The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1905-02-09

lSIlHS. NdiH, Will Tue ulSSciuiiS Sdi
of the careful huspandman, had Sc
lected the best of his fruits and grains
and with self-confident. self-satisfed
air he brought them and placed them
upon the altar.
Abel, with humble heart and faith
reaching up in obedience towards God,
brought his precious lamb and as its
life blood flowed he bowed in repent
ant grief at the thought of sin which
made such sacrifice necessary.
While thus bowed before the altar
on which the lamb rested the fire of
Gods presence came down and con-
sumed the sacrifice, and Cain, standing
with proud, unbending head before his
altar, noted the evidence of Gods ac-
ceptance of Abel's offering, while his
own offering remained undisturbed and
unaccepted.
and he was very wroth, and his
countenance fell.
And the voice of God came to Cain
and said:
why art thou wroth? and why is
thy countenance fallen? If thou vert
innocent and sinless, a thank Offering
of thy fruits would have been accepted
as a token of thy dependence as a
creature, buta as thou art a Sinners sim
offering is necessary, by the bringing
of which thou wouldst have met with
acceptance, even as was the case with
Abel, thy brother
On his return home that night Cain
had made no mention of the incidents
of the day and his mother, noting his
sullen demeanor, kent silence and next
morning watched him depart with that
awful frown upon his face. And her
heart was sore troubled. All, mother.
to-day shalt thou drink the bitter cup
which thy disobedience back in the
garden hath poured for thee!
Toward noon, unable to stand the
pressure of that vague terror which
filed her heart, she started from the
house. She knew not why she went.
She poticed not whittier she went, but
rresistibly her feet were drawn to-
wards the distant fields where AbeI's
flocks peacefully fed. A deathlike still
ness brooded over the spot, save for
the occasional bleating of little suck
ling lamb as it sought SIS mothers
side, or the twitter of some mother
bird as she fed her younG in the tree
top. No herdsman's CHEEKY call as he
talked to his sheep. no tal form NOV
ing about in loving cars among his
sheep!
The mothers heart stood still. She
tried to cry out in the Agony of her
heart: abel! Abel!t" But the
words would not come. and she half
ran, half stumbled on. What was that
dark form lying on the green sward. |
from which the sheep seemed to draw
with cread away? She Fad never seen
une liz so cold and still before. Those |
eyes. staring wildly up towards
heaven! The agony OF that white
face! The gaping wourd in the side!
The kround all crimson with the lifes
blood With horror unspeakable the
moth,r drew back, and slowly upon
her ized senses there broke the one
word God had spoken back in the gar
And this was death!
This was sins fruitage! Death!
Oeats,!!
But mother love quickly asserted it.
,elf, and with one wild, broken
nv of anguish, Mother Eve threw her.
;elf upon the form of her beloved boy.
We may not intrude on the sacred scene
rhe hours spent there with her precious
lead no eye but Gods saw, and none
tut His tender ear heard. And there,
ate In the night, while the stars kept
heir silent watch overhead and the
Moons gentle beams guided his feet,
dam found her. and mingled his tears
nth hers, and felt the heart throb OF
er anguish.
But what of Cain? While the bereft
arents keep watch by the size OF their
cad boy, he is we'll on his way to the
and of Nod. whittier he turned his steps
fter his interview with God. But how
hanged he is. Gods mark upon his [
row has fastened there forever the
ideous and vengeful face which glow
red over his innocent and defenseless
rother, as he drove the sharp pointed
int knife again and again into his
side. His mad rage spent, his
salous hate satiated, still that face in
II its horrible, misshapen frenzy was 8
xed for all time. 1t was a sign set by Q
cd, lest any finding him should kill 3
I'm u
BY the early morning ligh. the tender
ands Of that sorrowing father and '
other laid the dear form OF their bow. |;
bel, to rest by the side OF the altar &
here but so shortly before he had p
God an humble and accepted wor- u
liper. BY faith he had offered a more c
,cellent sacrifice than Cain. and it was b
1T faith that gave him abundant en- {
ance to the presence of God. And by s.
18th the parents. as they wended their
~ home silently. knew that their b
Ring was safe with God. n
But Cain, in the land of Nod, spoke Z
II Of that way Of faith which he knew n
4, and forgot God, and the latter end y
that man was worse than the first u
The Limit. b