The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-04-22


views. And now as they hurried on
ward side by side, he was half angry,
half perplexed by his brothers calm.
thoughtful reserve, as though within
there rolled a whole ocean of thought
and experience to which he was an utter
stranger.
All, could he have known the expert
ences of the past "a hours which had
come to Abraham, he would not have
wondered SO much.
Led by an irresistible impulse to be
alone, Abraham, the day before, had
climbed the heights of an adjacent noun
tain, and there in the solitude OF the
sheltering rocks with the heaven
spreading It's star-gemmed canopy over
his head and the silver rim of the new
moon shining out bravely and giving
promise of larger, fuller light as the
days should unfold, God had come to
him and spoken, commanding him, say
ing:
Get thee out Of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy fathers
house. unto the land that will show
thee; and will make of thee great ma
ton, and will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and he thou a blessing;
and will bless them that bless thee, and
him that curseth thee will curse; and
in thee shall all the families of the earth
be blessed"
Q Then the conflict of that night. All
through the long hours he wrestled with
himself and his desires. How could he
go? Why need he go? Could he not
serve God as well at Haran as elsewhere?
What would his father say? What
would Sarah, his wife, say? Butfaith and
obedience were finally triumphant. and
as he came down the mountain side and
turned his face homeward 1t had been
with the settled purpose to obey God at
all hazards. And that peace and con-
fidence which come from following the
pathway of duty had filled his soul. But
his one concern was his father. He was
take him with him. He was loath to
leave him behind. Thus in deep
thought as he studied over tie problem,
his brother had met him acd told
him of his fathers condition Who
can wonder that a peculiar light shone
in his eye, and that conflicting emo
tons surged through his soul and
made their impress upon his face? His
brother could not understand, and no
could not explain now. And SO they
walked along in silence and soop en-
tered the tent door, and in the 6 Dom
of the far corner saw the form OF the
aged father.
Hearing the hurried footsteps, the
old man half-raised himself and.
turning his head in the direction OF
the sounG he asked, in thin. shrill
voice:
Has Abraham Gomez"
BY way of answer. Abraham threw
himself down by the side of mis- ia
theirs couch, and, placing his strong
arm about him, drew him to himself.
Where hast thou been, Abraham"
asked the old man, as he gazed search
ingly into the face which bent over
him.
Abraham hesitated. Could he tell his
father of how God had spoken to him.
and of his purposes and plans? He
feared to. for he knew Terah's hopes
centered about Haran, and that IT, was
his desire that his children should
make 1t their permanent home.
But apparently failing to note the
embarrassment Of his son, Terah con-
tinued:
Il have something of Importance to
say to thee. Ere I die | want to
commend thee to thy God, and to
urge thee to obey Him. Last nigh, In
a vision | thought | saw God polat-
ing toward the south, and heard Hin
say: Canaan 1t was the land for
which we started. 1t is the land to
which God would have you co." and
lifting up his hand, he blessed his
children and grandchildren, and then.
lying back in Abraham's arms, he
passed peacefully away.
So unexpected were the words.
bringing such new light and encour
agement to one heart, AMI causing
such wonder and perplexi%y to the
others, that 1t was some minutes be"
fore all realized that Terah was dead.
Then grief overcame other feelings.
and the sense of loss shut out other
thoughts. But when Teral had been
laid away in the tomb, and the days
of mourning were ended. Abraham
called all the members Of the family
together and said:
God has called me to leave Hara3
and to go to land which He will
show me. You all heard our Father
Terah's last words. Can we doubt
that God has spoken? Can we refuse
to obey His voice?"
A deep silence followed. At last
Lot spoke up and said:
my desires are in HaIan. | love
its beauty. enjoy its ease. But
believe in Abraham's God. believe
that He has spoken. ! do not under
stand why. and yet feel that Abra-
ham is right, and will go with him"
AS Lot ceased speaking, a smile OF
mingled ridicule and scorn spread over
the face OF Major, and, with an impa-
tient shrug of his shoulders. he said:
ut Is better to keep what we have
than IN go after an uncertainty. The