St. Tammany farmer., 1906-03-17

pie.
Mother, don't" he pleaded. "1f God
has spoken, must not follow? Must
not obey?"
"But why need you believe that obe-
dience leads to the casting aside Of thy
great prospects in Egypt? Have not
shown thee again and again how all
thy hopes for thy people may be rea-
hzed in and through thee?"
"Yea, mother, but what Of Gods
spoken word: That nation whom they
shall serve, will I judge!' Judgment
and blessing cannot 60 hand in hand!
The nation under condemnation cannot
become the medium of blessing!"
"But what OF the records of Egypt
and the words Of the priest? Are they
not as worthy Of consideration as the
words dug from the tomb of some dead
Hebrew? Was not Egypt long before
this man Abraham, and has she not
been throughout the centuries the GUS
todian Of the wisdom and the learning
Of the nations? Has it not been that
in Egypt the oracles have spoken? And
was it not Egypt which honored JOS
eph and served thy people in days long
gone by, and shall not Hebrew again
rule in Egypt and serve the Hebrew
people?"
"'Yea, but hast thou forgotten that It
was Joseph's God who revealed what
the Egyptian gods could not, and that
it is this same God, the God of Abra-
ham and Isaac and Jacob, that has
spoken these words Of judgment upon
Egypt?"
"And what are thy plans?" the prin-
cess demanded, with abrupt severity.
II must take my place with my peo-
ple," he responded In sad, low voice,
and yet with a quiet determination
which showed that the decision had
only been reached after terrible con-
hict.
What! And leave the palace? And
leave me? Oh, Moses, what cruelty to
the one who has loved you! What
monstrous ingratitude!" And the wo-
man, quite overcome at the thought,
threw herself upon her couch and
burst out into the most bitter, convuls-
i've weeping.
Mother, mother!" he cried. in the
agony Of his sorrow, will you not un-
derstand me? It is not that / forget
thee and care not for all that Egypt
has done for me, but remember God
and believe that only with Him can
blessing be found"
She checked her weeping and. look
ing up, demanded with spirit:
But what is to be gained by thy
going now? What will it profit thee or
thy people II thou impoverish thyself
and forsake the position and power
which can be used to their good? Will
1t not be time enough for thee to go
with thy people when God shall lead
them out? II he ever does" she added,
doubtfully. .
Moses did not appear to notice the
final thrust, replying quietly:
But IL I reamin In the palace as thy
son I am an Egyptian and, with the
Egyptian nation, under Judgment. II I
would enjoy the blessing promised the
Hebrew people must become He
brew, cost what 1t will. 2
And then, while his mother listened,
he told her Of the visions Of the two
ways which, had come to him while in
Joseph's tomb, Of his bitter struggle
and final victory.
II see It all plainly now. mother. II
is not what 1 as prince. or even az
king, might do for my people, but what
God is going to do. Pride has filed my
heart at thought Of my superiority to
my people and Of my ability to help
them. But after all, in the last analy-
sis, It is not what man is Of himself or
what he can do for others that counts,
but what God In His gracious mercy
does for him. And dare let the treas
ures and the glory of Egypt rob me OF
the blessing which may have as .
Hebrew? tremble. at the thought" " Il
Thermutis was silent when he had
finished. She realized, az she had rea-
1ized years before when, as boy, she
had tried to compel his obedience to
the Egyptian religion, that It was USE
less to keep Moses from his purpose.
but II she must give up her cherished
hopes for him as an Egyptian prince,
she surely could hold him as her son.
He could still be near her. Comforted
somewhat by this thought, she turned
towards him with her old tenderness
and, clasping his hand in hers, she
said:
"But thou shalt still be my SON.
Thou shalt still be- near me-"