The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-10-08

xuper Read Before the Cha,tta,sQua Circle.
~ ALL the lights of history.
Il ancient and modern, think
~ Moses shines out with the
greatest briiliancy. In no
other historical character do we find
such transcending genius. In NO other
character do we find such multitude
of attributes any one of which would
make man famous, for Moses was
not only great as lawgiver and eman-
cipator, but he was great as soldier.
statesman, diplomat, orator, poet, his
torian, and political economist.
In studying the life OF Moses we are
amazed at his wonderful versatility Il
use this word in the sense of "many
sidedness'') for in him we see Caesar,
q Cicero, Chrysostom, Saint Angus
tine, Constantine, q Dante, Glad
stone, a Bancroft, and Lincoln.
Without a doubt Moses was the most
august person in all antiquity, and the
world owes more to him than to any
one man, for he laid the foundation
upon which the whole superstructure
of our civilization rests. Thruout our
whole social fabric we can trace as a
bright cleaning thread, the master
mind Of Moses. But whence came this
illustrious man; was he born of royal
blood; was he the child of wealth aud
afliuence? No indeed! His parents
were slaves; he was the offspring of a
Jewish handwoman Of~the tribe of
Levi, and was born midst poverty and
degradation in the year fifteen hundred
and seventy-one B. C..
There 10 quite an element of romance
in the beautiful story surrounding the
birth and early life of Moses, and it
was only by the kindness of fate, or the
attending supervision ofa wise provi-
dence, that he was permitted to live
and fulfill his mission, for he was born
at very critical period for the Jews
The Shepherd Kings had been expelled
and a new dynasty reigned in Egypt
The new King Pharaoh was not friend
ay toward the Jews, as his predecessor
had been, but on the contrary fearet
and hated them Oh account of thei
numbtr, and hated them because HI
hated all aliens, and he rose up and ex
claimed! "Behold the children Of Is
rael are more and mightier than wei
aud forthwith he issued that dreadful
edict that every male child of the He
brews should be put to death as sOol
as born. 1t was at this junction tina
Moses opened his eyes upon the worl'
for the first time. But his mother
good and wise woman, concealed he
babe until he was three months of agt
Then becoming alarmed, and feariD
search would be made that would rt
suit in the discovery and destructio
of her child she placed him in baske
of papyrus and exposed him upon tn
banks of the Nile, where he was rel
cued by the daughter of Pharaoh, VIII
was acting regent of the kingdom
the absence of her father. The heal
of this powerful princess went out
pity to the poor little waif in the ba
ket, and she took HIM to the pala(
and adopted him as her own chill
And when Pharaoh returned he WI
overjoyed to learn that he had an he
in the person of little grandson, new
for moment suspecting his JEWS
origin No this old heathen king ne
er dreamed that in this little babe
entertained the great and mighty M
Sos that would some day rise up al
aud dispute his right to ensIave n
tiOn.
So Moses spent the first forty yea
of his life i'll the palaces of Memph
enjoying all the privileges and adva
cages of prince of the royal bloc
Memphis was at this time the center
all learning and culture, just as At
ems and Rome were few centuri
later.
As youth Moses was precocio
and at an early age gave signs of We
derful mental powers. So of course
was given the advantage of libe1
education. He had for his tutors
most learned doctors and philosophe
and soon became proficient in all t
learning of his time. At twenty-h
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