St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-10-28

u,
trouble him, as the better promptings
came, he dismissed them with the
promise that soon he would depart.
Here he found good market for his
cattle and sheep, and he was fast be-
ing enriched by the trade which grew
up between the townspeople and his
own extensive company of people.
The temptation to linger was great,
and though he did suggest to his
wives and sons that 1t was time that
they again took up the journey, he was
more than half inclined to listen to
their protests and coneede the force OF
their reasons why they should remain.
Better remain while trade is so
good. We can go to Bethel later" adj.
vised Reuben, the eldest son, and with
him the others agreed, and Jacob,
after a half hearted protest, yielded. i
"And tomorrow there is to be
festival1r the town" Reuben continued.
There will be big demand for the
finest OF the cattle and the sheep for
the sacrifices and the feasting. How
foolish 1t would be not to make the
most Of it.
Jacobs brow clouded. The best Of
his cattle and sheep for sacrifice to
the heather gods, and for the Teasing
Of those who. bowed down to them!
But his protests were quieted by the
promise of the rich gain which would
be theirs, and the next day he watched
as his sons departed, trying to quiet
his troubled conscience with the
thought that the tenth of all his in.
crease would be the Lords. At the
last moment Dinah, after much
pleading, had won his consent to GO
with the boys and witness the merry
making. Little did he realize then the
direful consequences which were to
follow that visit, and his tarrying at
Shechem.
Not many days after this Hamor,
the prince of the country and the
ruler of Sha1em, came with his son
Shechem to visit Jacob, with the
ostensible purpose of offering him a
permanent dwelling place there, but
the real reason was that the young
man Shechem had seen Dinah at the
feast and, becoming enamored Of he,
resolved that she should become his
wife. But his advances had been 50
rebuffed by the brothers that he had
realized that only by subtlety could
he obtain his desires. On appealing
to his father, the latter had thought
to win Jacobs favor by the offer of
land.
q NAY, / will not accept thy land ex-
cept pay thee Its value" replied the
wary Jacob. what is thy price?"
"a hundred pieces of silver would
but be its worth. blu. what is that be-
twixt thee and me? Take the land"
And Jacob weighed unto him the
hundred pieces OF silver, and while
they were thus engaged with the busi-
ness IN hand Shechem found oppor-
tunity to speak to the winsome Dinah,
and her heart had gone out to the
handsome, noble looking Hiyite. She
knew the adherence with which her
people looked upon alliance with the
uncircumcised Canaanites, but secret
| II she resolved that she would favor.
Shechem's suit And Jacob, all uncon-
scious Of the shame and sorrow which
was gathering like q thick cloud about
| his home, continued to dwell In con-
tentment before Sha1em. Bethel un-
! attained, and the sacrifices he had In
tended to make there stfll unoifered,
he sought to find comfort in the erec-
! ton OF an altar to his God at Shechem.
He would offer his sacrifices there.
Would It not do Just as well after
all as II he were at Bethel? Sum-
| moning all the family and the serr-
| ants to gather on certain day for
the appointed service he prepared to
worship his God. Instinctively he
felt that the influence OF the peo-
pie of shalem upon his family was
not OF the best, but he tried to per-
suade himself that the building Of the
altar and the offering Of sacrifice
would somehow make things come out
all right. But even while he was Of.
fsring sacrifice and speaking to his
family and servants Of his God, the
God Of Israel, in memory Of the new
name which God had given him, Dinah,
enticed by the attractions OF the town,
and finding opportunity during the
confusion attendant upon the service,
had slipped away to visit with some
Of the damsels OF the town whom she
had met at the festival and on her
subsequent visits thither. Sacrifice
and worship could not stay the con-