St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-05-20

l
towards God, how it cries to Him for de-
liverance, and when the lesson Is
learned, deliverance comes.
The ki"g shcwered gifts and atten-
| tons upon him, ell of which he loathad
but dared not refuse. Oh. what towards
sin makes Of us all. Day after day he
| had sent to inquire after the health OF
Sarah, and the. messengers had brought
back strange tales Of troubles in the
| palace
The days of preparation 70. the great
state wedding between Pharaoh and
Sarah were filed with singular mishaps
and annoying delays. The royal ap-
parel which had been prepared for the
nuptials was found moth eaten and
ruined, and the court diapers were
taken suddenly i'll and unable to make
| new garments. A strange malady
seized many of the princes and attend
ants OF the court so that they were I'M
able to appear before the king to re-
I ceive his orders and carry out the elab-
crate plans. The bakers in the king
Kitchens had for days been busy with
meats, and pastries and CONNECTIONS and
| dishes of every description for the great
banquet, and when everything was
nearly ready and all that remained to
be done was to bestow the finishing
touches, they had found the great store
of viands infested with little worms and
the entire feast spoiled.
And Pharaoh himself did not escape.
| A strange feverishness filled his veins.
| He could not rest at night, for trou-
bled dreams disturbed his siumbers,
and he would awake in terror.
On the night before the day set for
the royal wedding the king had an
unusually restless night, and towards
morning most horrible dream had
aroused him. He thought great eye
was looking out of Heaven at him and
searching him through and through so
that his every thought was laid bare,
and every secret uncovered. He tried to
get away from it, he tried to hide, but
that eye was ever upon him. Then came
voice like roll Of deep thunder. 1t
seemed to shake the palace walls so
ruins about his head, and then he heard
the words:
Restore the man his wife,
Awaking with start he summoned
his attendants and quickly dispatched
messenger for Abraham with the COM
mand that he should come at Cn2e to
the palace.
And in the early dawn the kings
servant had found him pacing to and
fro before his tent door, If it had been
trying night for the king it had been
doubly so for Abraham, knowing as he
did that the next day Sarah was to be-
come the wife of Pharaoh. How he
had wrestled with himself and with God.
How he had repented of the misstep
which had brought him down into
Egypt and the falsehood which he had
told. How earnestly he had promised
God that if He would deliver him from
his troubles he would return to Canaan
and serve Him. And when the messen-
ger came, he felt somehow his prayer
was to be answered.
Meanwhile the king had sent attend
ants to bring Sarah into the royal pres
ence, and fearful and trembling at the
unusual proceeding and the unseemly
hour. she had obeyed. The days of
anxiety and worry had left their tell
tale marks Upon her fair face. the dark
lines under the eyes and the sad droop
about the mouth told the king at
glance that she was not happy.
Tell me- he asked, sharply and abb
ruptly, are you Abraham's wife?
Speak not falsely to mel" And the king
leaned forward to hear her answer.
The silence in the throneroom was
tense and painful. as they waited TO:
her to speak. With downcast eyes and
trembling voice, which was scarcely
audible, she whispered:
Il am" and then with a deep sigh.
as though Of relief, she sank to the
pavement in q faint The women at
tendants bent over the PROSTATE form,
restoratives were applied and soon she
was brought back to consciousness
again.
At that instant the doorkeeper an
nounced the arriva! of Abraham, and
as he entered his wife rose to her feet
and with marvellous composure awaited
developments.
What is this that thou hast done
unto me?' exclaimed the king. in voice
which audibly expressed the anger
which he felt and which was reflected
in his swarthy face. why didst thou
not tell me that she was thy wife? Why
saidst thou she is my sister, so that
l took her to be my wife,"
The king paused in his rapid fire CT
questions as though waiting for Abra-
ham to answer, but the latter only
shamefacedly hung his head and be-
fore he could respond Pharaoh con-
tinued:
Behold thy wife,"
At the words Abraham raised his
eyes quickly, and looking in the direc-
ton the king was so dramatically point
ing, ne beheld Sarah, his wife. 1t was
the first sight he had had Of his loved
one since she had been taken to the
kings palace, and almost before the
king could say: Take her, and go thy
way" he had sprung to her side and
clasped her within his strong arms,
unmindful of court etiquette or the pres
ence of the king.
AS the princes and courtiers of the
realm came to understand how their
king had been deceived and embar-
raised, and his dignity violated, there
was great resentment against Abraham
and Sarah, his wife, but Pharaoh gave
charge concerning them and ordered