St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-04-22

xpP]M EN people. The fear o
WVF God was befor
-SEA their eyes. and
steadfastly obeying the command o
God to scatter and replenish the earth
they had refused to listen to the appeals
of the inhabitants of Shinar. This ag
gressive but ungodly people had urgee
them to migrate to the south and con
centrate their forces with them il The
building of great city and tower which
would become an enduring center to
ward which the people of the eartt
would turn and where they could enjoy
life together.
The refusal was met by abuse and per
secution of the most yirulent type. Il
found expression in numerous ways. the
most distressing of which was the raid
ing CT the settlements by armed bands
and the carrying off to Shinar of the
strong young men as enforced labOrers
in the vast building operations which
had been undertaken.
AS consequence there was mourn
ing in many a household Wives
mourned the loss of husbands which
were torn from their bosoms. Parents
were robbed of their sons, and fair
young girls were left sad and desolate
as their lovers were dragged away to a
life worse than death
Evil was united and triumphant Dur
ing this dark period of the worlds his
tory we find this unique condition, that
the goddess were drawn together in I'M
holy combination to thwart Gods
righteous plans. One spirit ruled SUI
preme. God was reckoned out of the
account, and the one purpose was to pro-
vide permanent shelter and abode for
themselves. Not since that day has the
evil in the world been united in it's re-
bellion against God. And it will not be
again until that latter day when the
anti-Christ shall have been manifested
and shall have as by a miracle unified
the forces that are in rebellion against
God. Then the arm of the Lord shall be
revealed and His enemies vanquished.
even as in that earlier day, when Babel's
mad hordes were driven hither and yon
before the wrath Of Gods power.
1t has been supposed by scientists
that the extensive ruins at the modern
Birs-Nimrud are those of the ancient
tower of Babel. and as one views the
masses of debris and pictures it rising in
Its original and orderly form story after
story towards the heavens it suggests
that after all the modern skyscraper
building of our great cities is not some
thing new under the sun, but that it was
ante-dated by many thousands of years
by the tower of Babel
What hordes of laborers it must have
taken to have carried on such project!
What unity of spirit and tenacity of pur-
pose! Everyone in that great industrial
center of Babel had some share in the
work. But to the enforced laborers
brought in from the outlying country to
the north and west were given the most
mental of the tasks. They became the
bearers Of burdens. They gathered the
bitumen used for cement; they mixed the
clay for the bricks. and when dried in
the sun or burned in the fire they bore
them to the men working on the great
walls of the rising structure
Among the hundreds thus plodding
from early morn to setting sun. none
more noble face or manly bearing was to
be seen than that Of Rurig. Despite the
sorrow in the face which told of heart
craving unsatisfied, and tragedy that
had blasted the young and promising
life, there was a deep light in the eyes
that spoke of depth of character that
could be hopeful when hope seemed
dead, that could cling in faith to God
when God seemed to be far away and to
have forgotten.
AS God came down to see the city and
the tower which man was building, His
all discerning eye must have discovered
the young man groaning under his bur-
dens, and His ear must have caught the |
prayer as it rose from |
the anguish-stricken heart asking for
deliverance. God hears the cry of faith, |
and He does deliver right speedily. VINO
can know or determine how much the |
of God upon goddess Babel may
have been in answer to the prayer of |
such as Rurig?
!, Months had rolled by since he had ar
rived with a score of others, and had
been assigned his task, but the memory
Of that day when he was seized in the
fields and fettered and marched off to
the southwark was as vivid as though
It were but yesterday He could see his
beloved Alisha as she stood that day
wringing her hands in piteous helpless
ness. and moaning his name as he disap-
peared in the distance. They were be-
.rothed and were soon to have wed, but
cruel fate had separated them. perhaps
forever.
In another patch of slaves that had ar
lived long after he had come there was
! man from his section of the country.
who brought the tidings that Alisha
some weeks before had disappeared, and
Ill efforts to trace or discover her
had been futile.
All. what fresh anguish was this for
he young lover! How the arrow of anx-
Gus dread cut deeper and deeper into
lis heart each day as he wondered where
Alisha was, and what had befallen her
..Oh, God!" he cried out in the anguish
# his soul, deliver from this bondage,