St. Tammany farmer., 1906-08-04

- 4
"'1s''xHNF the sound. In tn
4 3r: "a distance away ol
to the left coul
be clearly seen the vision of COG
springs and shady palm trees, and th
welcome sight brought wild thrill O
JOY s.ld thankfulness to the thirsty
tired people.
For two days now since their de
parture from the Red sea, after thei
miraculous deliverance from Pharaoh
the Hebrew people had been strug
Cling across the hot, dusty reaches o
the wilderness. The water they hat
brought with them, while not exhaust
ed, was warm and brackish, and thei
thirsty bodies were longing for
draught from some cool spring. Eager
ly as they marched, obediently follow
ing the Cloud which went before them
they kept keen lookout for the sign
OF water, and when the cry was raised
Water! Water!" and the people saw
the welcome vision in the distance
seemingly let down out Of the yer,
heavens for their refreshing, thel
clapped their hands and shouted fo1
| joy, crying to their leaders to tur1
and hasten thither.
But apparently unmindful of the dis.
tant vision, the Cloud still led for
ward in the direction 1t had been go.
ing. What could it mean? Surely tht
Cloud was misleading them!. Moses
could not have seen!
Again the people raised the cry Of
'Water! Water!" and then the elders
of the people fastened forward to
find Moses. But to their inquiries and
their expostulations he could only
point to the cloud and say:
Whittier 1t goes, we must follow"
In amazement the people heard the
answer to their pleadings and watched
the steady forward movement of the
Cloud. Then their establishment gave
place to bitter disappointment and the
latter was followed by rebellious mur-
murings, so that Moses and Aaron
with the help Of other leaders could
scarce restrain the people from bolt
ing from the ranks and rushing of
towards the distant watering place.
On and still on the Cloud led, and
the multitude reluctantly followed. All
afternoon the vision hanging in the
heavens seemed to follow them with
tantal,ztng persistence, but as the sun
set and the light failed the vision
faded from their sight. A wall of dis
arnnin+r1onf on1 eu,n~t ,xro,. i. =,
people, and gloomily they set about
the task of pitching their tents and
settling down for the night. The last
draughts of the water they had
brought with them were drunk with
bitter misgivings, and many declared
openly that Moses had brought them
out into the wilderness to kill them
with thirst One fellow, Jahziel by
name, man of considerable influ-
ence who had caused Moses trouble on
former occasions, and who had been
the first to discover the sight of the
water In the distance that day, was
loud In his denunciation of Moses, de-
claring that II he had it to do over
again he would go after the water,
whether any others went with him or
not.
I'm fact" he exclaimed, filed with
a sudden determination, II am half
minded to go this night, It cannot be
far distant"
But perhaps the march will be
taken up in that direction in the
demonstrated his friends.
"Or we may find water in another
place.
And after dint of much argument,
the fellow was dissuaded from his
plan. But the next morning when the
march was resumed, and the Cloud
without deviation from its course Of
the previous day went forward, the
of the people broke out
afresh. Jahziel was louder than ever
In his protests. and set about secretly
to stir the people to rebellion, and all
through the morning, as the journey
was pursued and they found no water,
the people were more and more will
Ing ID listen to his seditious talk. After
the midday rest and the journey had
been again taken up and still no wa
ter, Jahziel and his followers were
upon the point of turning back, when
behold before them broke the welcome /
sight OF pools of water.
Forgetting their disappointment and
and glad that they had /
not departed, Jahziel and his followers
1astened forward, and behind them
,ame streaming the multitudes eager
20 quaff their thirst at the cool pools.
Casting aside their burdens and stoop-
ng low, they scooped up the water In
heir palms and sucked 1t into their
mouths like the dry and parched earth
lraws In the rain when 1t falls upon It.
But what ails the people? With
Vry faces they spit the water out more
quickly even than they had drank 1t
n, and howl Is raised which spreads
md grows as others of the multitude
'rowd up to the edge of the pool and
rink also of the water. But SO
'arched are the people and SO eager
or a drink that again they es-
ay 10 drink, but again they spit the
pater out as before, and again the cry
t disappointment and protest rings
orth.
'Marah! Marah!" bitterness. Bit
erness!) they cried. I'VE cannot
rink these waters"
And they sought out Moses and COM
lained angrtly, saying:
What shall we drink? What shall
re drink? For thou has led us to !,
farah, the place Of bitter water" 5
Nay, but 1t is God who has led us
hither. Let us not murmur against ],
im." was Moses reply. II