St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-01-19

AS ne 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.
Inc temptation had come, and in
stead OF turning from it resolutely, he
CALLED with it and let covetous eyes
and heart fix 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
MIN for his loyalty for turning in
such a goodly sum. It never would
De 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,
ne 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 seemed 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 a 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 see Joshua pointing his &C:
cuslng 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 fo1
volunteers to go up against the city OF
All.
eve 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 OIL
Joshua:
Lest ye make the camp of Israe
curse, and trouble it."
"Oh, bother" he exclaimed under
his breath, what difference can the
little gold and silver I have in my
tent make with these my brethren IL
their fight upon Ai?'
And silently and half sullen1y, fol
his heart was greatly troubled ovel
this thing which he had done, he
watched the little company of 5000
picked men depart in full confid enct
for All. He wanted to shout after the
men not to go, but the thought of the
gold within his tent and the desire tt
keep the same held his tongue. No
he would not tell. None should eve
know.
In his troubled condition Achan wan
dered off from the camp, and it wal
late in the evening when he returned
He found the camp in disorder, ant
the people weeping, and he learned
that deefat had been met at All, ant
Sc of his brethren had been slain.
} "Was he responsible?" he asked
himself, and then as quickly he trieC
} to defend himself and persuade hi
troubled conscience that he had don,
nothing wrong. "And none shall know
of the gold" he added
He was reused from his troubleC
: 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 thu
} saith the Lord God of Israel: Their
is an accursed thing in the midst o
thee, o Israel; thou canst not stant
before thine nemies until We take ava
} the accursed thing from among you.
; Achan listened with blanchin
: cheek, and a great fear seized hi
heart. Every eye seemed to b
turned upon him as he passed through
i the camp and sought the seclusion O
| his tent. The moaning of the win
5 seemed to be voice crying out it's ac
cusatfon against him. The rustic Q
/ the leaves in the trees by his ten
seemed to be whispering together an
} talking of his guilt. And everything
about him seemed to be saying: "Tc
, morrow" Tomorrow"
! All, Achan didst tliou but know tina
{ thou vert dealing not with man alon
but with God, thou wouldst not wit
such boldness and hard-heartednes
, have gone with thy brethren into tina
great company of Israelites. Slowl
( but surely under the direction of God
spirit the people were sifted out, III
: til at last Achan was taken and a cor
> fession wrung from his lips whic
, spake his doom, for sin when 1t /
. come to the full, bringeth forth deatt
How "Gil" Got Even.
~ During civil war times Gilman Fay