Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19

| a LAYER Of sea water and an Israelitish
| robe, fringed and bound at the selvage
| with blue. With the dispatch and adroit-
ness of one long used to personal service,
he attended the young Egyptian and
| dressed him in the stately garments OF
| his own people. When his service was
complete he took up the bowl and cast
off dress and went forth.
| After time he brought in a couch-lik
! diVan, dressed it with fringed linen and
| strewed it with cushions; next. he sus-
| pended cluster of lamps from the CEN
| terpole; set tiny inlaid table close to
| the couch. and on the table put a bottle
| of wine and a beaker; and brought last
| heap of fine rugs and coverings, which
he laid In one corner. The tent was fur
| nished and nobly. The man bowed before
| kenkenes, awaiting the Egyptians further
| pleasure, but at a sign from the young
man bowed again and retired
kenkenes went over to the divan and sat
down on 1t to wait.
Presently some one entered behind him.
| He arose and turned. Before him was the
NEST welcome picture his bereaved eyes
could have looked upon. His visitor was
all IN shimmering white and wore no or
nament except collar of golden rings.
What need of further adornment when she
was mantled and crowned with a glory of
golden hair? Except that the face was
marble white and the eyes dark and large
: with quiet sorrow, it was the same divinely
beautiful Rachel!
1t may have been that he was beyond the
".
that the unexpected restoration of his love
might have swept away his forces had he
been in full strength; but whatever the
cause. kenkenes sank to his knees and
FORWARD into the eager arms flung out to
receive him. Her cry of great joy seemed
to come to him from afar.
kenkenes! oh, my love! Not dead; not
dead!'
Then it was he learned that she had de-
| SPARED, grieving beyond any comfort, for
she had counted him with the first-born Of
Egypt. And even though thoughts came to
him but slowly now, he said to himself:
Praise God, 1 did not think of it, or I
had gone distracted with her trouble"
HOW rich Woman-love is in solictude and
mlnistering resource! 1t made Rachel
strong enough to raise him, and having led
MIN back to the divan, gently to lay him
down among the cushions. The wine was
at her hand, and she filled the beaker and
held 1t while he drank. Then she kissed
him and, hiding her face in his breast, wept
SOFT tears. And though he held her very
close and had in his heart a great longing
to soothe her, lie could not speak.
After little she spoke.
Il had not dreamed that there was such
artifce in Miriam. She told me of a noble
man that had served God and Israel. and
was in need of comfort in his tent. But
she bridled her tongue and governed her
expression so cunningly that 1 did not
dream the hero was mine-miner'
Then on a sudden she disengaged herself
from his arms and gaining her feet cried
out with her hands over her blushing face:
And now, L know why she and Hur-O
L know why they came with me, and
brought me to the tent"
Nay, now; may | not guess alsO2" Ken
kenes laughed, though little puzzled over
her evident confusion. They had a mind
to peep and spy upon our lovemaking. Per-
hither and let us not disappoint them"
She dropped her hands and looked at him
with flaming cheeks and smiling eyes
There was more in her look than he could
hn n l. l..
she came back to her place and hid her face
away from him.
1t is the love of ripper years that makes
the lips of lovers silent. But Kenkenes and
Rachel were very young and wholly
oemonstrative, and they had need of many
words to supplement the testimony of
caresses. They had much to tell, and they
left no avowaI unmade.
But at last Kenkenes voice wearied and
Rachel noted it. So in her pretty authori-
tative way she stroked his lashes down
and babe him sleep. When she removed her
hands and elapsed them above his head
his eyes did not open.
AS she bent over him she noted with a
great sweep of tenderness how young he
was. In all her relations with Kenkenes
she had seen him in the manifest roles She
had depended upon him, looked up to him.
and had felt secure in his protection. Now
she contemplated a face from which con-
tent had erased the mature lines that care
had drawn. The curve of his lips, the
length of the dropping lashes the round
ness of cheek, and the softness of throat.
were youthful-boyish. With this enlieht-
eminent her love for him experienced a
TRANSPORTATION. She seemed to grow older
than he; the maternal element leaped to the
fore; their positions were instantly re-
versed. 1t was hers to care for him.
After a long time, his arms relaxed about
her, and she undid them and disposed them
in easy position. Lifting the fillet from his
brow. she smoothed out the mark it had
made and settled the cushions more softly
under his head. From the heap of cover
ings she took the amplest and the softest
the wind from the sea blew shrewdly at
night, she laid rugs about the edges of the
tent which fiuttered in the breeze and re-
turned again to his side
After another space of rapt contempla-
ton of his unconscious face she went forth
and drew the entrance together behind her
The next daybreak was the happieSt Is
rael had known in hundred years. Egypt
overthrown and humbled, was behind
them: God was with them, and Canaan was
just ahead--perhaps only beyond the hori-
zon. Few but would have laughed at the
glory of Babylonia, Assyria and the great
powers.
For had it not been promised that out Of
dsrael nations should be made and kings
should come?
The march was to be taken up immedi-
ately, and in the cool of tine morning the
host was ready to advance.
Rachel had not permitted herself to be
seen until the tent of Miriam was struck.
She knew that Kenkenes was without.
waiting for her and with the delightful in
consistency of maidenhood, she dreaded
while she longed to meet her beloved
again. And when the moment arrived she
slipped across the open space to the camel
that was to bear her into Canaan, but in
the shadow of the faithful creature Ken