The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-11

made from Or of the Chaldees. a
region then as now famous ior II
hr.odino az cameis The caravan
WIS long, and the animals ana re-
tainers were many. linen, as ho"-l
three miles an hour was the average
progress Of the camel caravan. and
we may be sure that az they came UP
through the cities of this PLAIN, tneS
stopped from time 10 time. PROBABLY
they sojourned at Nifur on the way,
and the Temple Of Bel which the
University Of Pennsylvania has e1ca-
waited may have been seen oy the
ewes Of Abraham -four thousand years
before Americans looked upon it. Ger
tainly the caravan stopped at BABY
lon, that great and dominant city, ana
father and son went out TO the great
ziggurrat, or tower OF Babel. ano
unused together upon that story. H.
as is likely. they followed n r,ght
bank of the Tigris, they tarried at
Asshur. the ancient capital Of Assyria.
where German archaeologists are now
digging up writings upO stone Of the
period Of Abraham.
Leaving the river, the party struck
across the increasingly hllly country
Of northern MesopotaInia until they
came to Haran. where they settled.
We're the ave dwellings along the
way, which the rare traveller today
li1V SSc, ONCuElCO IA fAOA$ <AAoAAi ~ HAAIo
| did he know the secret Of the great
fortress Of Hassan Kief, about which.
I have inquired in vain OF archaeolo
| gist after Archaeological? Did he find
| tho roads as rocky and troublesome
as l found them? Was it the we'll,
now known es Rebecca's we'll. which
attracted the party to
A Traveller in Damascus? &
There was to be no abiding in
HArau. Here Terah died, and here
abraham, heard the Voice that sum
moned him still farther to the west.
On the fullness Of detail which the
lesson text gives. he was hidden to
go forth and the promise was made
that he should become a great ia
ton and hat he should be a bless
ing to mankind. Taking his nephew
Lot, and all their herds and families
and retainers, Abraham set out across
the desert. Whether he went directly
west TO HONS. or followed the trade
route acros to Damascus. We can
mot know-probably the latter. Da
mascus, then as now, was a great city.
and WI can imagine Abraham going
through Its bazars making purchases.
even as do the visitors from the
desert today. From that city he
probably followed the route Of the
present road. down through tho won.
derful valley and wilderness east OF
h Lake Of Galilee. Thence he turn
ed west toward the drearer mountains
OF Shechem.
We must not think Of Abraham as
pioneering like the men who opened
up the American west. 1t was not
virgin Ian that he entered. Canaan
had long before this been conquered
, by he rival Kingdoms Of Egypt ane
9 ASSyr1a- The B~abylOnian language
as we know indisputably from thu
: Tell el-Amarna tablets. was Ia vogue
: throughout Canaan. and there wer,
roads n well-known routes which
I thu famous emigrant followed.
e Men Who Go Out.
a A nation with the virtues and op
s p~ortunitiee Of the pioneer will no
decay while these last. It Is the con
n ventiOnalized. stay-at-home peopl
who become effete. The wondrou
" physical vigor OF the Jews, and thel
y persistence through the millennium
n which IS a miracle of history, is Il
. part due to their migratory. pioneer
ing qualities. They inherit their an
l cestOr'e daring.
'e Abraham WAS q great Y~oer-oVt: b
Is dared break home ties He gave u
his prospects In Ur Of the Chaldee<
le lie went against the "cOnservatiy
advice" Of his best friends. He 10.
Ie the chance TO be a leading citizen
II OF Haran. bat he became the fathe
OF nations Thus God greatly RI
t. wards those who greatly dare at III
behest.
d HE Voice That Calls.
-: There Is nothing peculiar abo,
hearing divine voices as was ABR
"a hams experience Speak to the FIR,
at Quaker friend you meet, and he vi
"a tell you that that truth Of the PRIV
lege OF the individual to hold con
muntOn with the Highest is write
largest upon his creed. Ask the mi
ht saonArv acquaintance, or talk Wit
the minister you trust. and the rsalf1
i~ Of q divine ''c2lf' will be made clez
Of to you. This Voice tina speaks fro,
God to the human spirit Is more re
han h skyscrapeTs that tower also,
20 US or the concrete paveznents und.
our feet.