St. Tammany farmer., 1905-08-12

n SM W@. tlIEatlZIuS way,
~E tE knowing full we'll
~ what story the lit
tie Jacob wanted.
YOU know,
grandpa. The one about Noah, and
how ne built the ark and rode on the
food and the rainbow. and"
.-Oh, NO, tell Us about Nimrod- who
was such a mighty hunter" eagerly
spoke up the other lad I like TO
near how he killed the great beasts,
and was not afraid 5f anything. I'm
going to be a hunter some day, Just
like Nfmr rod." and, deizlng a stick ly-
ing ON tn ground, be swung it vIgor-
ously above his head and brought it
down with a sounding whaek on the
trunk Of the great tree under which
they were resting
That's the way I'll knock the wild
beasts I meet" he cried. boastfuIIy,
putting with the energy he had put
into his blow
Let's see," questioned Grandfather
Abraham. watching with evident salts
faction the animation of one lad. and
the earnest face OF the other. Let's
see-how many times have I told you
the story OF Noah."
ssOh, bout thousand times, guess
most" admitted Jacob
And how many times have told
you the story of Nimrods" Abraham
continued, turning to Esau-
sAs many times as the ark story,
suppose" E.sau reluctantly confessed,
q disappointed look stealing over his
face as he began to realize that grand
pa was not going to tell his favorite
story again that afternoon
On this particular day each seemed
determined on having the story ne
liked best But for some reason
Abraham did not seem disposed to
yield to either, perhaps from a desire
IN his part to deal impartiaIly. and
inasmuca as he could not tell both
stories, he would tell neither, OF per
haps it was because he had story
with a special point which he wanted
| for some particular reason to tell
L
arm and pleaded he gazsd out thought
fully across the wide stretch Of field
where the herds browsed peacefully
ald at last asked
Did ever tell yau the story Of Cain
and Abelg No, not the sad, sad one OF
| the fatal quarrel and the flight from
home of Cain That was the sequel,
| the elimination of earlier wrong
doing for failure and crime are not
hatehed in a minute. but are the eumu-
| Iative effects of earlier habits and
nisdeeds-"
/ Did you know Cain and Abel grand
pas" questioned Jacob. who viewed the
gray hairs of the old man as evidence
| that he had lived long enough to have
| known almost everybody about whom
he talked
| Abraham laughed as he replied:
/ your grandfather has lived a good
many years. and is getting pretty old
q hundred three score and ten-btt his
/ acquaintance does not go back as far
as that Noah told me the story as he
| heard it from the lips OF his grand
| father. MethuseIah, and MethuseIah
you will remember, lived to be a very,
| very old man; In fact, he lived the
longest of any man of whom we have
| any record. and he heard the sto-y
/ from Adams own lips"
I .tIs there anything about animals and
hunting in the story, grandpa" broke
in Esau- who was impatient over the
interruption, and cared little whether
his grandfather had known Cain and
Abel or not In fact all he cared for
in story was the stir and action
Details were wearisome to him. Hs
could wait all day to find out the nest
ing place of some coveted bird, Or be
could study with greatest care and
patience the habits of fox or hare sc
that he might be able to set his trap
| 20 capture them but to listen to dry
facts or the details of a story he would
not Il he could help it.
You'll have to take the story as il
comes. and see for yourself GRANDPA
ther is not going to pick out the plums
/ for you and leave the dry but whole
some bread untouched" responded tls
aged patriarch as he drew the boy
closer to his side and looked dowr
earnestly into his face. He had long
since come to realize that there was q
depth to Jacob which was lacking il
Esau. and he was anxious to awaker
in the latter An interest and desire fol
something beyond the mere physiea
and material That morning LITTLE
episode had occurred which brought
this characteristic Of the lad fresh tt
his attention
The two boys had been sent by thai
father Isaac with message to one o.
the herdsmea down the valley direct
ing him to select two of the fines
| Iambs IN the lock and send them baef
by Esau and Jacob, as he desired II
make an offering unto the Lord. ant
i instructing the boys 10 be careful anl
see that no harm or injury came to ths
lambs in bringing them home, for.
/ said Isaac, with emphasis. -oGr offer
ing to the Lord must he without blen
ish.'
/ Thus atmonished, the brothers start
| ed of. In good time they arrived a
| the point where the herd was feeding
and. having delivered their messag'
and having been provided with two o
the very finest lambs in the splendis
flock by the careful herdsman- the,
| started back towards nome. leading tn