The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-03-21

Surely of all this great pile which
will turn into the treasury they will
not miss this one wedge Of gold"
but It all belongs to the Lord"
came back the answer in his heart,
and again the words OF Joshua echoed
In his ears:
Keep yourselves from the accursed
thing lest We make yourselves &C
cursed"
Impatient with himself over his re-
proving conscience, Achan stopped
and began gathering the silver and
gold in piles, saying as he did SO:
"No one else, | dare say, will bring
SO much treasure into the tabernacle
to-day as l. Why, there is almost
more here than | can carry"
In his search for something suitable
in which to place the gold and silver
his eyes fell upon an exquisite gar
ment
"That must have belonged to the
king himself" he exclaimed, feeling
its soft texture and noting the delicate
golden embroidery which like lace
work covered the entire garment.
AS he continued gathering the treas
ure together his thought was upon
that wedge Of gold and that fine gar
ment, and somehow, these two did
not get into the bundle which he was
preparing to deliver to the priests
The temptation had come, and in
stead of turning from It resolutely, he
dallied with 1t and let covetous eyes
and heart Ak themselves upon these
treasures. And ere he had finished
gathering the gold and silver for the
treasury of the Lord, he had persuad-
ed himself that that wedge Of gold
and that garment really belonged to
him for his loyalty for turning in
such goodly sum. 1t never would
be known, and as he placed the gold
and the garment within the folds of
his own clothing his avarice grew and
he placed some Of the silver there,
also. Then, shouldering his burden,
he made his way back to camp and
presented himself before the door of
the tabernacle. where the priest re-
ceived his Offering.
He wondered as he went away and
sought the seclusion of his own tent
whether the priest suspected him, for
he asked whether this were all. How
that gold and silver and garment hid
den within his clothing semed to
weigh him down. Feverishly he dug
deep in the ground underneath his
tent and placed the treasure there.
and when it was done and the earth
replaced, he breathed sigh Of relief
and went about his usual tasks of the
camp.
That night his slumbers were dis
turbed by frightful dreams and he
seemed to sec Joshua pointing his ac-
cusing finger at him and saying, in a
voice of thunder:
Where is the accursed thing?
Where is the accursed thing?"
Once he started up and would have
gone and made confession, but he
turned back and called himself fool,
saying that no one could know what
he had done.
The next day all was excitement In
the camp, for Joshua had called for
volunteers to go up against the city of
Al
1--WE can take the city easily" spoke
out confidently the men who had been
up to spy upon the place.
Achan heard the words, and there
echoed in his heart the words of
Joshua:
Lest ye make the camp of Israel
a curse, and trouble it."
"Oh, bother" he exclaimed under
little gold and silver 1 have In my
tent make with these my brethren in
their fight upon Alp"
And silently and half sullenly, for
his heart was greatly troubled over
this thing which he had done, he
watched the little company of 5000
picked men depart in full confld ence
for AL. He wanted to shout after the
men not to go, but the thought of the
gold within his tent and the desire to
keep the same held his tongue. No,
he would not tell. None should ever
know.
In his troubled condition Achan wan.
dered off from the camp, and 1t was
late in the evening when he returned.
He found the camp in disorder. and
the people weeping, and he learned
that deefat had been met at All, and
S6 Of his brethren had been slain.
Was he responsible?" he asked
himself, and then as quickly he tried
to defend himself and persuade his
troubled conscience that he had done
nothing wrong, And none shall know
of the gold" he added.
He was reused from his troubled
thoughts by the crier passing through
the camp saying:
This is the word of Joshua, call
ing upon the people to sanctify them
selves against the morrow. for thus
saith the Lord God of Israel; There
Is an accursed thing in the midst of
thee, o Israel; thou canst not stand
before thine nemies until ye take away
the accursed thing from among you"
Achan listened with blanchtng
cheek. and a great fear seized his
heart. Every eye seemed to be
turned upon him as he passed through
the camp and sought the seclusion of
his tent The moaning of the wind
seemed to be a voice crying out its ac-
cusation against him. The rustic of
the leaves in the trees by his tent
seemed to be whispering together and
talking of his guilt, And everything
about him seemed to be saying; ITO.