia
Morning breaks upon Beersheba
There is an curly stir in the house Of
bal Abraham. There has been trouble
nong the domestics. Hagar an as
stant in the household, and her son,
brisk lad of 16 years, hHFe become
apndent and insolent, and Sarah, the
distress OF the household puts her foot
swn very hard and says chat they
nj have to leave the premises, They
Z packing up now. Abraham, know
~ that the journey before his servant
ad her son win be very long
La across desolate places, in the
tndness of his heart sets about putting
3 some bread and a bottle with water
1t. 1t is a very plain lunch
bat Abraham provides, but | warrant
ou there would have been enough Of
had they not lost their way ''God
with your said old Abraham, as he
aye the lunch to Hagar and a good
aany charges as to how she should
8nduct the journey. Ishmael, the
BIZ, l suppose, bounded away In the
orning light Boys always like a
aange. Poor Ishmaell He has no
lea Of the disasters that are ahead of
Hagar gives one long, lingering
BOX at the familiar place where she
ad spent 80 many happy days, each
IA associated with the pride and
9Y of her heart, young Ishmael.
The screening noon comes on, The
r is sliding and moves across the
esert with insufferable s~uifocation,
hmael, the boy begins to complain
nd lies down, but Hagar rouses him
ID, saying nothing about her own
aeariness or the sweltering heat; for
noJhers can endure anything Trudge,
Drudge, trudge, Crossing the dead
ierel of the desert, how YEARLY and
owly the miles sHpl A tamarind that
semed hours ago to stand only just a
title ahead, inviting the travellers to
8me under its shadow, now is ais far
III as ever, or seemingly so. Night
arops upon the desert, and the tray
eers are pillowless, Ishmael, very
weary, suppose, instantly falls asleep,
4agar, as the shadows of the night be-
n to lap over each other-Hagar hugs
Ter weary boy to her bosom and thinks
81 the fact that it is her fault that they
5re in the desert, A star looks out,
and every falling tear it kisses with a
SPARKLE. A wing of wind comes over
the hot earth and lifts the locks from
the fevered brow of the boy Hugar
sleeps htfully, and in her dreams trav-
els over the weary day, and half
awakes her son by crying out in her
sleep, 'lshmael! lshmael!'
And so they 60 on day after day and
night after night, for they have lost
their way. No path in the shifting
sands; no sign in the burning sky,
The sack empty of the flour; the water
gone from the bottle. What shall she
do? AS She puts her fainting Ishmael
under a stunted shrub of the arid plain,
She sees the bloodshot eve, and feels
the hot hand, and watches the blood
bursting from the cracked tongue, and
there IS a shrek n the desert Of Beer
sheoa w shall die' we snall dle!|
Now no mother was eVer made strong
enough TO lear her son cry IN vain Tor
j drink. Heretofore she had cheered
her boy by promising a speedy end Of
tne Journey ana even sin'lea upon
pun When she 1el5 desperately
enough no" tnere IS ho5h'ng 10
q ou5 place hln under a snrQo
M let MN ale' Sne . thought
thaG she would slJ Jhere ano Waleh nn-
~ Ihe SPIRIT 81 her Doy YOU'D go away
forever, and then she would breathe