St. Tammany farmer., 1905-08-26

!. !. ! !. J !. ! !
X @1lWIJ1Hu which carried him
NfW NhN back through the
III WE7W Ml( years to the time
hyI Ml when the flOcks and
Il m161I IAN herds of his father
/ lHAA1lUN Abraham had pas
u / A@MN tured there
uA34 4Th 1T cannot be far
Ml MM now to well OF
s& A/I%v good water, he ex-
claimed, tie anx-
ious expression ct
his face giving place to one of relief.
That is welcome news indeed was
the quick, eager response. of the man
standing at his side, for the focks and
herds are parched with thirst"
And is the water which we brought
with us all gomez"
The man pointed to the empty water
skins strapped on the backs of the
ass0s browsing a short distance away,
and said:
Eyes, and if the Philistines had had
their way you would not even have had
that to succor you on the journey" And
the face of Isaac's chief steward plainly
showed the anger and resentment which
he felt at the treatment his master had
received
he day before Isaac had departed
from the land of the Philistines, being
driven out by King Abimelech. He and
his people had watched with jealous
eye the growing greatness and prosper
tty OF the son of Abraham The abund-
ant harvests-for Isaac had sowed and
reaped a hundredfold on the lands which
he rented of Abimelech-and the i'm
mense hocks and herds and numerous
company Of servants aroused their envy
and enmity, and persecution in various
forms, even to the filing of the wells
his father had dug, had followed, and
finally Abimeleeh had come and said
that he could not longer dwell in the
land The chief steward was indignant,
and urged that vigorous protest be made
to such treatment, and some of the serv-
ants were for open lostilities, but Isaac's
pacific nature would not consent to such
action, and, yielding peacefully to the
injustice, he had quietly gathered all
his substance and departed, journeying
far down the valley. Late on the after
noon of the following day, when the need
for water was pressing they had come
TO a region where years before Abraham
had dwelt The familiar landscape was
a welcome Sight to Isaac's eyes. He
knew that not far distant were wells
which his father had dug, and with a
company OF his servants he hurried for
ward
..Yonder is the place." cried Isaac,
pointing to the white limestone curbing
glistening in the sunlight in the dis
tance
The welcome sight of the well-curbing
and the promise Of water revived their
dropping spirits. This would be the
place to camp and rest. Here the focks
and herds could feed without molesta-
tion. And grateful memories of Father
Abraham's diligence In sinking wells
and seeking water wherever his docks
had fed filed the heart of Isaac.
What goodly heritage he hath left
us in these wells, he exclaimed.
YES" responded the chief steward,
warmly, thy father, though dead, yet
speaketh. The wells which he dug are
i greater monument to his memory than
nations conquered could have been.
Isaac nodded assent to the sincere
tribute, and while he FASTENED forward,
= flood Of memories crowded in upon
him. He recalled the circumstances Of
the building Of the well towards which
they were fastening. He remembered
the answer which his father had given
when told he was foolish for digging the
well on land which was not hts own.
s.But II do not get the good of it, 2 he
had said, Others will reap the blessing"
And now new sweetness and meaning
came to the words spoken SO many years
before.
Almost reverently he knelt upon the
wells brink and looked in
But instead Of the shining surface Of
the water In the cool depths, he saw
almost up to the wells mouth the rock
and dirt which had been thrown there
by some wicked hand. Instead Of the
cooling draught, there was the evidence
Of the burning haterd Of some foe.
With an exclamation of bitter disap-
pointment, Isaac sprang to his feet.
How long must he continue to submit |
to such ruthless destruction and sore
g aThe work Of the miserable Philis
tines mutter the chief steward, his
black and angry looks telling more
plainly than words how he would like to
punish them.
Better to die fighting for our rights
than to die Of thirst, = fiercely exclaimed |
another, and it was evident from the
mods of assent which greeted this senti-
ment that the others cherished the same
angry feelings. All eyes were turned /
81 Isaac. They saw that a fierce strug- |
ele was going on in his heart. He looked |
first at the chOked well, and then at the
angry faces OF his followers. He knew
what they wanted him to do. He knew
what the natural resentment Of his own
heart prompted him to do. Had pa
tience ceased to be virtue? Was it
foolish longer to submit to injustice?
Did he not have q right to the wells
vFhich he and his father had dug? Must
he continue to be a wanderer in the land
which God had promised to give to
Abaham and to his seed7 Was it not
time that he gained and held possession
of the land by force? These were the
questions which rose In his mind.
But IN the midst OF the bitter thoughts
md the sore temptation. another cur
rent of thought set in, and instead OF
turning from It, he sought
a know Gods will He recalled the