The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-12-14

Wv I'M VA "HliIu dAlue the thought
and spoke out bravely:
We will stay here where we were
bid. The scarlet cord is in the win.
dow. The God of the Israelites vii,
remember. He will not let harm come
to those who are sheltered under this
sign, which is the token of his
pledge of mercy.
THUS in Jericho that night while the
terror was upon the city, there was
in the home of Rahab the whisper.
lngs of peace, because of the slender
faith which reached out after the true
God and the people Of the true God,
But dawn came at last and with il
a reinsurance to the people of the
city, which was quickly dispelled
when the lookOuts in the towers on
the walls reported an unusual actiy-
lty in the camp of Israel, and that
the armed men were gathering and
marching towards the city. Instant.
~ the alarm spread throughout the
city, and again the fighting men
sprang to their arms. The archers
! stood ready at the word of command
to send their swift darts into the
ranks of the enemy as soon as thew
drew near enough, ard the double
line of guards upon the wall were
ready to hurl their spears and the
great rocks down upon the heads Of
the army when it should attempt to
Storm the walls.
SO intent were the men of Jericho
in making doubly sure the defenses of
the city that they had not noticed
what was going on in the camp Of
Israel, but shout from the lookouts
drew their attention, and they heard
them eEclaim in derision:
What! Would they bring their
women and children to fight against
us? What motley crowd is this that
would take strong city like Jeri-
cho?"
At these words all the soldiers
crowded for place upon the walls, and
they watched with amazement, and
then with contempt and derision, the
long line of Israelites as they slowly
marched around the city. There was
the little company Of fighting men in
the lead, but how small and insight
ficant they looked against the, army
which the king of Jericho could mus
ter. Then came the long-robed men
bearing something in their midst.
These must be the priests, and their
burden must be the ark about which
they had heard so much. But had
they had heard so much.
All day long in the streets Of the
city the discussion went on as to what
was the meaning of these strange
proceedings on the part of the Is
raelites. And when next day they
witnessed the same performance, and
the next and the next, their fears
gave place to that of reckless carou-
SAL What had they to fear from
| the enemy which came not near
enough for their strongest archers to
; reach them with their arrows? What
harm could come to the great mass
i've walls of Jericho when only the
faint sound of the trumpets of the
priests reached their ears.
On the fifth and sixth days in
which the children of Israel marched
about the city, the people of the city
completely abandoned themselves to
the merry, reckless spirit which took
possession of the city, for the reac-
ton from the abject terror of the
first days of the coming of the Israel
! ties carried them to excuses which
made of the city a veritable carnival
of license Ridicule of the most brazen
sort was heaped upon the God of the
Israelites. Their gods were brought
forth and sacrificial fires built before
them. And so as the seventh day
dawned it found the people fairly in.
toxicated with the excuses into which
they had been plunged by the strange,
I'LL dl linz COuuuCt vi tuSlI CuClhiCob
the lsraelites.
How long is this to continue?"
asked the king, as messengers came
to him saying that the Israelites were
again marching about the city. Since
early morning they have been com.
passing the city, they said, and al.
ready now they have marched about
the city five times"
The king summoned the captains
of his army and commanded that the
soldiers be gathered under the walls
of the city and prepare to go out
against the enemy which evidently
was not going to make an assault
upon the city.
Thus it was that as the israelites
completed the circle of the city for
the seventh time that morning they
saw the walls of the city black with
the armed men of the city prepared
as though to rush upon them. Then
it was that the trumpets burst forth
, in their mighty blast and Joshua
shouted and all the people shouted,