The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-06-16

VI d hOiHHA aNuN
ed in her tent at
some little distance away, and, shift
ing her position uneasily, as though
the harmony and joy in the other tent
had struck a discord in her own, she
sighed, and muttered to herself:
And now what of Ishmael?"
Whats that, mother" quickly
spoke up a boy who was tinkering over
some boyish contrivance in the tent
door, but who, ct the sound of his
mothers sigh and half inaudiblo
words, dropped his work and looked
up at her, i%nquiringly. did you speak
my name?"
The woman started as one does
when suddenly made conscious that
the inward emotions have been be-
trayed. Instantly his sympathetic ma
ture was aroused, and springing light
ly to his feet, he went towards his
mother, and, throwing himself at her
feet and looking up into her face, he
asked again, more mistakenly:
What is it. mother?"
Don't, mother, don'tl" exclaimed the
boy, in great distress, while at the
same time he caressed her, tenderly.
"What is troubling you? Has
A little goo at the tent door startled
them, and they both looked up just as
a sturdy boy of between two and three
years Of age came toddling in. AS he
caught sight of Ishmael he uttered a
gleeful shout, and came running to-
wards him with Outstretched hands.
A smile lit up the troubled face Of the
older boy, and for the instant, forget.
ting the distress Of his mother, he
stopped to take the baby and have a
frolic with him, as was his wont, for
ever since the coming of little Isaac,
Tshmael had been his loyal admirer
and faithful guardian and playfellow,
but as he stopped down, his eye fell upon
the face of his mother, who with dark,
almost evil look, was taking in the
whole scene.
At that instant a shadow fell across
the doorway, and the form of a woman
appeared. Her quick eye took in the
tableau before her. The strained.
drawn, hard look on the face of the
Egyptian mother, the puzzled, troubled
expression in Ishmael's face, and the
impatient wall of her little son as he
tugged sturdily at the older boys gar
meuts and sought to obtain the accus-
toned attention which was for some
reason he could not understand being
withheld.
"Ah, here You are,you little runaway!
Come, see what mother has for you,'
holding up a new garment of rich color
ing and finest texture, which the proud
mother was preparing for the great fes.
tai occasion which was to mark the
weaving of the boy and his formal rec.
ignition as the sole heir of Abraham'f
possessions and position.
At the sound Of Sarah's voice, Hagal
looked up with a startled and guilty ex'
preston, and, trying to smile, she bowed
low, and then spreading a rug at Sarah:
feet, she said, with an effort at compos
ure:
will not my mistress be seated?"
Not this morning, Hagar, there is 81
much to do in preparation for Isaac:
feast, which my hands alone must do
that | cannot" ard with a pretense o.
not having noticed the jealousy and un
happiness Of the other woman, sht
picked up her baby and FASTENED from
the tent.
Suddenly the mother stopped ir
front of him and exclaimed, iiereely
almost incoherently:
THE new garment, the great feast
Do you not know what that fol-
you? Oh. Eshmael--"
And again sobs and tears broke forth
cutting short the mothers words.
But what of it, mother?" stammeret
the boy. in a dazed sort of way.
The failure of the hoy to appreciat,
the situation seemed to exasperate thu
mother, and she exclaimed, passion
| ately;
What Of 1t! Canine. you understand
that you have no part or lot with Isaac
AS son Of Abraham thou art not t.
fare in aught that IL his save sucl
beggarly portions as he may give 70,
during his life. The new garment a
for the heir, The feast is for the heir.
And Abraham and the great sheiks o
all the country round will make merr,
as Isaac is proclaimed heir! Ans
you,p seising the boy by the shoulder
and almost shaking him in the fronz,
OF her grief and despair, "and you ar
| Just lshmael, o Of the bond-slave.n
The first dawning feelings OF jsal
ousy and sense Of wrong suffered begal
TO rise in the boys soul as his mother
words aad her bitter grief cnt dee
into his sensitive nature. A feeling D