St. Tammany farmer., 1905-08-19

errand. And as he grew into young
manhood, he chaffed more and more
under restraint and the work and life
Of the home, and for this reason he made
the distant fields, and woods and noun
tains his favorite retreat.
Such habits were constant source
OF irritation to the thrifty mother, and
she coaxed, and scolded, and even tried
to drive her recreant son to abandon
such an aimless life. But it was all to
no purpose, and naturally her affection
and pride centered in the steady, pa
tient, plodding, provident Jacob.
But to the mind of Isaac the discus
sion had gone far enough, and to escape
further controversy he withdrew, with
out making any reply to his wife's last
remark. And she was equally anxious
to end the interview, for Isaac's ref
erence to Esau's Inheritance as the
elder son set her to thinking and she
wanted to be alone. She had become
so accustomed to Jacobs managing,
and his domination next to his father
in the domestic affairs that she thought
OF his being always in that place, and
forgot that Esau's right as elder son
would some day change it all.
WAS it right?" she asked herself.
when service and character and every
thing which the mother could think OF
except the circumstances of birth over
which he had no control proclaimed him
the one entitled to the privileges Of the
elder SOM"
The drift of her thought carried her
back over the years and she found her.
self searching her memory for light
The strange circumstances preceding
the birth of the two boys and the words
of the Lord when she had gone to in
quire of Him concerning the matter,
had never been understood by her, and
now she found herself saying over and
over again the words which the Lord
had spoken so many years before: ''The
elder shall serve the younger. The
elder shall serve the younger"
So absorbed was she in her thoughts.
that she did not hear footsteps. and the
voice Of her son at the tent door star.
tied her violently.
who were you talking to, mather?"
Il talking? Did speak?" exclaimed
the surprised woman, regaining her
composure.
"Yes,' replied Jacob. you've been
saying over and over again: The elder
shall serve the younger. The elder shall
serve the younger just as if you were
reciting your lesson or trying to me11l-
orize part
We'll, don't wonder I've been speak,
ing aloud when my thoughts have been
so wrought up and disturbed" was the
nervous rejoinder, the color mounting
to her cheeks as she realized that one
Of the hidden secrets of her heart had
been revealed and that her son would
next be asking for an explanation. And
the request was not long delayed, for
Jacob coming to his mothers side and
looking searchingly into her eyes, asked
eagerly:
What do you mean, mother, by say.
ing: The elder shall serve the
youn ger?'"
The mother was troubled and per-
picked. How could she explain some
thing she did not and could not under
stand herself? But she knew she must
say something, and so she told him
as simply and frankly as she could the
of the Lords message:
Jacob listened with an intensity that
almost startled his mother, and when
she had finished, they both sat in silence
for some minutes. Was it feeling Of
exultation, of triumph. Or simply al
fervid recognition of the Divine element |
in his lie which swept over Jacob as he
sat there anl thought OF his brother,
and the possibilities of the future years
But suddenly cious, swept over his
face. The mother noted the change of |
mood; the swift descent from the |
ecstatic to the morcse Catching tie |
thought with her quick intuition which |
had flashed through the mind Of Jacob |
and wrought the change, she said, as she |
pressed his hand, rsassuringly:
'sBut the right of the,elder son? Yes,
we shall have to wait!"