St. Tammany farmer., 1906-02-03

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to grasp the thought1 II the clothes
and the palace could not attract him,
would the higher appeal win his con-
sent?
'.Then will go, mother" was the
quiet, firm response.
God bless thee, my boy" was the
mothers fervid answer. I'm the pal
ace thou shalt be trained in all the skill
and learning of the Egyptians, and some
day-some day-perhaps you can serve
Gods poor people who are now in bitter
bondage" and the thought stirred her
heart with peculiar power.
And will, exclaimed the boy, draw
ing himself up to his full height and
quivering in every nerve with the in
tensity Of his purpose.
There was subdued quiet in the
home that night as the family talked
over Joachim's future.
t.And won't we be able to play to-
gether any more?" anxiously inquired
Aaron, his voice breaking into soc ~
he realized what his brothers going
would mean to him.
"But think" spoke up Miriam, brave
ly, as she brushed tear from her eye,
chow proud we will be Of our brother.
And some day you will come back to
us, won't you, Joachim" she added, be-
seechingly,. turning to the little boy
standing so thoughtful and quiet In the
midst of the family circle and snatching
him up in her strong young arms. And
after a moments silence, in which the
memory of that morning by the river
side so many years before when the
princess had spared the baby's life and
given him back to his mother flashed
across her mind, she exclaimed:
.'Well, we ought to be thankful that
he was spared to us, and that the
princess has left him with us until now" !"
"Yea," interposed the husky voice OF
the father, "and the same God who
spared his life 50 long ago will continue
to care for him, and lead him. Let US
ask Him now" And bowed before their
God, the father lifted his voice and
pleaded the promises given to Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob; asked that the
tender boy going out Of their home
might be kept true to the God Of his IA
theirs, and that through him deliver
ance might be wrought for the enslaved
people.
Arrayed In his splendid robes Joachim
was taken to the palace 1ext morning
by his mother and presented to the
princess, who, surrounded by her at
tendants, awaited their coming. The
apartment was spacious and the vivid
frescoes and paintings on the walls pre-
sented in it's various phases the life and
pleasures of the royal family. Rich
draperies and hangings softened the
bright color effects, and great urns and
vases of palms and ferns and blooming
flowers were tastefully arranged about
the apartment, and here and there soft
divans and roomy recesses sculptured
in the massive walls invited to rest and
repose, while before q great image II
a yaulted alcove at one side the smoked
incense lazily curled up from its brazen
urn.
Had not the inner consciousness o1
the Divine presence held them both
mother and SON. unused to the mag
niflcence and luxury and formalities o1
the palace. would have been abashed
in such regal presence, but so absorbed
were tl,ey in the thought Of doing Gods
will that they were swayed by q grace
and self-possession which no art or cul
ture could have given them. And so il
was that the princess, instead Of seeing
as she expected an awkward, trembling
confused Hebrew woman and a fright
ened. fearful youth. beheld q woman
garbed to be sure In the common dresl
Of the Hebrew women slaves, but bear
ing herself with dignity and grace, and
nv her side 4 handsome youth, witt
frank and earnest countenance and man
" stem.
After the first glance at the mother
her ewes fixed themselves upon the boy
and she watched him with absorbed In
terest as he came towards her. Their,
was an indefinable something about hin
| which reminded her Of the first tim,
she had looked upon his baby face as b,
| Law in the little ark IN the river.
something which had gone straight ii
har heart then and now she found til,
| same feeling stealing over her. He
heart went out to him and IN that mo
ment she knew that her life and am
hitions were to be linked with those o
i