Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-06-09
This meant prosp,ritv .,a ,,n,,-,

This meant prosperity and comfort
to Tobit. his wife Anna and their son
Tobias, and they rejoiced greatly in
the Lord, knowing 1t was he who had
blessed them in their way and given
them abundance OF this worlds goods.
And In his prosperity Tobit forgot
not MS poor, oppressed brethren OF
the city, but gave literally that their
condition might be improved and the
burdens Hghtened. Did he hear of
any one who was in trouble, he sought
MIN out and helped him in his dis.
tress. Did any ruthless taskmastef
among the Ninevites abuse his Jew
ISM slave he sought to have the pool
unfortunate rescued from his unhappy
iot And where a hapless Israelite
was slain and thrown out like a dos
beyond the walls of the city, as toe
OFTEN was the case, he would 60 and
take the body and give it decent
| burial.
Now, this effort in behalf of his
brethren at last won the enmity of
some of the prominent Ninevites, who
were jealous of this Jews great pros
perity, and they began to prosecute
him, and when Tobit realized to
what straits such treatment might
drive him, he secretly made his way
| into Media and left with friend
| there the great bulk of the wealth he
mad accumulated, for" said he to his
wife before his departure, ''if mine
enemies learn that l am possessed of
this fhny will FOL IL .,
The wisdom of his course was evil
dent. for following his return the per-
secution broke out with new vigor
| 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
10 death. And Tobit, without any
thought for himself, continued to bury
such.
Now his enemies seized upon this
as opportunity to make complaint d.
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.
All, the bitterness of that hour. To-
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 I'M
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 1t came to pass that Achiach-
arus was appointed over the accounts
of the new king, and he being a 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 a 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. 10, we will tarry for
thee"
Some time later Tobias the son re.
turned, but without a companion. and
with the awful story that one of their
brethren had just been strangled an
even then lay in the market place.
Notwithstanding that Il was his in
terest in his unfortunate brethren
which had before won him disfavor.
he went Mt 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