The commonwealth., 1906-03-30

hastily retraced
his steps over the pathway which
stretched up and up into the heart Of
the mountains.
How could I be so forgetful?" he
chided himself, struggling on as fast
as the steep ascent would permit and
lifting his eyes and looking anxiously
before him for some sight of the
flock which he had left behind.
The day before, led by some strange
Impulse, he had gone far to the other
side OF the desert and up into the
mountains, whose towering peaks lift
ed their rugged heads toward heav-
en- and seemed beckoning him on. The
years had come and gone since he had
settled down In INDIAN and the hum
drum life Of tending the tlocks of Jeth-
ro had quite dulled his perceptions and
his consciousness of God. Not that
he had forgotten God, and Gods prom
tses; not that he had ceased to be
troubled by the bondage of his peo-
pie, or had given up hope OF their de-
| liyeranCe. Such could not be, for
faith in God and longing to help his
people were woven into the very warp
and woof of his being. But as year
after year had dragged on, until now
nearly 40 years had passed since he
had fed from Egypt. his senslbiIities
had been dulled, and in sort of list
less, discouraged way he had waited
But on the day before as he had
neared the mountain and he had
thought Of God, the tall peaks seem.
ed pointing in silent impre3siyeness
toward Him, and with quickened spirit
and reviving memory he had gone on
and on, until at last he had seemed
to be in the very heart Of the mountain.
There abundant pasturage had been
found, and he spent the night In the
place, and that morning early as he
moved about from place to place
strange thing had happened.
A tongue Of flame shot up from the
center Of one of the dry acacia bushes
at one side in a rocky sterile place. |
and he thought at first that some spark |
from his morning fire had blown |
thither and set fire to the inllammable !
wood, as was so often the case. But |
as he watched the fame he noted that |
1t did not seem to consume the bush, |
and he turned aside to investigate, |
when a voice which seemed to come |
from the very center of the flame |
spoke his name, and told him to take
on his sandals, for he was standing
on holy ground
Then had followed that wonderful
interview, In which he had been told
of Gods purposes for the Hebrew peo.
pie, and Of his own call to go back to
them with Gods message Was II to
be wondered at that all else was for
gotten under the excitement of the
moment? But as we have seen, after
he had gone some distance, he sud
denly remembered his flocks and his
responsibility as their keeper, and
turned anxiously about in search of
them
At last he reached the place, and ,
found the sheep were still there and ,
safe. He breathed a sigh of relief and +
his mind, free from the anxiety, re-
verted to the remarkable incidents of ,
the morning. 1t seemed almost like ;
dream to him, and he found himself |
asking the question; "Was 1t real
after alI?"
There was the bush over beyond q
that jutting rock around which he had /
moved when he had first noticed the /
strange fire, but now it seemed the
ordinary bush It was, and he looked
In vain for the fame that had startled /
him so. And he listened, but there /
'ame no sound save tina of the soft +
water of nearby spring. I
md the occasional bleating of sheep +
Is 1t hurried after the rest moving off n
o some more inviting spot of green &
Had he heard that Voice which he Il
lad thought was God talking with
him? or had he imagined it? The stan u
which he held but loosely in his hand
Tipped and fell to the hard rocks at >.
lis feet with clatter, and aroused >,
lin from his puzzled reverie. =.
"Yes, he said, 1T must have been u
cal for there is the staff which turned
nto a serpent" NJ
Instantly there came flashing back cr
t him the question: But why didn't II
turn into serpent again, as II did u.
efore when cast to the ground?" h,
He reached forward to lift it from hi
be ground, and his eye fell on the Tr
and which had but short time be- M
,re been white with leprosy as he had "
lrust it within his bosom. r,
Prove that this has not all been tb
vagary, wild dream of brain or
.imulated by the night In the rarifed II
fountain air" came the tempting Sc
fought. Cast your shepherds crook
pom the ground again and see II It an
Fill become serpent. Thrust your
and in the folds Of your mantle again alb
nd prove whether it will come forth 10
hite with Ieprosy." nc
Moses fairly trembled with the agi. m,