St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-06-05

take the body and give it decent
burial.
Now, this effort in behalf of his
brethren at last won the enmfty Of
some of the prominent Ninevites, wht
were jealous of this Jews great pros
perity, and they began to prosecute
him, and when Tobit realized tc
what straits such treatment might
drive him, he secretly made his way
into Media and left with a friend
there the great bulk of the wealth he
had accumulated, for" said he to his
wife before his departure, IF mine
enemies learn that 1 am possessed OF
this money they will take it from me.
The wisdom of his course was evil
dent, for following his return the per
secution broke out with new vigot
against him. Then Enemessar the
king died and Sennacherib ruled in
his stead. At that time there were
many fugitive Jews seeking refuge
in Nineveh, and the king, incensed
thereby, caused many such to be put
to death. And Tobit, without any
thought for himself, continued to bury
such.
Now his enemies seized upon this
as opportunity to make complaint di.
rect to the king against him, and hav'
ing obtained decree from the former,
they swooped down upon the quiet
household of Tobit and stripped him
of everything he possessed.
IT.
bit cared not for himself, but to see
his wife and tender boy suffer caused
untold anguish.
Then he remembered his wealth
left for safe keeping in Media, but he
could not go thither owing to the
troubled state of the kingdom.
Has God forgotten me?" he asked
himself, over and over again. Are
my good deeds, my devotion to the
law of God to be of no effect?"
1t would seem so, for secret word
was brought him that plot was IN
der way to Stay him, and he fed from
| the city, leaving Anna his wife and
his son behind. But so wicked king
could not long reign, and shortly aft
er this two of his sons slew
| him and Sarchedonus ruled in his
| stead.
Now it came to pass that Achfach-
| arus was appointed over the accounts
of the new king, and he being son
of Tobits brother Anael, Anna be.
sought the latter that he would plead
with the king that Tobit be brought
back. This consent was at last won,
| and the day approached when he
should return to Nineveh.
Great was the joy of Anna and To-
bias the son, who made feast ready
| for his coming.
And it would have seemed as though
when Tobit was again in the midst Of
his family and had sat down to the
feast spread by his wife Anna, that he
would have felt that he might enjoy
the season in the seclusion thus of his
family. But no, the thought of Tobit
was ever with his unfortunate breth-
rem, and as he sat down on that glad
day when fortune was again returned
to him he paused and then said to
his son:
"Son, the Lord hath indeed been
good to us, in that we are again re-
stored unto thee and thy mother. And
we have here an abundance while
without in the city there are those of
our brethren who are in want Go
hither, and bring what poor man So
ever thou shalt be able to find, who
fears the Lord. Lo, we will tarry for
thee"
Some time later Tobias the son re-
turned, but without companion, and
with the awful story that one of their
brethren had just been strangled and
even then lay in the market place.
Notwithstanding that it was his in
terest in his unfortunate brethren
which had before won him disfavor,
he went at once and brought the body
and lay it in one of the upper rooms
until the going down of the sun.
And that night he went and buried
the body, but some of his old-time
enemies saw him, and said:
This man is not yet afraid to be
put to death for this matter, who fed
away; and yet 10, he burieth the dead
again.
And when Tobit had finished his
task, being unclean therefrom, he lay
without by the wall of his courtyard.
And during the night there fell into
his eyes from the walls dust which
took his sight and no physician was
found which could help him. Then
Tobit prayed, saying:
20 Lord, Thou art just, and
all thy works and all thy ways
are mercy and truth, and thou
judgest truly and justly forever. Now,
therefore, deal with me as seemeth
best unto thee, and command my
spirit to be taken from me, that I
may be dissolved, and become earth.
For it is profitable for me to die,
rather than to live, because l have
heard false reproaches and have much
sorrow. Command, therefore, that |
may be delivered out of this distress,
and go into the everlasting place,
Turn not thy face away from me-"
Thus he prayed, but God in his
mercy preserved him in his aff1ic-
ton, for through the darkness he was
to come to the light and out of the at.
Fiction was to come great blessing.