The Tupelo journal., 1905-02-24

ing drawn away. A reckless, Wanton
company of merry-makers had returned
with him, bringing their music, and
their liquors with them. Feasting and
dancing and all manner of excuses
marked these occasions. The desires of
the flesh ruled supreme, and no bounds
were placed upon the qualification there
of. Might not right decided issues, anG
won its desired ends. Violence and pas
sion were unrestrained. God was for
gotten.
Such a scene was Javan's festival,
and while the wild frolicing was at its
height, there suddenly strobe into the
midst of the company a man of COM
manding figure. All eyes were turned
upon the intruder, but he never flinched
before the unfriendly looks. and fall
tered not until he stood before Javan.
The rude, loose garment of skin. girded
in at the waist and falling in irregular
line to the knee. revealed the powerful
frame and well-knit muscles. The arms
and legs were bare save for the heavy
growth of hair through which could be
seen the skin Drowned and tOughened by
sunshine and storm. Upon the feet were
sandals crudely made from leather and
fartened by thongs over the foot.
Masses of wavy dark hair fell back from
the forehead and down over the pow
erful neck, while full beard and mus
tach covered the face.
A painful pause marked the coming of
the stranger. The look of recognition
which Javan flashed at him was full Of
hatred, but he waited for the other to
speak.
Javan, what meaneth this wicked
revelry? Why these ribald compan-
ions, these goddess sons of Cain? Hast
thou, too. forgotten the admonitioEs of
thy fathers? Hast thou altogether
given thyself V e to thy 1eshy appetites
and passions? Fearest thou not God?
He who has made us, Who rules in
Heaven, Who sees us at this moment,
will surely bring thee and this people,
who are turning altogether away from
God, into judgment. In the name of the
Lord, whom | serve. | command that
this revelry cease, and that thou send
this woman and her baseless compan-
ions back to the land from whence they
camel"
Thus spake Noah. the preacher, and
thus had he spoken again and again all
through the land as he rebuked the ris-
ing tide of sin. But as well might he
have tried to stem the mighty current
of the great Euphrates or stay the on
rushing storm with his uplifted hand
as to check the flood of iniquity and god
lessness which was sweeping the land.
But speak he must, and speak he al
ways did. Evil must be rebuked. The
goddess must be told of God, so that
they might be without excuse before
Him. But evil persisted in and Rugged
to the heart becomes dearer, and zach
rebuke administered becomes more dis
tasteful, until at last unrestrained an
ger blaZes forth upon the one who dares
to interfere or rebuke the evil.
So it was upon this occasion of Javan's
merry-making. The wicked fellows
with him were only too willing to fall
upolI IHt dclClloclCSS servant Vi GOQ,
and, dragging him forth and beating
him at every step, they left him for dead
under a clump of trees at some dis
lance from the house. and then re-
turned to renew the wild orgy with
more reckless abandon than before.
How long he lay there Noah never
knew, but with the return of conscious
ness it seemed as though he was lifted
up, up, up. The wild music and the noise
of revelry seemed to fade in the dis
lance and then was gone, and in it's
place the sweetest strains of Celestial
music fell upon his ears and soothed the
%throbbing senses to calm and rest.
Then, although he saw no one, it seemed
as though gentle hands were laid upon
his fevered brow and aching head, and
the pain was forgotten.
EXpectantly he waited, seeing naught,
and knowing not where he was, and yet
his brain and every sense were quick
ened and on the alert. Clear and dis
tinct and authoritative came a voice he
knew to be none other than the voice of
God, saying:
"The end of all flesh is come before
Me; for the earth is filled with violence
through them; and behold l will destroy
them with the EARTH"
The voice ceased, and a sob burstfrom
the lips of the heart-broken preacher.
Was this, then, to be the end of all his
struggle against sin? Was his preach
ing to be utterly in vain? All, no great
er courage is found than that which I'M
fiinchingly faces defeat in a lost but
righteous cause! No greater heroism
than that which can stand alone for
righteousness and truth! No more gen.
uine faith than that which can hold
onto God when all else is slipping from
beneath ones feet.
How faithful Noah had been. The
500 years of his life thus far had been
lived faithfully for God. His earliest
years had felt the influence Of the re-
vival Of religion which had followed the