The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-09-01

k3xGH watched mis- c0u-
NguA n sims animated
9 g :. :. !. I. :: !: !: !. :: !. !. I. !. !: !: !. !. !. !. !
MsSm face. During the
0U1N three weeks he
In M had been in his
y NV iAS> uncle's home he
N }T had discovered
-T17W that there was a
IE4TL strong bond of
~ sympathy between
the beautiful girl
he had first met at the well and him
self. Usually reticent and reserved,
he found himself talking with her
with a freedom which he never
thought possible with anyone. Day
after day as the sun was setting and
the focks were gathering, he had gone
to the well and drawn the water for
Rachel's focks, and as the sheep wan
dered slowly homeward they had had
delightful talks together,
Rachel had eonfded her little secrets
to him. and he in turn had told her OF
his home, of his father and mother, of
his brother Esau and of the events lead
N ing up to his departure from home, Her
II ready sympathy and quick understand
n ing encouraged and cheered him. The
M loneliness and inconsistencies which he
n had felt at first over separation from his
v home and his mother had yielded to the
4 sweet influence of his fair cousin, and
he found delight and comfort in her COM
n partnership.
That afternoon the other flocks had
been watered first and had departed,
leaving them alone. The sun had just
\ dropped out of sight and was sending up
its shaft of golden light, and atthe point
\ where it touched the feecy bank Of
clouds floating in the heavens there
\ came a rift like some great door rolling
N hack to give entrance to the heavens be-
X yond. Below little fllmy snow-white
y cloudlets foated about and here and
there touched the glorious sunbeam and
seemed to be mounting upward.
See, Jacob had cried, eagerly, carried
n back in memory to that night at Bethel,
"see the ladder and the angels" And
then under the inspiration of the mo-
ment he had gone on and told Rachel
the story of his vision, while she
listened with breathless interest.
"Oh, | should like to have seen it, she
exclaimed, clasping her hands in her lap,
and gazing upward intently as though
she half hoped and expected to see the
real ladder reaching to Heaven, the
opening portals and the ascending and
descending angels. "And did you say
that your God spoke to your" Rachel
continued. in awed voice, and lowering
her eyes to Jacobs face she waited for
him to reply.
Yes"
What did He say?" urged the girl,
4 with intense interest.
He told me He was the God of Abra-
ham and of Isaac, and that He would
bless me and kaeV la3 I'D return me to
the land of my fathers and give 1t to me
and to my seed"
Rachel sat silent, deep in thought.
while Jacob finished waterins the sheep
4 and then they started bomeward.
1T is wonderful" she hurst ont Al
last. "and / believe He will do it. don't
your"
~Whoe what?s asked Jacob. in con.
fusion. for his mind was SO filled with
thoughts of the beautiful girl at his side
4 that he had mute ~forgotten What he had
last said.
why, what God promised youn
"Oh. yes Of course. he replied s,n;,.
ing down at her ap~preciatiyely.
Hi there. watch our sheent"
Jacob and Rachel, startled bv tba s,,s-
den shout. looked nm TO see the lattar's
| father pointing tmpatiently ID tha shean
/ which had scattered and were wa nderina
| farther and farther across the eelds as
they cropped here and there the cue
|culent grasses.
"uurnb ! II aod .
eyes for much else hut ZACH other what
mother said was true I s,,ess N,oadn.t
be afraid that Jacob will want 70 Ieara
lin a hurry. NV. hut he L ! prea, ,al,ow