St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-06-22

ar God knew ne WIS e0SA 9
he was lust d wee bit lonely since nls
mother had gone. He had recanea
the stories which his mother mad toiu
tir, If how Moses had been taken Ds
his mother to the palace OF the daes
for If Pharaoh when he was Jus.
about his age, and he had Wonosass
whether he had felt as forlorn anu
lonely as he. And then he had CON.
forted himself with the thought thas
he was better off than Moses nau
hean for he was in Gods dWelllns
Mace and Moses had been amone
neonle who did not know or care loh
his God.
"And I'll try and be as faithful as
Moses was and learn all can SO a1
to be fitted for Gods service, "
had thought to himself with We
dom far beyond his years. And oItsb
since that first definite experience +
the temple this thought had come y
him to quicken him in his studies any
duties. Each day he had had nls
task to do and his lessons 20 learn.
and eagerly he listened as the ageu
priest Eli had gone over the hlstofs
of Israel and had told of Gods dear
ings with Israel He had been deeply
interested in those parts OF the stores
where it was told that God had spoken
to his people and their leaders, and
had asked Eli, with childish eager
ness:
Does God speak to you"
And then when the aged priest mao
hesitated in evident confusion ana
embarrassment, ne had followed up
his first question with:
How can we hear God speak"
But he had had no satisfactory re-
Spouse from Eli, and this was one
of the questions which he was anx-
ious to ask his mother when she
should come.
Then there were some things about
the temple service which he knew MS
mother could explain to him as had
not been explained to him by Ell OF
his sons. Nay, Samuel had early
learned that it was quite useless to
ply the latter with questions. III
fact he had felt in his childish heart
an aversion for Hophni and Phinehas
which had led him to avoid them all
he could. Here was something else
he wanted to ask his mother:
How it was that IL they were serv
ants Of the Lord they should take
the best Of the sacrifices for them
selves, as he had seen them do re-
peatedly when the people had come to
make their offerings to the Lord.
These were some of the things
which were troubling his tender heart
and there was the brighter side, as ne
thought of the part he was taking in
the temple service and how his moth
er would feel proud of her boy as she
saw him among the musicians doing
his part to make a joyful noise unto
the Lord. In this way his mind kept
busy while he waited for the break
ing of the dawn, and so absorbed did
he become in his meditations that the
sun was all but bursting above the
horizon when he aroused himself.
81 shall be late" he exclaimed, has
tening towards the gate of the tenn
pie court. "But what is that?' he add
ed, noting the dust in the distance
and moving figures. who can be
coming so early to the celebration?
Can it be mother?" he asked himself
and the first impulse was to rush of
down the pathway to meet the ap
preaching company, but he checked
himself, and remembering his duties
in the temple, he hurried on and was
soon busy extinguishing the lights and
performing the duties preparatory to
the services of the day. Already the
Levites were arriving and putting
things in order for the offering Of the
sacrifices, and many little duty fell
to the lot of Samue! to perform ere
everything was ready. Almost impa
tiently he waited for the chance to
get away to find his mother.
Now, the last task was completed
and he would be able to get away, but
just as he was passing out of the
outer court one of the Levites sum
moned him and requested him that he
find Eli.
A look of disappointment swept over
his face, and he was just on the point
of saying: MY tasks are all done
now and l must CO." when the thonph4
came to him: What would mother
think if should come to her with
service left undone?" and so swal
lowing his disappointment he started
off to do the bidding of the Levite.
And when he had come into the
presence of Eli the high priest and
had delivered his message, who should
he find waiting to receive him in an
adjoining apartment but his mother
and what was his delight to find that
she had brought him little coat fbe
work Of her loving hands.