The Tupelo journal., 1906-07-13

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q IN. oANH distance away off
-" to the left could
be clearly seen the vision of cool
springs and shady palm trees, and the
welcome sight brought a wild thrill of
JOY Sld thankfulness to the thirsty,
tired people.
For two days now since their de-
partufe from the Red sea, after their
miraculous deliverance from Pharaoh,
the Hebrew people had been strug-
Cling across the hot, dusty reaches of
the wilderness. The water they had
brought with them, while not exhaust
ed, was warm and brackish, and their
thirsty bodies were longing for a
draught from some cool spring. Eager
ly as they marched, obediently follow
ing the Cloud which went before them,
they kept a keen lookout for the signs
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 very
heavens for their refreshing, they
clapped their hands and shouted for
joy, crying to their leaders to turn
and hasten thither.
But apparently unmindful of the dis
tant vision, the Cloud still led for
ward in the direction it had been go
ing. What could it mean? Surely the
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 Noses. 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 muir
! murings, so hat Moses and Aaron
with the help of other leaders could
scarce restrain the people from bolt
ing from the ranks and rushing off
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,zing persistence, but as the sun
set and the light failed the vision
faded from their sight. A wall of dis
appointment and anger swept over the
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
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, a 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 if he had 1t to do over
again he would go after the water,
Whether any others went with him or
not.
"In fact" he exclaimed, filled with
a sudden determination, Il am half
minded to go this night. 1t cannot be
far distant"
But perhaps the march will be
taken up in that direction in the
morning" 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
murmuring 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 mor will
ing 20 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
murmurings, and glad that they had
not departed, Jahziel and his followers
fastened forward, and behind them
Came streaming the multitudes eager
to quaff their thirst at the cool pools.
Casting aside their burdens and stoOp-
ing low, they scooped up the water in
their palms and sucked 1t into their
mouths like the dry and parched earth
draws in the rain when it falls upon it.
But what ails the people? With
wry faces they spit the water out more
quickly even than they had drank it
in, and a howl is raised which spreads
and grows as others of the multitude
crowd up to the edge of the pool and
drink also of the water. But so
parched are the people and SO eager
for a drink that again they es-
say 10 drink, but again they spit the
water out as before, and again the cry
of disappointment and protest rings
forth.
"Marah! Marah!" bitterness! Bit
terness!) they cried. 1--WE cannot
drink these waters"