St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-04-07

Z(,If. y n ~S~~>e A~A~ H~SHASs
III alSyA The maiden
VI tHE2d// busy with her
INf1SR.M/4 work overheard
go M the words a1d
her hands trem-
Nj bled so that she
III almost upset the
earthenware dish Of goats milk she
was lifting to place upon the shelf.
The threatened disaster did not
escape the quick eye of the older WON.
an and she called out sharply:
Have care there. Zipporah! How
careless you are getting. What has
come over you, anyway? Yesterday
you got to dreaming and forgot your
goats and let them wander until we
almost lost some of them, and you are
no bettor here In the house."
The young girl made no response.
but her comedy face clouded with a
frown. and though she tried to be
more attentive to her work, she
strained her ears to hear more Of the
conversation which foated in through
the open doorway, near which two
men sat earnestly conversing.
Just one face and form had filled
her vision and thought since that
memorable day just one week before
when the stranger had so heroica1ly
defended herself and her sisters from
the rude shepherds, I'D
She had lived in the memory OF that
walk back home. She could not re-
member what she had said or how
she had said 1t, SO confused had she
been in her shy modesty. She recalled
the smile of gratitude which lighted
up the deep, serious face as, with
flushed cheeks and beating heart, she
tripped up to him and mumbled some
thing about father wanting to see him.
Then as she had felt his gaze turned
upon her, her eyes had dropped and
she had not dared look at him again,
save In sly side glances; and occas-
ional glimpses she had stolen as he
visited with. her father and walked
about the place with him. She knew
that that brief walk home had been
the most exquisitely happy moments
of her life. His deep, full-toned voice
sounded like the harmonious roar Of
some distant waterfall, whose musical
echo told OF the power and resource
behind 1t, and his words still echoed
in her ears.
s"Zipporah!" he had repeated, when
she had told him her name. Thou
art indeed little bird come with thy
messages Of welcome. Gladly will l
pause In my journey and listen to the
music Of thy voice"
But he had been so serious and so
occupied In thought and talked so
much with her father, that he had
seemingly had no time or thought for
her, and now as she overheard his
words saying that he must leave on
the morrow, anguish like sharp ar
row pierced her heart, and it Is no
wonder that her hand trembled, and
her thought was far from the task
before her. i. 81
So eagerly did she listen for
snatches Of the conversation that now
and then were audible and so often
did she blunder and forget the work
her hands were given to do, that
finally her mother impatiently dis
missed her, saying:
'tYou are no good tending the sheep.
and you are trial in the house?
What ais you, child? Go out and see
IL you can't get your wits back again
before you return"
And as she went out the door, glad
of the chance to get by herself, her
mothers eyes followed her, and noted
the shy glance she cast In the direc-
ton Of the stranger. and the color
which mounted to her cheek as she
passed him, and the good woman *
claimed to herself:
J. II do, believe the child is in love
with him. Humph." and she shrugged
her shoulders CONTEMPORARY; what
has he, . penniless fugitive. to offer
for one Of the daughters Of Jethro.
the prince and priest Of Midian?"
She was aroused from such irritat-
ing meditations by the sudden ap-
pearance of her husband, who said:
well, mother, hare shout per-
suaded Moses to larry IN this part Of
the country. He is a clever fellow.
Has quite q wonderful history. But
can't quite make him out He claims
to b a Hebrew, q descendant Of Isaac,
son Of Abraham"
abraham" broke In his wife;
why, thy people claim descent from
for was not indian, the
ancient head Of this people, the son
OF Keturah, whom Abraham took to
wife after the death Of Sarah?'
''True, indeed responded Jethro.
meditatively, "but he talks and acts
not like q Hebrew, but like an Egyp-
tian, born and bred. And when I
charged him with being such, Ne
seemed confused, offering no explain
alton save to say that he had been
trained in the Egyptian schools. He.
talks freely, however. about his peo-
pie, as he calls the Hebrews, and the
hope they have OF deliverance from
slavery in accordance with promises
which they claim were given to Abra-
ham"
what. then, is he doing In this
part of the country ct such timer"
Exactly the question I put to him.
and he admitted that he was forced
10 Zee from the wrath Of the king Of
Egypt, but said that since his de-
parture from Goshen, where his people
dwelt, that he had resolved to 60 to
The east and north into Canaan-the