St. Tammany farmer., 1905-12-23

lzdSG~ n all Egypt. TIL
S & !" skepticism an
(f&yE wonder of man
.5J'N: - as they h a
u watched the vas
granaries bein
filled during the seven years of plent,
was beginning to give place to graft
tude and praise for what the governo
Zaphnath-the name given to Josepl
when he was raised to be ruler owe
the land of Pharaoh-had done.
But with the task of gathering tn
grain completed and the storehouse
placed under the control Of competen
officials, Joseph found the leisure whel
he was more than once tempted t.
send or go back to Canaan in searcl
of his family. But two things mad,
him hesitate. One was the sense o
the duty and obligation which rested
upon him before Pharaoh and his Goo
Of carrying Egypt through the periot
of famine and again establishing tht
country in fruitfulness and prosperity
and the other was the sense of thu
obligation which he owed his brothers
He had long since forgiven them, anG
now saw clearly how they had only
been working out Gods plans, but hi
was wise enough to know that he an6
his brothers who had SO grievously
sinned against him and against God
could not be restored to each other
until they had been brought to realize
the exceeding wickedness of their sin
and to have repented of it. He knew
the best service he could render them
would not be to seek them out and be
stow upon them the fayors which his
position now rendered possible. And
SO he had obeyed the desire to serve
his brothers and win them back to God
rather than the impulses of his heart.
He would await Gods good time.
But if he could not go back to Ca
naan he would get as near the home
land as possible, and so he established
one of his store cities on the border
land of the country to. the east, and
there as the first year of famine had
drawn to its close he had more and
more resorted, for said he: Surely,
the dearth of the land will drive my
brethren into Egypt to buy corn, and
I will remain here lest miss them .
One day he called his chief steward
to him and said:
Egypt hath enough corn for her
own needs and those of the countries
to the east where the famine is sore,
but lest there come strangers with
other purpose than that of buying
grain, send all such to me that I may
know of certainty of their business
and may protect the king and the
country in this thing"
Now it was about this time that the
famine in the land of Canaan was be-
ing sorely felt, and in the household
Of the aged Jacob the scanty stores
were rapidly disappearing, SO that the
question which was daily being asked
was: What shall we, do? Where shall
we turn for food? And when word
came from some traders returning
from Egypt that there was plenty in
that land, the aged Jacob called his
sons to him and bade them go and buy
The needed supplies.
"Why do We look one upon another?"
he asked, as he noted their uneasy
slances, for the mention of Egypt
brought the guilty memory of their
brother whom they had sold to their
minds. But Reuben, who had never
known what had befallen his brother,
spoke up quickly and said:
Surely, we will go as our father has
,aid."
YEA, get you down thither. my
;ons," urged the old man, "and Duy
or us from thence, that we may live
Ind not die"
And without further delay the ten
,rothers took their departure. 1t was
! long journey, and the fifth day had
,egun ere they and their asses drew
lear their journeys end. Reuben was
n the advance, leading the way, and
urged his brothers to
lasten.
"He would not be so eager to get
nto Egypt whispered judah to the
thers, did he know that it was
hither that our brother was carried. .
"Yes,' responded Simeon, my heart
5 filed with strange forebodings.
ear evil will befall us here, for yester
light in my dreams could again hear !.
UT brother pleading with us that we
end him not into Egypt, and as l
'atched him disappear there seemed
o come hand out Of Heaven pointing
t us, and heard voice saying: His
lood be upon thee II had thought not
0 tell thee, but my lips can no longer
eep back the cry of fear which arises
a my heart"
"It is the accusing voice of G0d, p
hey all exclaimed. while apprehension
nd fear shone in t.eir countenances.
"Yea," dejectedly spoke up judah,
fter they had ridden on in silence for
ome time, "how can we expect that
cd will deal well with us when we
ave done so wickedly? Surely our
rother was righteous before us. Oh,
lat we had not dealt with him SO
ruelly!"
.It is no y,se." broke in Levi. bitter
!, 'our sin does follow us. When
link have quieted my fears. and put
le thing away from my mind forever,
rises specter-like before me and ILLS !