St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-04-21

OSES stopped abb
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M ruptly in his hur-
"a ried descent of the
~ mountain.
n NgNlA a.The sheep!" he
exclaimed. What
wv am / thinking of,
TN IMAM anyway" and he
~ ~ shook his great
TfTs1l grizzled frame as
ANNI AA though he would
lNN 3tfNN arouse his con-
@RAVlWW fused faculties,
kAyANsI/W and then turning
@SsNIhA sharply about he
hastily retraced
his steps over the pathway which
stretched up and up into the heart OF
the mountains. :
4 ...How could / be so forgetful?" he
chided himself, struggling on as fast
as the steep ascent would permit, n
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
cd their rugged heads toward heav-
en- and seemed reckoning him on: The
years had come and gone since he had
settled down in indian and the hum
drum life of tending the docks OF Jeth--
70 had quite dulled his perceptions and
his consciousness OF God. Not that
he had forgotten God, and Gods prom
Uses: not that he had ceased to b
troubled by the bondage Of his peo-
pie, or had given up hope OF their de-
liverance. 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 ne
had fed from Egypt, his sensibilittes
had been du1led,s and In q sort OF list
less, discouraged way he had waited.
Button the day before as he had
neared the mountain and he had
thought of God, the tall peaks seem
ed pointing In silent impressiveness
toward Him, and with quickened spirit
~pndSreviving memory he had gone on
nd on, until at last he had seemed
to be in the very heart Of the noun
tain.
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 list
lessly following the struggling sheep,
as here and there they sought out the
succulent grass plots that sprane
green and fresh from the lap Of some
tiny spring or mountain stream, g
strange thing had happened.
A tongue of flame shot up from the
Icenter OF one OF the dry acacia bushes
at n side in a rocky, sterile place
and he thought at first that some spark
from his morning ire had blown
thither and set iire to the indammablt
wood, as was SO often the 8 But
as he watched the fame he noted that
It did not seem to consume the bush
and he turned aside 70 Investigate
when b voice which seemed.to come
from the very center Of the flame
spoke his name, and told him to TAKE
OF 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 PEG
pie. and Of his own call to go back Il
them with Gods message. Was It e
be wondered at that all else was for
gotten under the excitement OF thu
moment? But as we have seen, afte1
he had gone some distance, he sud
denly remembered his hocks and hi
responsibility as their keeper. AMI
turned anxiously about IN search 9
them.
At last he reached the place, AM
found the sheep were still there an,
safe. He breathed q sigh Of relief an
his mind, free from the anxiety, re
verted to the remarkable incidents o
the morning. It seemed almost like
dream to him, and he found himsel
asking the question: WAS It real
after I'LL"
There was the bush over beyon,
that jutting rock around which he ha,
moved when he had first noticed til
strange fire, but now 1t seemed th
ordinary bush It was. and he locke
In vain for the flame that had startle'
him 80. And he listened, but ther
came no sound save that Of the sof
trickling water Of q nearby spring
and the occasional bleatfng Of q shee
rs it hurried after the rest moving d
to some more inviting spot Of greer
Had he heard that Voice which h
had thought was God talking wit
him? or had he imagined It? The sta
which he held but loosely tn his han,
slipped and fell to the hard rocks Z
ibis feet with q c~latter, and arouse
him from his puzzled reverie.
YES" he said, ut must have bee
real for there is the star which turne
into q serpent" !,
Instantly there came flashing BAG
at him the: question: But why didn
It turn into a serpent again, as It di
before when cast to the ground?"
He reached forward to lift II fro1
the ground, and his eye fell on ii
hand which had but q short time b
fore been white with leprosy as he ha
thrust It within his bosom.
Z, Prove that this has not all bee
4 vagary, q wild dream Of brai
stimulated by the night In the rarife
mountain air. came the temptin
thought Cast your shepherds croo
upon the ground again and see IL
will become q serpent Thrust you
hand in#fhe folds NJ yt.ur mantle arai