St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-06-19

without, but here" ana he drew from
the folds of his garment scroll, '1s
the warning"
'Ah, the sacred SCROLL" exclaimed
| Tobias, reverently, as he bent over
his fathers knee and listened while
the old man with trembling fingers
traced the words which his lips read
| from the manuscript in his hand.
go into Media, my SON, for surely
believe these things which Jonah
the prophet spake concerning Nine
Veh, that it shall be overthrown. But
peace shall prevail in Media"
And what Of our brethren who
dwell here?"
Take the message to them, that
they perish not" earnestly spoke
Tobit.
Thus admonished Tobias went forth
among his brethren in the great city
Of Nineveh, but they laughed him to
| scorn, saying:
This cannot be, for no greater city
hath been built than Nineveh."
But it is the word of the prophet
Jonah" urged Tobias, "and we know
that Gods word through his prophet
will be fulfilled even though apparent
safety is on every hand"
But his brethren would not heed his
words, but did with the greater inten.
sity make light of his warnings, de-
claring that it was time to fee when
danger Threatened.
Disheartened and saddened Tobias
returned home and related all that
had taken place, saying, as he con-
tinued:
Father, know that thou hast long
been familiar with this prophecy of
Jonah, for it is thy favorite reading.
Thou art certain that thou hast TN.
derstood him aright?"
Yea, my son, and not only does
the prophet speak of the doom of this
great Gentle city. but also of the
returning greatness of our beloved Js-
rusalem."
Say on, father, for I am listening"
said Tobias in low voice, as his IA
Their paused and sat with yaarning.
far-away look in his eyes.
Il was thinking, son, how glorious
that day would be. shall not see
it. But if thou obey my voice and
find refuge in Media, it may come to
thee and again the far-away, yearn.
ing look came into his eyes, for to the
devout Jew there was no greater long.
ing than that of seeing Jerusalem re.
stored and the Jews again gathered
there.
NO" again spoke up the father,
'tit will not be for me or thy mother,
but perhaps for thee. Bury me de.
Gently, and thy mother with me here
in Nineyeh. Then thou shalt not
larry longer here, but shall go hence
into Media. And now, my son, show
thou myself kind and merciful, for
remember what aims doeth. I do re-
call the case Of Aman and how he
did repay the kindness of Achiacharus
who brought him up with unkindly
deeds and withheld aims in the time
of his need. But now both are depart
ed this life, and Achiacharus hath
gone to his reward and Aman to his
punishment. Let it not be SO with
thee. Let righteousness rule in thy
life, for it bringeth its sure reward"
The days sped on and the aged To-
bias grew more and more feeble, until
at last one day like tired child he
fell into that sleep which had its
awakening upon the other side of
deaths vale. And the devoted Anna
was not long in following her husband
and joining him on the other side. As
Tobias laid her away beside the re-
mains of his father, he remembered
the words Of his father, and prepared
to depart from Nineveh.
But ere ne went he must go and
make one more appeal to his breth-
rem to 10 with him. Perhaps now
they would heed his warning. But
no. There were multitudes of ex-
cuses why they could not go and why
they did not want to go. They did not
believe the prophet really meant just
what Tobias understood him to say,
anyway.
And Tobias could not explain to
them or prove to them that he was
right, but the memory of his de-
vout father and his implicit trust in
the word of God as given by Jonah
treasured his heart and he sold his
possessions and departed with his
wife and children to Ecbatane, to
Raguel his father-in-law, where he
became old with honor, and he
buried his father and mother-in-law
honorably, and he inherited their sub
stance, and his father Tobit's. And he
himself died in Media, but before he
died he heard tidings of the destruc-
ton of Nineveh.