The Tupelo journal., 1906-05-18

tNRSinN..--E Which mad aCCum-
ulated. And as though this filthy con-
dition was not enough annoyance to
the priests, whose religious rites and
ceremonies required such rigid bath
ing and cleansing, the stencil arising
from the heaps of dead frogs in the
open spaces about the temple filled the
air and made the situation almost un-
bearable.
James and 'Jambres, the chief
priests of the temple, were in any
thing but an amiable mood, and as
they passed through the court of the
temple on the way to their apart
ments, they lifted their white linen
robes high that they might not be
smirched by the filth on the pavement,
and grumbled as they went. Noticing
the slow movements of one of the at
tendants, Jambres angrily exclaimed:
Faster! You will never get this
filth cleaned out at such a pace as
that"
The poor fellow, too weary almost
to feel resentment, tried to hasten his
efforts, and James, with more feeling
than his colleague, said:
But they have been laboring day
and night to rid the place of the
frogs, and it is no wonder they are
weary. Curses be upon the Hebrews,
who have brought this upon u.s."
AYE, but we may be thankful that
the king is more than ever incensed
against them, and it is certain that
he will not let them go, as they have
requested" responded Jambres.
Had we not boldly withstood him
though after he had pleaded with
Moses to ask his God to remove the
loathsome pests, | fear he might have
yielded"
YEA, but did we not tell him that
just as the bloody waters of Egypt
would recover their freshness, SO
would this plague subside? Are the
gods of Egypt dead that we should
listen to a despised Hebrew"
They had now entered their private
apartments, which they found as filthy
as the other portions of the temple.
Seating themselves, they continued
their conversation.
They had just returned from the
palace, where they had been discuss
ing the situation with Pharaoh. The
feeling of hatred against Moses and
Aaron burned fiercely in their breasts,
for they secretly feared their growing
power and were apprehensive of their
next move.
Where obtained he this skill?"
poked with his staff in the dust on the
floor in an aimless sort of way.
Never before have any possessed
such powers outside of the priesthood
of Egypt, and thou knowest how such
skill is obtained by us only after the
most painful and persistent practice"
well, if our plot had not fallen
through just when we were on the
eve of success" exclaimed Jambres,
savagely, there would be no Moses
now to trouble us. But the fellow who
bungled the job won't spoil any nor
of our carefully laid plans, that's sure.
But what's that?" he cried, pointing
excitedly at the dust through which
James still continued to poke his
staff.
1t appeared to become suddenly ami
mated and the thick covering upon
the floor and furniture about the room
became a wriggling, moving mass.
With a startled cry of mingled fear
and horror, the two men, %forgetful of
their priestly dignity, sprang upon the
chairs where they were sitting, but
even there the squirming mass fol-
lowed them, and the rustic of their
robes started up a cloud of dust that
was transformed in its flight into the
same little green mites, and these set
tied upon them-upon their heads, and
hands, and faces, and covered Their
robes and quickly burrowed within
and crawled over the flesh of the
body.
Their disgust and terror was now
augmented by the pain caused by the
creeping, crawling, biting things, and
with a cry of distress they rushed
from the room and into the outer
court. But there there was even great
er confusion. The attendants, who
had been busily cleaning the temple,
were jumping and running about as
though mad. They were tearing their
scant attire from them and slapping
and rubbing their bodies first here
and then there. The temple was fair
ly alive with the loathsome mites.
The floor was literally a rolling,
squirming sea of them, and the men as
a Shiny and slippery mass.
At that moment a runner burst into
their midst, calling loudly that the
king had sent for his magicians, de-
handing that they come at once to
the palace, for he was in distress.
Despite their discomfort, James and
Jambres started at once AS they
passed the apartment where the sa-
cred cats were kept, the most horrible
bowling was heard, and as they opened
the door leading thereto, there sped
past them like a flight of arrows scores
of the beasts, maddened by the irri-
tating lice. The sacred bull could be
heard snorting and rearing about in
it's quarters, and the rattle and snap
of its silver and gold ~trappings told
the story of its frantic moves. Along
the way they saw the people excitedly
running about and trying frantically
to rid themselves of the little pests
that covered them. And they, too,
were fighting the lice, desperately
brushing and shaking to drive them