The Tupelo journal., 1906-02-23

OAN aAAN = RANR tANC
and me-"
But why hast thou talked with the
priests?"
Because | desired their views con-
corning the words which thou dost
seem ready to accept as final, and hast
seemingly lost all reason concerning
thy future and thy possible service to
thy people"
The lines which the conflict and dis
tress of mind of the past few days had
furrowed in his face deepened as the
woman was speaking, and he recoiled
as though she had struck him a cruel
blow, when she went on to say:
"Thou carest nothing for my advice.
Thou has forgotten all that have
done for thee; all that l have sacri-
feed in aiding thee; all that | am yet
willing to do for thee and for thy peo-
pie"
Mother, DON'T" he pleaded. IF God
has spoken, must not / follow? Must
not l obey?"
but why need you believe that ODE
u1CuCc lSduS " tlO NdStluS dSluC VI lily
great prospects in Egypt? Have not I
shown thee again and again how all
thy hopes for thy people may be rea-
lized in and through thee?"
Yea, mother, but what of Gods
| spoken word: That nation whom they
shall serve, will l judge!' Judgment
and blessing cannot go 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 a 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.
81 must take my place with my peo-
pie" he responded in sad, low voice,
and yet with a quiet determination
which showed that the decision had
only been reached after terrible con-
fict.
What! And leave the palace? And
leave me? Oh, Moses, what cruelty to
the n 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 I'M
derstand me? 1t is not that | forget
thee and care not for all that Egypt
has done for me, but l 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 if thou ~impoverish myself
and forsake the position and power
which a be used to their good? Will
it not be time enough for thee to go
with thy people when God shall lead
them out? If he ever does" she added,
doubtfully.
Moses did not appear to notice the
final thrust, replying quietly:
But if | reamin in the palace as thy
son l am IN Egyptian and, with the
Egyptian nation, under judgment. If I
would enjoy the blessing promised the
Hebrew people l must become a He
brew, cost what it will"
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.
81 see it all plainly now, mother. 1t
is not what l as prince, or even as
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 l let the treas
ures and the glory of Egypt rob me Of
the blessing which / may have as a
Hebrew? l tremble at the thought"
Thermutis was silent when he had
finished. She realized, as she had rea-
lized a before when, asa boy, she
had tried to compel his obedience to
the Egyptian religion, that it was use
less to keep Moses from his purpose,
but if 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-"
She felt his hand tremble as she
spoke the words, and looking up saw a
new and deeper agony mirrored in his