The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1921-05-12

now ADraham sent one OF mis- trust
servants to select wife for his 30
Isaac. That method wouldn't wor
nowadays. Rebekah, the maide
chosen, and the events incident to he
life, form the basis for the foundin
Of the Rebekah lodge:
THE patriarch Abraham was oil
and laden with years that drag
ged upon him like heavy cloak, an
well he knew his days upon the cart
were numbered Now, the Lord hai
prospered Abraham; he had Rrea
wealth of flocks upon the hills, an,
many servants in his house in Canaan
but there was one thing left that h
desired And that was to see his sol
Isaac well welded that the seed Of
Abraham should not perish from thu
earth, but increase and grow to {
great people, as the Lord had said.
Now, Abraham had no wish to SEE
his son take to wife one Of the daugh.
tiers of the land Of Canaan. Rather
he hoped the lad might find q maid
among the friends and kindred Of Alb
raham in Mesopotamia, that he had
tSAe oo many ySoAo o6o w ocSA AAAA
fortune.
In those far-off days the choosing
of a wife wSs a matter left oftenest
to parents, and Isaac, always dutiful
1 was willing it should be 30. So Abb
raham being too old to 20 himself
called the master of his house, his
major domo of the servants, who waa
his friend as well, and bade him make
| ~ L. nd sp,i inf n
| Mesopotamia to choose q wife for
Isaac. AT first the man held back,
saying, "How shall Iaknow whom thou
may be the woman Of my choosing
will not come" But Abraham insist
ed.
So the major domo, whose name the
Bible does not give at all, set out, and
he prayed that he might be guided
Alright.
Major. 1t was the twilight time,
when the maids and women Of the city
came to the city well to draw water.
A stone lined well it was, q great
pool, with steps that led down to the
waters edge, and the women are COM
ing and going up and down the steps,
bearing the water jars on head and
shoulder. J.
Then Abraham's servant prayed to
God and said:
"Give me a token, Lord. Let the
maid to whom / shall say, Let down
thy pitcher, l pray, thee, that l may
drink be she whom / shall choose
for Isaac. And that / may know, let
the maid answer, Drink, and will
give thy camels drink also
So he stood, this tall, grave master
of the servants, and the dust Of trav-
ell was upon him, and there was
naught to mark him as rich mans
emissary. Presently there came
along a maid, bearing water jar up
on her shoulder. Straight she was
and slender, dark eyed and very beau
tiful, moving along with careless !
gracefulness, one smooth arm, crook |
ed above her shoulder, supporting the
water jar lightly.
And she filled her jar at the well,
and as she came up Abraham's ser
want said:
"Let me drink a little water from
thy pitcher, l pray thee"
Then the maid, smiling pleasantly,
took down the pitcher from her shoul-
der, and balancing it upon her hand,
tilted it for him, and she said:
'"Yea, drink, my lord"
Then when he had done drinking
the said:
"Let me also bring water for they |
,amels, for they too, are athirst." |
So she brought water, many pitch
,rs full, and poured it in the great
stone trough that was near by. Then
he told her that he was a stranger
here and asked where he might find
odging for the night, and she said:
"Come up to my fathers house;
here is room there for thee, and
yrass, too, for thy beasts"
And the chief servant, moved by
Ter kindness and wondering greatly
It this speedy answer to his prayer,
Isked her her name, and learned 1t
vas Rebekah, and he took from
Gather pouch golden earrings and two
racelets of gold that he placed on
er wrists, saying:
@Take these as tokens Of my
hanks"
So Abraham's servant went to the ,
ouse Of Rebekah's father, and there
e told her father and her brother
rho he was; how Abraham had sent {
i'm out, and how he had prayed for .
ign beside the well, that he might
hoose maid for Isaac's wife, and
ow Rebekah had appeared forthwith
/ answer to his prayer.
Her father and her brother knew Of
.braham, and how he had gone out;
lso there had come stories back to {
by wandering traders, ,
no told Of Abraham's exceeding :
ealth; they marveled greatly. aGsa
Then said the servant Of Abraham:st I
"Wnat say ye? Shall my masters
IN have the maid to wife :"
And her father and brother said: {
".The thing proceedeth from the r
ord; we cannot say thee nay"
Then they called Rebekah, and told
sr the story. Greatly she wonder
|, her dark eyes bright, flush upon
,r cheeks. She, too, had heard Of
lightly Abraham; and now his son D
at she had never seen desired to :
ed her. Romance had come to her
the well, when she thought only q
do kindness to q dusty stranger. 3
she went the world would change =
+ her; she left her kinsfolk far BE- y
= 81 IL