The Tupelo journal., 1906-03-23

lines stand out against the horizon.
"A bright night gives promise OF 9
brighter day." exclaimed the man, en-
Enthusiastically, watching the glowing
orb as it slowly, majestically rose In
the heavens.
"And a future bright with hope
makes a happy wedding day." respond
ed the woman at his side. joyfully.
Eyes, the outlook is encouraging
The rigors of the bondage of our peo'
pie are constantly growing less, and
there is an abundance of food in
Goshen, so that now even the poorest
have plenty"
"And that is not ALL" exclaimed the
woman, "for Brother Naashon says
the elders have hopes that ere long
Egypt will ever give us u freedom
Yes, if Moses queer notions had
not led him to leave the palace l fee
sure that before this we should have
had the liberty we long for"
How good and faithful Princess
Thermutis has been to us, in spite OF
his desertion and flight" responded
the woman, warmly. "It is now fully
two years since he brought that ter
rible burst of persecution upon us, and
had it not been for the intercession OF
the princess, 1 tremble to think what
might have been our lot now"
well, dear, we do not have to
think of those dark days. Let us
think of the joy which has come to us.
and of the morrow"
They had reached the doorway as he
finished speaking, and paused in the
shadow for a last parting embrace,
when the terrified sob of a woman
sounded from within. The girl sprang
from her lovers arms and into the
house, crying:
What is it, mother? What is it"'
'Oh, Elisheba, such dreadful news.
The new king has just issued a decree
Withdrawing all the privileges of the
Hebrew people, and condemning us to
the bitterest bondage we have yet
known"
"Who told thee" gasped the girl.
at cannot be true, oh, surely it can
not be true!" she sobbed, throwing
herself into her lovers arms.
Thy brother, Naashon, has just
brought word" replied the old wom-
an, land has fastened away again to
confer with the elders"
"Then I, too, must be going"
"Oh, Aaron" she sobbed, clinging
appealingly to him, "and tomorrow
was our wedding day."
He could not trust himself to speak
1t was like being suddenly plunged
from Paradise into the abyss of hell
How bright the future had seemed
Now how black with the threatening
clouds of oppression. He knew what
the cruel hand of a pharaoh could do,
for as a child there had been burned
into his memory terrible sights and
sounds-the beating and even Staying
of the helpless slaves, the p~rivation
and suffering AMI woe. Although a
child of only three years old at the
time, he could remember that awful
period when babes were torn from
their mothers arms and slain, and
the agony of suspense which had come
into his own home when the baby
brother was hid for three months, and
then had been saved like a miracle.
The days since then had been cas-
Ter in his own home, save during that
one period two years before when the
wrath of the king had blazed forth
of the royal palace and its honors. But
since then conditions had steadily
been growing better, and the people
were more content than ever. Less
and less did they talk about God and
His promises to Abraham, and more
and more did they turn to Egypt in
thought for the hope of the future.
Thus affairs had progressed, and
everything seemed bright with hope
when there came this ominous word,
like a bolt out of ID clear sky. He was
dazed by the suddenness of it ALL. He
heard the sob of the who chung
to him, he heard her words, land to-
Mcrpow was our wedding day." but
what could he say to comfort her!
What dare he hope for the future?
No one could ,ell what the morrow
would bring forth, and it is little won
der that the weeping girl chung to her
lover, reluctant 20 let him go. Sud
denly the thought of what the kings
edict would mean to others in Goshen
flashed across her. She would not be
selfish, and, responding to the better
impulse, she withdrew her hands, say
ing, as she did SO:
yes, you must go. Elisheba can
wait. Do what you can for our peo-
pie"
Almost ~reverently Aaron stopped
and kissed the forehead of the brave
girl.
"For your sake | will be faithful
ne said simply as he turned to go.
Had he known what Elisheba's in
junction and his promise involved, a
Drawer heart than his might have fall
tered. Naashon returned next day
ana told all about it. OF the call for
some one to make the perilous jour-
ney to the princess to ask her help.
OF Aaron's conserving to go and of his
prompt departure.
And while they waited his return,
events moved on swiftly and terribly
among the Hebrew people. The threat
of the king that they should know
that a pharaoh ruled once more in
Egypt was carried out with awful ven
reance. But in their anguish and