Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1905-12-07

| The entrance Of q servant breath
less with running interrupted further
conversation He came with an i'm
peratiye message from Joseph Tor the
boys to prepare at once to go with him
to Goshen. word having just reached
him that his aged father was dying
And as Asenath watched her two Toys
hasten of il was with inward fore
bodings.
'-Ol. IL father had only talked with
the boys this morning and won their
consent. she exclaimed Nov ! feel
that Il : too late"
At Goshen that afternoon. instead
Of the sombrr temple. with its great,
ave-inspirinr courts. its impressive
ceremonies and its learned. persuasive
priests. the boys and their father
bow II before the couch of the patri-
arch Of God. the man who had talked
and walked with God. the man who
had seen visions and dreamed dreams
and Who in faith hal obeyed God and
claimed for himself and his seed the
promise given unto Abraham and
Isaac.
And we'll was It so. for had the
prizes; Of On. instead Il Israel the
prince OF God. spoken to the sons of
Joseph that day it might have changed
their whole course IN life. winning
them for the gods of Egypt instead of
the true God. and shutting them out Of
the place and blessing with Gods peo-
pie. But God shapes the course Of
events and often as the untoward ele-
menss Of the world are drawing close
about one He suddenly opens the gate
way q opportunity through which one
may pass IL he will to life and des-
tiny with Him. And 50 il was TO be
with Manasseh and Ephraim that day.
Before Jacob instead Of the priest of
On. before their Grandfather Jacob.
who knew and served the true God. in
stead of their Grandfather Potipherah.
who was verssd in all the learning of
the Egyptians and knew many gods
that were no gods at all. these two
young men stood. ald instead of their
names being lost and forgotten amidst
the ruins OF the tombs and monuments
Of Egypt they were to come down
through the centuries laden with the
promises and blessings Of God.
The old man rouses himself as they
enter A new and celestial light plays
over his wrinkled features. The en-
feebled mind again feels the thrill OF
Gods presence. His voice drops from
the thin. piping. querulOus tones 20 the
fuller. stronger voice of one with a
message. He stretches forth his trem-
bling hands and exclaims with a note
Of triumph in his voice:
God Almighty appeared unto me at
LIZ in the land Of Canaan. and blessed
me. and said unto me: Behold. will
make thee fruitful and multiply thee
and | will make Of thee a multitude
Of people: and will give this land to
thy seed after thee for an everlasting
possession
The old man paused IL almost
seemed to the boys that they we're in
the presence Of the God almighty.
about whom their grandfather hzs Just
been speaking. and the words sans
deep into their hearts as they AGAIN
heard what had been told taem so oft
en- By their father that the Hebrew peo-
pie were to become a great nation and
Canaan was TO b. their possession
Into the heart OF each there stole a
ysaruing 10 share in this promised
blessing But now the old man begins
again and they are aroused from their
inward musings by hearing their own
names spoken
Thy two SOS. Ephrzin and Manas-
sch. which we're born unto thee in the
land Of Egypt before came unto thee
into Egypt, are mine: as Reuben and
Simeon. they shall be mine
They hardly knew why their hearts
leaped within them at the words. but
they did. even as the soul sometimes
responds 10 the inner voice of God
while yet the mind does not grasp or
understand the full meaning Of the
message. And in that moment they
knew that it was no; TO be the priest
hood Of Egypt. but Identification with
the Hebrew people and part in the
promised blessing
And Israel said unto Joseph:
Il had not thought to see thy face:
and 10, God hath showed me also thy
seed.
And he took the two boys and en-
oraeed them and kissed them. and
stretching forth his right hand he
placed it upon Ephraim's head. who
was the younger. and his left hand
upon Manasseh's head, guiding his
hands Willingly, and said:
God. before whom my fathers Abra.
ham and Isaac did walk. the God which
fed me all my life long unto this day
the angel which redeemed me from ALL
evil. bless the lads: and let my name
be named on them, and the name OF
my fathers Abraham and Isaac: and
let them grow into a multitude in the
midst of the earth
And when Joseph saw that his father
laid his right hand upon the he'd n,
l's I'll lin. ~ dt-cl~ him: and he
acid up his fathers hand to remove IL
from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's
head, saying at the same time:
Not so. my father: for this is the
first born; put thy right hand upo,
his head"
But his father refused. saying:
know II. my son. know il. He
also shall become a people. and he also
shall be great But truly. his younger
brother shall be greater than he. and
his seed shall become a multitude O,
nations"
During the days which followed
Ephraim pondered deeply over the
words Of blessing spoken over him
and his brother. but after the DAYS OF
mourning and Jacob had been carried
back and placed in the cave of Mach.
pelah. as ne had requested. the DO,
found opportunity TO question his IA
Their. who responded as follows: