St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-04-14

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YA ~ * upon the earth.
(HIM W. In the soft light
Dim lAN two figures are
TT7 ~ seen passing slow
w MI J ly along the path
Xxx iK way towards a
"a ~ IN dwelling whose
low-spreading out
lines stand out against the horizon.
"A bright night gives promise Of a
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 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 even give us our freedom. !"
Eyes, if Moses queer notions had
not led him to leave the palace l feel
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 fight" responded
the woman, warmly. 1T 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, I 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 woman
sounded from within. The girl sprang
from her lovers arms and into the
house, crying:
"What is It,, mother? What is it,"
"Oh, Elishe6a, SUCH dreadful news.
The new king has just issued 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.
ut cannot be true, oh, surely 1t can
not be true!" she sobbed, throwing
herself into her lovers arms.
'Thy brother, Naashon, has just
brought word" replied the old wom-
an, "and has FASTENED away again to
confer with the elders. =
"Then I, too, must be going
"Oh, Aaron" she sobbed, clinging
appealingly to him, land tomorrow
was our wedding day."
He could not trust himself to speak.
It 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 pharaoh could do,
for as child there had been burned
into his memory terrible sights and
sounds-the beating and even Staying
of the helpless slaves, the privation
and suffering AMI woe. Although q
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 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
afresh because of Moses remuneration
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 bolt out Of clear sky. He was
dazed by the suddenness OF it all. He
heard the sob Of the woman who chung
| to him, he heard her words, "and to-
morrow was our wedding day." but
what could he say to comfort her!
What dare he hope for the future?
No one could ,eil what the morrow
would bring forth, and 1t is little won.
der that the weeping girl chung to heI
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 50:
yes, you must go. Elisheba car
wait Do what you can for our peo-
pie"
Almost reverently Aaron stopped
snd kissed the forehead of the brave
girl.
..For your sake I will be faithful, .
| he said simply as he turned to 80.
Had he known what Elisheba's In
junction and his promise involved. 9
Drawer heart than his might have fal-
tered. Naashon returned next day
and told all about 1t. OF the call fol
some one to make the perilous Jour-
ney to the princess to ask her help
OF Aaron's consenting to go and OF his
nrompt departure.