Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-28

ting thee" lied Gaal, seeking TO send
him away quickly and fearful Of the
coming of servant "Thou wouldst
not steal this comfort from her by
showing thyself In rags?'
Jether faced him Indignantly
Thou lest he cried. My mother
hath not forgotten me. How canst
thou know my mother, thou whose
heart is like the stony ground? My
mother yearns for me. From the day
I went away / know her prayers have
risen to God for me. And were she
here her arms would be around me,
though all else would shrink to see my
sores. Thou Hest when thou sayest
my mother hath forgotten me-"
With snap of the finger Gaal turn
ed away from him.
"Bahw he said roughly. II could
smite thee to the earth with my one
finger, yet / spare thee. And as spare
thee, so would spare her. Should she
see thee now, when her strength fails
her almost unto death, see thee as thou
art when l have told her that father
hath spoken wisely and that thou hast
won honor in distant city-then her
death would be upon thy head"
II have indeed caused enough Of
woe. The goat shed or the kennels
shall hide me, as thou wishest. I shall
steal naught Of thy portion. A young
goat with kinder heart than thine
shall share its mothers milk with me
as l kneel down beside it. Then shall
go on-on out into the darkness"
Slowly his faltering footsteps carried
the tottering, weakened frame across
the courtyard and into the Enclosure
where were kept the dogs and the
goats. A dog barked in tine distance
Then another, and another. Then there
was silence.
Jesse strobe forth from the house to
listen wonderingly. He found Gaal
staring toward the goat shed with anx-
ious eyes.
"Why dost thou remain here?" asked
Jesse. "Is aught wrong with the dogsY"
NAY, my father" answered Gaal
quickly. But go thou Within
II am anxious about the stranger
who hath passed through Hebron and
who may have news of Jether," replied
Jesse sadly. But hope hath almost
left me in mine old age''
eff thou nearest the worst thy
strength may leave thee" argued Gaal.
"Nay, shall hope again. But thou,
Gaal, go thou within and bid thy
mother place plate for the stranger
next to-neXt to Jether's empty one"
The old mans voice choked as he
mentioned the absent one.
''Thou wilt hear no good, warn
thee" said Gaal grufiy.
''And thou"-declared Jesse bitterly
-'if thou hadst shown kinder heart
unto thy brother he might have stayed
with u.s."
IF thou hadst made him toll as I
have toiled," answered Gaal, "then
thou highest have less cause to fear
the tidings from the stranger"
Angrily he strobe into the house.
Again the dog parked in the distance.
Then several others Joined in, until
from the dog house and the goat inclos-
ure came perfect chorus OF dogs,
some angrily, some joyfully.
why do the dogs bark thus, Shelah?
Were they not fed?' asked Jesse.
II myself left food for them little
while ago" replied Shelah wonder
ingly.
go to them, for there is something
And remember, Shelah, though naught
is lower than a dog, yet good master
will not neglect one"
AS Shelah left to investigate, Huldah
hearing the barking of the dogs, came
from the house and approached Jesse
anXiously.
go thou Within" commanded the
patriarch. "The air is chill, and will