Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1906-05-31


l go With their
r0cks and hersis
k 20 worship In the
VI ieru@ss a. Moss had demanded.
but the promise hat not beea KEEP.
q r ras sor this reason that Mos
<as s<aia seeking an intsryiex With
TIE kiax
o. every hSa4 in the garden which
hat o~~n - e@aItifni there Eere signs
% t~@sastatiou and ruin. for What the
aStul bail n irs fury lad failed TO cat
~ pi~ces and bat Into the ground a1d
n~s2 tevozre3 by the -voracip1S %
ess Trsss werr stripped bare and
he f~zter plazts ant shrubs We
h-oke1 AT -ars1 unril hut mere stas
p~rptruse4 from the earth BIT the lay
~1< ghort1gs 4n1 s~rrne. aza the sun
shoE~ IN an hts br.lih-ry Nature
seZet IN auA5le mood. and xifh
srcshilx t0sach w-s arivi-x 10 heal
IL cruz Nouzis Ehirh TIE pilSIes
Raj BAD Not q single tncuss -
-azz@1 q al that v4ss myriad which
hat covered rA~ hzd ant IL ti1 not
e~en Possible that from that halry.
clear sky there couit have poured such
a storm q bail ant sleet-
Even Pharaoh felt more cheerful
'haa fer uazy DAYS past The fear
Wat hal ei4-che4 AZ his heart while
TIE ssorl vas al IFS height and the
sreat. tAgg-3 chunks q tcs we're hiss
ia< through the air Ike demons and
pou.cing on the earth until the roar
nls1 = air. had LEI, him. and il its
ptAe~ there cane a 1srcs md bitter
e~1ance against Moses and his God
and a rev loyalty to the gods Of
Egypt He lifted his eyes TO the sau
AID bowed IN alteration. exclaiming:
U. Osiris. thou art the god Of
Egypt and above all other gods
Thou art the god who rules in Egypt
and to thee ne give thanks for delIv-
er7nce from the scourgs which the
displeasure Of the gods has sent upon
as
Again he lifted his eyes towards
the heavens and. stretching out his
hands In duplication. he cried:
Thou ruler Of heaven and earth.
give ear"
In this attitude he stood for sorle
minutes \ slight rustIing Of gar
ments at his side aroused him and
turning he saw Moses standing watch
ing him intently. A look OF bitter
scorn and ange swept across his
face. and murderOus hatred filed his
heart Here was his enemy. He
would destroy him He urned to his
attendants TO order them to seize him
when the latter raised his hands
toward heaven and the sun as Phar-
aoh had Just done. and said. sternIy.
VIII thy gods deliver thee. o
Pharaoh. I tell thee nay, Let the
sun be blotted out and let darkness
be upon thee and upon all thy PEG
pie
The words had scarcely died away
when Pharaoh and those with him
uttered-a piercing wall Of anguish
and despair and franticaIly pressed
their hands 10 their eyes. and tried 10
brush and ear away the burning
itching film which seemed TO envelop
them and shut out the light. In vain
did they call upon their gods. An
agony OF fear and terror seized them
as they realized that some awful ca
iamity had fallen upon them. Like
madmen Pharaoh and his attendants
leaped about and beat upon their
breasts And when the first spasms
OF fear and terror had passed a fierce
and murierOus hatred nlIed their
hearts against Moses and Aaron, and
could they have seized them thev
would have torn them in pieces. As
IL was they called down upon their
heads all the awful curses OF the gods
Of Egypt, and beat the air in their
impotent frenzy.
IL was n sight - make ones blood
run cold Silently Moses and Aaron
looked upon the scene. Here vas the
mighty Pharaoh helpless and uudope
before the power Of their God. Here
was the king under whose iron heel
poor Israel had been bruised and
crushed. humtliated by dire physical
suffering Here was the vice regent
Of the great sun god. the giver Of
light, held in the relentless and
unyieldins power Of darkness l. /,
n wonder that Moses ana Aarnn
as they stood there behoIding should
have felt stealing into their hearts a
new confidence in the God Of Abraham
isaac and Jacob and an assurance
that He who had Promised as1fvu-
anee 20 Israel was able to bring His
purposes TO pass
At last the rage Of the king has
spent itself A sense Of his helpless
ness sweeps over him. and in plass
OF the angry curses falling from his
hps there comes a despairing shrek
Tor help And for answer his attend
ants echo his cry and confess them
selves unable 10 help.
But listen. what is that, From the
direction .of the adjacent city there
TONES a sound like the distressing
moan Of the wind vhistIing through
sne leafess forest In winter. II rises
and falls and rises again. and the
sng uemoles a he listens, and then
ne recalls ""ss~ words: Let DARK
ness he S1o--4.
NJ