St. Tammany farmer., 1905-11-18

S7,LGEN was no answering
N1EM~ call, or wave o.
hand, such a:
NJ might have beer
II N y expected, and ht
felt instinctive1y
that it was only further evidence Of
the ill-will which his older brothers
were coming more and more to show
towards him. He often wondered why
they should feel so, and had he not
been of such an open, frank, CHEEKY dis
position, overlooking sights and un.
kindly words, and trying persistently
to meet his brothers on friendly
ground, he would long before have
given up in despair.
Nothing which they did seemed tc
rufile his even temper, and SO pure
hearted and noble and generous in
thought was he that it never entered
his mind to question their motives
towards him He thought no evil con.
cerning them, for his nature SO lived
in the upper currents of Gods love and
sunshine that he had no conception
Of the base and selfish motives which
lurked in the shadows and darkness
on the lower levels. To be sure, he
was keenly sensitive to evil and wrong
doing in others, and was always ready
to rebuke it, but never in critical or
unkindly spirit or with that offensive
I-am-holier-than-thou manner. He de-
lj1h<od In <ho% wh;ch waa CoOd and
right, and it never entered his mind
but that others must feel the same as
he. When with his brothers and OBJ
serving their evil ways, as was often
the case when they were away with
the flocks and yielded to the tempta-
tions to unclean living. the result Of
the influences of the heather nations
among whom they dwelt, he would in
his modest, unassuming way point out
the wrongdoing, and just as the clear,
full rays of the sun reveal without
fear or favor the pure lily reaching
up towards heavens blue as well as
the loathsome bug crawling in the dirt
at its foot, SO Joseph, in talking with
his father, openly and freely and
frankly told all that transpired. It
would have been as hard for him to
conceal and cover up as to share In
the wrongdoing itself, and SO not only
had he incurred the dislike Of his
brothers through his innate good quail
ties, for evil is always condemned and
disquieted in the presence OF that
which IS good, but they hated him for
bringing the stories of their doings to
their father. And SO it had come to
pass that they could not speak peace
ably to him, and as they saw him COM
ing towards them that morning they
had no smile or word OF greeting for
him.
Without apparently noticing their
looks and surly response to
his CHEEKY: Peace be to thee" the
common salutation when persons met,
he unslung his skin bottle Of goats
milk and placed it on the ground be-
side the basket of bread, saying as he
did so:
There's a treat for you. Father
thought the milk and the fresh baked
bread would taste better than the PRO-
visions you brought with you.
Without thank you," save from
the Oldest son, who rudely
calculated: well, you do do some
thing useful once in awhile" the
brothers seated themselves on the
ground and eagerly fell to, devouring
the food Joseph had brought with that
enthusiasm and relish which comes
from good appetite, stimulated by
their vigorous outdoor life.
Father said could stay and help
you finish with the harvesting" Jo-
seph said, as he took up one of the
sickles and set to work on the waving
grain before him. After some half dozen
sheaves had been thus deftly finished,
he paused to lay aside his outer robe.
which hampered the full freedom Of
and as he did so he
chanced to glance in the direction Of
MS brothers and noted that they were
aying the garment with peculiar in
:erest. Proudly holding # out, he ex-
claimed:
Father made it for me. Is it not
pretty ?"
There was no response save an ILL
latured grunt of apparent disapproval,
md Joseph, without noticing it. went |
IN to say:
HE got the different colored cloths |
rom trader who stopped with US the
,ther day. l wanted him to make It
or Baby Benjamin, but he wanted me
o have It, for mother had planned
uch . coat for me before she died, he
aid. And / am going to take good
are Of it," he added. as he folded It
arefully and laid 1t on the top Of the
sst sheaf he had bound.
The dark looks On the faces Of the
rothers deepened ana Simeon, one Of
he sons Of Leah, growled that their
ather had never made him such
oat, and that Joseph Was no better
han the rest. The others echoed the |
nffiendly sentiment and Joseph. anx-
- ~ vnnl1afw HID hvnflAApu AxeIAimA6. Il