Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1905-02-08


DEATH"
w at strange,
mysterious infiu-
ence lit which steals upon the soul some
times, bringing vague dread and fear OF
some impending trouble or tragedy,
while yet the coming tragedy or trouble
Is Unforeseen and unknown? Why the
unexplained depression OF spirits while
yet all is sunshine about and no cloud
of the coming storm is visible upon life's
horizon?
So II was with Mother Eve on the
morning of our story. Not since
those blissful days in the garden when,
ere the temptation and fall, a mysteri-
Gus dread had touched her heart while
yet unknown to her Satan was plot
ting her ruin, had such feeling come
upon her She was conscious of the de-
preston almost with her first waking
thoughts, and the dark look on the brow
of her son Cain as he left the house on
his way 10 the fields drove the arrows of
apprehension more sharply into her
soul
Once. long before. she recalled hav-
ing seen such look upon Gains face.
II was upon the occasion of one of their
days of worship and sacrifice. Father
Adam had made the Offering of the lamb
as God had instructed him TO do, and
tor the first time he was telling to the two
boys-fOr they were then old enough to
hear the story-of the first lamb God
had slain in order ;Hat he might pro-
vide garments 10 clothe himself and
their mother
Abel listened with reverent. earnest
attention, but his elder twin brother,
with apparent indifference. played with
the pebbles at his feet, and when his
father paused in his story, blurted out:
II don't see why the skins were any
better clothing than the garments you
made for yourselves"
Before Adam could reply TO the irrev-
erent taunt, AL bel, whose heart was stirred
by the story Of God and Gods care. in.
quired:
But, father, if such garments were
needed. why did not God provide them
when He created you
A painful silence followed. Could he
tell the sad. dark side TO his life? Could
he reveal the tragic secret of his life
and the life of Mother Eve? II was a
subject which had not been referred to
since the expulsion from the garden.
But the question of Abel came as a rev
elation to the fathers heart, and he saw
that he must make plain TO his boys how
God had created man in His own image
sinless and pure, and how, by disobedi-
ence. man had fallen from that state
into one Of sin. At last he looked I'D
with tear-dimmed eyes. and with fall
tering voice ne went on and told all the
long, sad story.
Cain. impressed momentarily by the
solemnity Of the occasion. even though
the story itself did not seem TO affect
him, kept silent for a time after his
father ceased speaking, and then impa-
tiently exclaimed.
That was small thing for God TO
make so much fuss about. and don't gee
how IL concerns me, anyway"
Father Adam turned in sharp re-
buEe upon Cain for his irreverence and
willful refusal TO receive and under
stand Gods dealings with man.
Meanwhile. Mother Eve and Abel
were holding earnest converse. Abel
asking questions and his mother ex-
planning these strange mysteries inso-
far as she could. The father noted tbts
as he was speaking. and he concluded
his rebuke by pointing to Abel. and say
ing:
We'll. might you follow the example
OF your brother there. and seek with
him to understand these mysteries!"
AT that moment Neither Eve looked
UP and her quick eve noted the dark.
awful frown which for a moment
rested on the face Of Cain as he shot
an angry glance towards his brother.
But it was quickly gone. and the
mother thought no more OF It. In fact
she had quite forgotten il until that
morning when she noted the same evil
lines distorting his face. She watched
him disappear in the distance while
the anxious dread and underlined ter
tor clutched at her heart She tried
90 think what it could mean.
The day before Abel had left with
his hocks for pasturage at some dis
ance from home. and had remained
with them all night. As was often his
custom. Before starting ne mentioned
the fact that il Eas the purpose Of his
heaTt TO make an offering 10 the Lord
oi the frstlines OF his flock and both
"0'her and father had commended