The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-05-27

LOI pastuIaBo OtCAmc mO4o OioCuits ahu
the nocks and herds wandered farther
and farther down the valley. Eliezer
was quite In despair. and found increas-
ing difnculty In keeping close supervI-
sion over the herds. But to his repeated
appeals. Abraham returned the same
reply as that given at the first inter-
view.
One day Eliezer's duties took him to
a distant point, and Ishmael, a vigor-
GUS youth Of Is. pleaded to go with him.
Let the boy co." was the response
which Abraham gave when appealed to,
and the eyes Of the aged patriarch fol-
lowed the youth as he bounded away.
and the words which God had spoken
came to him. AS though to strengthen
his faith, he repeated them aloud:
NAY. but Sarah thy wife shall bear
thee son; and thou shalt call his name
Isaac: and will establish My covenant
with him for an everlasting covenant
for his seed after him.
A faint sound OF derisive laughter
came from the interior Of the tent. II
fretted him, and. longing to get alone
II will get me up to the altar of the
Lord on the mountain top when the heat
OF the day is passed. 1t may be that
God will speak to me there as on former
occasions"
Lifting his eyes with the thought
towards the adjacent mountain, his at
tention was attracted by three strangers
onx ,tx,sr ha bro n, '. Rrcf
Impulse was one of Impotence, for he
feared their coming would hinder his
visit to his wonted place of worship.
He desired solitude at this time. II did
not seem to him that he could act the
part of host He wanted to be left alone
to his meditation.
But here were strangers. They were
weary with the journey. The heat OF the
day was oppressive, and they needed
shelter and refreshment. Thus think
ing, Abraham graciously put aside his
own feelings and desires, and arose to
greet the strangers. who had paused a
short distance down the Faith, as though
waiting for invitation to come In and
rest.
ham ran to meet them, and salaaming
low before them, he said:
MY lord, II now have found favor
In thy sight, pass not away, pray thee.
from thy servant. Let now little water
be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest
yourselves under the tree. And l will
fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen
ye your hearts"
With gracious sweetness and ease the
strangers accepted the proffered hos
pitality, saying:
so do, as thou hast said.''
Bidding servant bring water for the
feet of the guests, Abraham FASTENED
into the tent to find Sarah, wondering
who his guests might be. and yet con-
scious of a feeling of their superiority.
Was 1t to show how thoroughly was his
repentance for his first ungracious and
inhospitable feelings? Or was there an
indefinable something about his guests
which appealed to the best impulses
within him? Or was 1t combination
of both these elements? Whatever IL
was certain il is that Abraham's gra-
cious feelings of hospitality overlooked
that day. and, finding Sarah he eagerly
said:
make ready quickly three measures
of fine meal, knead IL, and make cakes.
such as thy skillful hands know so well
how to prepared"
And without giving his wife oppor-
tunity to ask any questions he FASTENED
to the herd.
Selecting the finest calf his discerning
eye could pick. he hurried back with it.
He was too intent on the matter in hand
to note the wondering looks of the herd
man in charge, or hear his half-mut-
tered protest:
THE most likely calf in all the herd.
II Eiiezer had been here he would not
have taken it,
Soon the repast was ready. and as
set 1t before his guests he
longed to ask them who they were, and
from whence they had come, but he
hurst not.
Where Is Sarah, thy wife?" was the
question which startled him when the
meal was ended.
Who had told these strangers the
name of his wife? What peculiar thing
was this that they should ask after q
mans wife?
10. Sarah, thy wife, shall have q
son!" they continued
AS the words fell upon Abraham's
ears his eyes were opened, and he be-
held, no longer strangers, but the Lord
and His angels. Bowling himself before
them a deep silence fell.
Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying.
Shall of a surety bear child, which
am old? Is anything too hard for the
Lord?"
Abraham started to his feet. Sarah
laugh? He had heard no sound,
81 laughed mott" she whispered In
terrified voice as Abraham confronted
her In the tent, for she was afraid.
And the same Lord who had searched
her heart and heard her laugh and her
derislve words. heard the whisper,
though 1t was so faint that Abraham
scarce caught the words, and He said:
Nay, but thou didst Taught"
And the Lord and His angels arose
and went towards Sodom. and Abraham
went with them to bring them on their
way. and late that evening when Abra-
ham returned to his tent he found