St. Tammany farmer., 1906-06-23

wilderness as Moses had demanded,
but the promise had not been kept,
and 1t was for this reason that Moses
was again seeking an interview with
the king.
On every hand in the garden which
had been so beautiful there were signs
Of devastation and ruin, for what the
awful hail in its fury had failed to cut
to pieces and beat into the ground had
been devoured by the voracious To-
Gusts. Trees were stripped bare and
the tender plants and shrubs were
broken and eaten until but mere stubs
protruded from the earth. But the day
was glorious and serene, and the sun
shone in all his brilliancy. Nature
seemed in amiable mood, and with
soothing touch was striving to heal
the cruel wounds which the plaques
had made. Not a single locust re-
mained of all that vast myriad which
had covered the land and it did not
seem possible that from that balmy,
clear sky there could have poured such
storm of hail and sleet.
Even Pharaoh felt more cheerful
than for many days past. The fear
that had clutched at his heart while
the storm was at its height and the
great, jagged chunks of ice were hiss
ing through the air like demons and
pounding on the earth until the roar
filled the air, had left him, and in Its
place there came a fierce and bitter
defiance against Moses and his God
and a new loyalty to the gods of
Egypt. He lifted his eyes to the sun
and bowed in alteration, exclaiming:
20, Osiris, thou art the god of
Egypt. and above all other gods.
Thou art the god who rules in Egypt
and to thee we give thanks for deliv-
erance from the scourges which the
displeasure of the gods has sent upon
u.s."
Again he lifted his eyes towards
the heavens and, stretching out his
hands in supplication, he cried:
"Thou ruler Of heaven and earth,
give earl"
In this attitude he stood for some
minutes. A slight rustling Of gar
ments at his side aroused him and
turning he saw Moses standing watch
ing him intently. A look Of bitter
scorn and anger swept across his
face, and murderous hatred filed his
heart. Here was his enemy. He
would destroy him. He turned to his
attendants to order them to seize him,
when the latter raised his hands
towards heaven and the sun as Phar-
aoh had just done, and said, sternly:
"Will thy gods deliver thee, o
Pharaoh? 1 tell thee nay! Let the
sun be blotted out and let darkness
be upon thee and upon all thy peo-
ple!"
The words had scarcely died away
when Pharaoh and those with him
uttered a piercing wall of anguish
and despair and frantically pressed
their hands to their eyes. and tried to
brush and tear away the burning,
itching film which seemed to envelop
them and shut out the light. In vain
did they call upon their gods. An
agony Of fear and terror seized them
rs they realized that some awful ca
lamity had fallen upon them. Like
madmene Pharaoh and his attendants
leaped about and beat upon their
breasts. And when the first spasms
of fear and terror had passed a fierce
and murderous hatred filed their
hearts against Moses and Aaron, and
could they have seized them they
would have torn them in pieces. AS
it was they called down upon their
heads all the awful curses Of the gods
Of Egypt, and beat the air in their
tmpotent frenzy.
It was a sight to make ones blood
run cold. Silently Moses and Aaron
looked upon the scene. Here was the
mighty Pharaoh helpless and undone
before the power Of their God. Here
was the king under whose iron heel
poor Israel had been bruised and
crushed, humiliated by dire physical
suffering. Here was the vice regent
of the great sun god, the giver OF
light, held In the relentless and
unyielding power Of darkness. Is it
any wonder that Moses and Aaron
as they stood there beholding should
have felt stealing into their hearts a
new confidence In the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob and an assurance
that He who had promised deliver
ance to Israel was able to bring His
purposes to pass:
At last the rage Of the king has
spent itself. A sense of his helpless
ness sweeps over him, and in place
of the angry curses falling from his
lips there comes despairing shrek
for help. And for answer his attend
ants echo his cry and confess them
selves unable to help.
But listen, what is that! From the
direction Of the adjacent city there