The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-07-21

up Jacob. and started on, calling 4
Esau to follow.
But the latter fingered. his eyes hav
ing fallen or some of the merchandis'
which lay about. Jacob walked Oh
some distance, and hen noting tina
Esau was not behind him. he turnet
and looked back TO see what had be
come Of hin. just as be was abon'
to return and find out why he tarried
he saw him leave the camp leading hi
lamb, and waited where he stood fol-
him to come up. As he drew near hi
saw that the lamb he was leading was
not the fine sleek one which he had
brought from the herd, and said:
why, Esau, what have you done
with your lamb, and why have you this
one instead?"
We'll, it's a lamb, amt 1t? and o
good one, too" he calculated, testify.
Il traded my lamb for this, and the
merchants gave me this hunting knife
to boot"
But you know how particular father
is about the lambs for the Offering, I'd
you can see for yourself that it is poor
and imperfect beside the other one"
We'll, don't know why 1t is not as
good to kill and burn up as the other
n would have BEEN" he s~tubbornly
eontended. And / have the knife,
too" he added, fondling it with a sat
isfied air.
And thus it was that on their return
home Isaac had sharply reprimanded
Esau. but the lad apparently did not
realize why lamb was not as good
as another to offer to the Lord. 1t
troubled Grandfather Abraham, and
that afternoon as he saw the two boys
coming towards him this other story
of Cain and Abel came to his mind
and he resolved to tell 1t, and now that
he had Quoted them down and had
their attention, he began:
Cain and Abel were twin brothers
just as you boys are, and they were
about your ages, or perhaps a little
older, at the time of u story. Little
did they realize then that they were
to become the centers of the tragedy
of that first home. They were bright,
active, happy boys, and their parents
loved them dearly and sought in every
way to lave them grow up into ways
of usefulness and honor.
tNote.-Cain and Abel were probably
twins, and 1t is thought that, at this early
period, children were born in pairs (Cal-
VIM
you boys know how particular your
father is in regard to the Sabbath day,
not willing that any work shall be per-
formed therein, for the Lord after His
six days of creative work rested on the
seventh day, blessing and sanctifying
1t. Well, Adam and Eve we're as par
%ticular, and sought to impress Their
boys with the ~sacredness of. the day.
The customary toll and activities of the
other days of the week ceased and the
day was given over to rest, and when
the occasional sacrifice was offered, 1t
was offered on the seventh day.
Now Cain early manifested a liking
for the fruitful fields, while Abel's de-
sires turned in the direction of the
floeks and herds. And in the course
of time, as the boys grew into sturdy
stripplings, the father gave to each the
desire of his heart. To Cain he gave a
small plot of ground and instructed
him in the cultivation thereof. Abel
he took from his flocks some of the
finest of his sheep and showed him
how to tend them. Thus the days
passed and Cain and Abel seemed con-
tented and happy. The family enjoyed
life together and, as we have said, their
Sabbath days were carefully observed.
But one Sabbath day soon after
Cain had been given his plot of ground
he started for his field, anxious to fin.
ish an arbor which he was building
as a shelter. In spite of the entreaties
of his parents he persisted in going,
impattently declaring it was no worse
for him to do that than for Abel to
watch his sheep and keep them from
straying. You see he was letting the
mere desire of the present warp and
twist his ideas of right, and made him
deaf to the advice and e~ntreaties of
his mother and father. He was willful.
and wanted his own way, right or
wrong.
We'll, he finished his arbor, and a
very pretty place it was, but he did
not find the pleasure and comfort in 1t
that he had expected, for his conscience
troubled him. If he had only taken
warning then and instead Of sitting the
better nature within him had yielded
to his better promptings and repented
of his willfulness and wrong doing.
perhaps 1t would never have been said
of him that he slew his brother. But
he wanted his own way too much, and
that pleasant arbor became the snare
which led his feet farther and farther
away from the right way, for instead
OF staying at home or the Sabbath
days and listening to his father as he
about God, and sharing in the
worship and sacrifice, he would slip
off to his arbor and spend the day
there. Somehow, you see, he did not
enjoy the worship of the Sabbath days
because his heart was not right. He
not want to hear about God. He
uaufad IN kunu Cain and an-l