PHPITTSBTJSMIDI8? s-r.J.i-taBwirEirai.35; - "ars x-yf. . A STORY OF EGYPTIAN-ISRAELITISH LIFE. BY PROP. GEORG- EBERS, , .uthor of "Uarda," "An Egyptian Princess," Etc. (NOW ITRST PUBLISHED.) (Copyrighted, 188a, by B. E. tfcUore.3 CHAPXEB XXV. IBIAM went forthand met her husband at the path leading upward to the ridge. When she learned that Joshua was restingon theridgewith his father and the young fighting men, and j.tini. vin. find that Hnr bad nledred . . ... ... j, sr ir -l -u -. nlmseltto wimaraw u. muies tuuuiu op- point Joshua to be captain of the host, her ' rfknit brows darkened below ner loity prow, and with stern severity she replied: "Yon are mr lord, and it ill-beseems to resist your will, even when you so far forget what is due to your wife as to give way to the man who once dared to lift his eyes to ner." 'Hur eagerly broke in: "But henceforth you are a stranger to him; and even if I should give you a bill of divorce he would no longer woo you." " "Indeedl" said she with a forced smile. "And it is to hint that you owe this an nouncement?" "He has devoted himself body and soul to the welfare of the people and renounces the love ot woman," replied Hur. But she exclaimed: "Benunciation is easy when desire could bring nothing in its train but rejection and disgrace. It is not he, who in our day of greatest need sought help of the Egyptians not hehut you who ought to be our captain over the fighting men of Is rael you alone who led the Hebrews to their first victory at the storehouse ot Snc- cotb, and whom the Lord Himself by His servant Moses charged to lead the fighting men of Israel!" At this Hnr looked in some uneasiness at this woman for whom a late bnt ardent love had glowed up in him, and seeing her bosom heave and her cheeks flush red, he knew not wheth -to ascribe it to the fatigue of climbing or the lofty ambition of her as piring soul, which she had now transferred to the person of her husband. He was, indeed, glad to think that she eared so much more for him than for the younger and more heroic man, whose return caused him some anxiety; still, he had grown gray in tbe stern fulfilment of duty, and what he thought it right to do no man could hinder his doing. To the wife of his lajoutb, whom he had buried many years since, his merest sign naa neen a command, and with Miriam he had as yet met with no contradiction. That Joshua was the most fit 'to command the fighting men was 1 j Tsf5 " w C j7 UC1UUU 4 UUUUt) OUU Mb lblltVU. JttUMU e 'somewhat, for he. too, found the as cent hard: "Yonr high esteem "honors 'and pleases me; bnt although Hoses and the elders have promoted me, you must re member the Heap at Suceoth, and my tow. I bear it in mind and shall abide by it." She looked aside and said no more till they bad reached tbe top. The victorious youths hailed them from the summit with loud acclamations. The joy of meeting, tbe provisions they had won from the foe, and the good drink which was sparingly measured ont to revive those who most needed it, raised the fallen courage of the exhausted wanderers, and the thirsty multitude shortened their rest on the ridge to reach Dophfca all the sooner. They had heard from Joshua that they would find therenot only some ruined tanks bnt also a hidden spring of whose existence he had "been informed by the driver of the gang of prisoners. Their way now lay down hill. Haste Is the watchword when thirsty souls know that wells are within reach; and ,soou after sunset tbey arrived in (the valley of turquoise mines, where they encamped at the foot ot the hill on which the now ruined "stronghold and storehouses of Dophka bad lately stood. The well, hidden in a grove of acacia sacred to Hathor, was very soon dis- covered. Fires were quickly lighted. The wavering hearts, which in the desert of Sin had snnK almost to despair, now swelled again with the love of life, with hope and 'thankful trust. The fine acacia trees indeed weie. felled to open a way to the spring "whose refreshing waters worked the won drous change. jrhn, n MiriRTYl had met on fhA n?r but had only had time for a brief greeting. Jaere, in the camp, tney were thrown to gether once more. It was already late, for the elders had held long counsel as to tbe measures to be taken for an unexpected attack on the Amalekites. Nun and Joshua had joined the assembly. The princely and reverend old man's son had been gladly welcomed, and his counsel, that they should form a -vanguard ot tbe younger men aud a reserve of the old warriors, was readily agreed to: 'tthey wtre also to send out small parties of i apicxed men to spy out tbe enemy. Joshua Jpifound hlmselr, in fact, intrusted with every $ -thing appertaining to the conduct and safety ' of a considerable army. God Himself had 4 chosen him to be their captain, a, and Hoses, by leaving him that warning I word to be "steadfast and strong,'"had con s' firmed him in the office. Hur, likewise, who as yet held the post, was ready to resign it to him; and of a surety that man would I keep his word, although he had not yet de f" dared his purpose before the eiders. At - any rate Joshua was treated as though he ' were indeed theaptain, and he felt himself their leader. After the assembly of the elders had , broken np, Hur had desired Joshua to ac i company him to the tent, notwithstanding 1 the lateness of the hour; and tbe warrior 'hid consented, for indeed he desired to ' apeak fully to Miriam. He would fain - prove to her in her husband's presence that he had found the path which she had so , 'zealously pointed ont to him. 8 We are always most prone to be angry pwith those to whom we have done a wrong, Viand a woman holds the gift of her love as so great and precious that even tbe man she ' afterward rejects is to think of her with gratitude" forever after. And Joshua had boasted that he had ceased to care for her whom be had once ardently desired, and who had confessed her love for him yea. even if she were offered to him. Are. and he had proved his words, for he had been content to wait with the others instead of coming to meet her. l-At last he came, and with him her husband who was eiiuready to make way for him. But she wii 'still .hereto keep ber eyes open inbe- airpt we too generous nor. tie Jwttex man, to whose rate the had nx -pp gp I linked her own. and whose faithful devo tion touched her deeply, should not be sup planted by any other man in the high place he filled by right; he most cling to it, if only because the did not choose to be the wife of any "inaa who could not assert him self as the foremost of the HebrewB after her own brothers. Never had tbis much-venerated woman, who for her part believed, too, in her own gift ot prophecy, felt so bitter, so sore and indignant She did not own it to herself, bnt it was as though the hatred which Hoses had fired in her soul against the Egyptians, and which no longer had an outlet, needed some fresh object, and was now turned against the only man she ever had loved. JBut a true woman can make a show oi friendship in word and demeanor to any one, excepting those she scorns, and Miriam received her belated guest with haughty bnt gracious condescension, and begged him to give her further details as to his captivity and re lease. Bnt she called him by his old name ot Hosea,' and when he perceived that this was evidently intentional, ne asked her whether she had forgotten that it was she herself who, as the messenger of the Most High, had bidden him henceforth to call himself Joshua. To this she replied and her features assumed a sharper grav ity of expression that her memory was good, but she would fain forget the time he referred to. He himself had rejected the name bestowed on him by the Lord, inas much as he had preferred to seek the favor of the Egyptian King rather than the help promised him by God. She, faithful to her old habits, should continue to call him Hosea. The simple-hearted soldier was not pre pared for such a hostile tone; however, he preserved a fittingly calm demeanor, and replied with composure that he would bnt rarely give her the opportunity of calling him by any name. Those who were his1 friends fonnd no difficulty in learning to call him Joshua. To this Miriam answered that she like wise would be willing to do so if her hus band agreed and he himself insisted on it,, for a man's name was bnt as a garment. "With offices and dignities it was another matter. When Joshua then declared that he had always believed that it was God Himself who had called him by the voice of His prophetess, herseir, to be captain of the hosts cf Israel, and that fie conceded to no man, save only Hoses, the right to deprive him of that office, Hur agreed with hinuand offered him his hand. At this Miriam threw off the self-control she had hitherto preserved, and exclaimed with vehement defiance: "In this I am not of your mind. You evaded the call of the Most High! Can yon deny it? And inasmuch as the Almighty fonnd yon at Pharaoh's footstool, instead of at the head of His people, He deprived yon of the office to which He had raised yon. He, Himself, the Mightiest of Captains, commanded the wind and Waves, and they swallowed up the enemy. I sang a hymn of praise to the Lord, and the people joined in my thanksgiving. And on that same day God called another man than you to be chief ot the .Hebrew Host, and ne, as you know, is my husband. And al though Hur indeed has never learnt the arts of war, yet the Lord surely guides his arm; and who is it that giveth the victory bnt the Lord Almighty? My husband, I tell you once again my hnsband alone is the cap tain, and though in his excess of generosity he forgets it, yet he will assert his right to his office when he remembers whose hand it was that chose him; and L his wife, lift up my voice to bring it to his mind." On this Joshua turned to go, to put an end to this nnpleasant discussion, hut Hur, very wroth at his wife's interference between men, held him fa"st, assuring him that he should abide by his renunciation. The wind might blow away a woman's words of displeasure; it must rest with Hoses "to de clare whom the Lord had chosen to be cap tain of His people. As he spoke Hur looked in his wife's face with stern dignity, as warning her to re- fleet; and this seemed to have had the de sired effect. Miriam turned first pale and then deep scarlet, and she, too, detained their guest as though she desired to make amends, beckoning him with a trembling hand to come closer to her. "Yet one thing I must say," she began with a deep breath, "that you may not mis understand me. I call every man my friend who devotes himself to the cause of Israel, and Hur has told me how much you propose to sacrifice to our people. It was your confidence in Pharaoh's clemency which came between us, and I know bow to value yonr deep and decisive breach with the Egyptians. Still, I only trnly understood the greatness of your deed when I learnt that it was not only life-long habit, but another and stronger tie that bound you to the toe." "What is the aim of such a speech?" Joshua broke in, feeling quite sure that she was laying some fresh arrow to the bow string intended to wound him. Bnt she paid no heed to the interruption, and went on with a defiant sparkle in her eye which belied the moderation of her tongne: "After the guidance of the Lord had saved ns from the foe, the sea cast up on shore the fairest wo man we bad seen for many a day. I bound up the wounds inflicted on her, by a Hebrew woman, and she then confessed -that she. was full ofjove for you, and with her dying breath spake of you. as the idol of her heart." At this Joshua, deeply incensed, ex claimed: 'If this were all the trnth, O wife of Hur, then my father would have told me an un truth. Eor, as I learnt from him, it was in the presence of those only who love me that the hapless woman made the last confession; not before you. And she was wise to mistrnst your presence, for you would never have understood her!" He saw a suspicions smile Elay on Miriam's lips, but he eeded it not and went on: "Your wit is oh, ten times 'keener than that poor child's ever was. Bnt in your heart, which once was open to such great things, there is no room for love. It will grow old and cease to beat before it has learned what love ist Yea, in spite of your flashing eyes I tell you this: you are indeed more than a woman; you are a prophetess, and I cannot boast of snch crace. X am no more than a man, and understand the use of thesword better than looking into futurity, and nevertheless X can foretell one thing: you will cherish the hatred of me which burns in your soul. You will even light up the flame in your hus band's bean and strive to fan it 'with the utmost zeal, and I know why! The fiery ambition which possesses you will not suffer you to be happy as the wife of a man who must stand second to any other. You re fate to call me by the name you yourself gave me. But if hatred and pride do not altogether choke the one feelinir which unites us, namely, our love for our people, the day will come when of your own free will yon will approach me and call me Joshua, unhidden, out of the fullness ot your heart." With these words he bowed his head in brief farewell to Miriam and her husband, and disappeared in the darkness. Hur loosed after him glooaaily, and spoke not a word till the footsteps of ttteir depart ing guest had died away in the silence of the night. Till this hoar he had always looked up to bis wife with tender admira tion, but now the wrath he had restrained with difficulty knew no bounds. With two long strides he came close to her; she was even paler than he, as she stood gating into the fire like one distraagbt. His voice had lost its rich metallic ring, aad soanded harsh and thin as he said: "I was so bold m toGodth etbsr wmms, aad mt tbel.i Twd6ity!" f - " "Repeat?" She pawed with white lips, and as she looked up at him a defiant glance sparkled in h black eyes. He seised her hand with so firm a grfpthat ithart ber, and went ea as he had begun: "Yes, you sake me repeat of it. Shasee oa me if I suffer this hoar of degradation to be followed by such an aaotherl" She tried to wrench her hand free but he would not surrender it and went on: "I wooed and won you to be the pride of my house. X believed I. was sowing honor, I have reaped dishonor for what deeper dis grace may befall a man than that the wife should have the mastery and dare to wound the heart of his friend, whom hospitality should protect, with hostile words. A woman, snoh as you are not, a simple, right minded wife, who could look back on her husband's past life and think not merely of how he may gain promotion because she de sires to share his greatness such a wife would not need to.be reminded that Hnr, the man who is your husband, has earned dignities and honors enough in the course of a long life to be able to lay down some portion of them without losing by it Not he who is chief in command, but he who does most from self-sacrificing love of na ture, is tbe greatest in Jehovah's sight. You crave to stand aloof and be honored by the crowd as tbe chosen handmaid of Goof. I do not forbid it so long as you do not forget what your duty as a wife and mistress requires of you. To me. indeed, yon also owe love, for you promised to love me on the day when we irere wed: howbeit, the human heart can only give what it has to give: and Joshua is right when he says that the love which glows and gives warmth is far from yonr cold soul." He turned his back on her and withdrew into the darkness of the tent; she remained standing by tbe fire, the flickering blaze lighting up her beantiful pallid features. She sether teeth tightly and clenched her hands over her .heaving bosom as she gazed after her husband. He had stood before her in the consciousness of hit dignity, gray haired, tall And reverend, a worthy and princely leader of the people. Each of his words had pierced her heart like a spear thrust. The power of truth had weighed his speech, and had held up a mirror to Hinam which showed her an image from which she started in horror. Now she longed to hasten after him, and beseech him to give her again the love with which he had hitherto surrounded her; she, alone in the world, had gratefully acknowledged that she felt that she could fully return the precious boon, for she longed, ab, how ar dently, to hear one kind and forgiving word from his lips. Her own heart seemed to her as a cornfield blighted by malignant mildew; withered, dried np and ruined, where all had been so fresh and blossoming. God had scorned her most precious offer ing, it was impossible to doubt the fact His presence no longer uplifted her bouI in visions of glory, and she could hardly call herself His prophetess1 any longer. This sacrifice had led her, who Was truthful, to falsehood; conscious of always desiring the right, she had hitherto lived at peace with herself; now she suffered tortures of unrest Since that momentous step, nothing she cared for had smiled on her, who had been so full of hope. She who had never seen the woman for whom she need make way, had been sent from the presence of a poor dying stranger. She had always felt kindly to everyone who loved her race and the sacred cause of her people, and now she had insulted one oftheir best and noblest cham pions with bitter wrath. The poorest serf's wife could win the husband who loved her to a closer union, and the had only estranged hers. She had come to his hearth seeking only shelter from the cold, but she had found un expected warmth, and his generosity and love had fallen on her aching soul like balm. He conld not, indeed, give her back what she had lost, bnt he was a welcome substi tute. And he now believed her incapable of a tender emotion; still, the must have loveto live, and no sacrifice Would be too great to win his back again. But pride was no leas a condition of her existence, and each time she made np her mind to humble herself and open her heart to her husband? a fear of degradation checked her;' and there she stood, as though spell-bound, till the brands at her feet fell over and died out, and dark ness surrounded her. Then a strange fear fell upon her. Two bats, which had come forth from the mines to flutter around the fire, flew close to heriace with a ghostly stir. Everything prompted her to retire to the tent, to go back to ner nusoana; ana witn suaaen decision she went into the spacious room, lighted by a lamp. But Hur was not there, and a slave girl who met her told her that he had said he would remain with his son and grandson till it was time to depart A sense of bitter woe fell upon her; she lay down to rest, more desolate and ashamed than she had ever felt since her childhood. A few hours later the camp was astir, and when, in tbe gray light of dawn, her husband entered the tent with a brief greeting, her pride once more uplifted its head and her reply was cold and demure. ' He was not alone; his son TJrl followed him in. He looked graver, too, than usual, for the men of Judah had assembled at an early hour and besought hinr not to sur render the captaincy in favor of a rnanof another tribe than theirs. This had come upon him as a surprise. He could only refer them to Moses, and the hope that their leader's decision might be given against himself grew keener as his young wife's resolute glance again roused his spirit to opposition. OHAPTEEXXVL With refreshed body and revived hearts the Hebrews set forth again early on the following morning; and by this time tbe lit tle spring, which they had even dug deeper to promote its flow, was for the time ex hausted. They cared the less that it refused to yield any water to carry on their journey, because they expected to find tome wells at Alush. The tun mounted the cloudless sky in rouiant majesty. 19 splendor exerted its stirring influence on the hearts of men even, and the rocks and yellow sandy soil shone as brightly as the blue vault above. The pare aromatic air df the desert, cooled by the hours of dark ness? was so light that it was apleasure to breathe, and walking was enjoyment "The men showed firmer confidence, the women's eyes flashed more brightly than for tome time past, for the. Lord had shown once more that He was mindful of His people in thelrneed; aad lathers and mothers looked proudly on their sons who had over powered tbe enemy. In every tribe some one had been welcomed home who bad been given up for lost, and it was a joyful duty to heal the injuries insisted by the hard labor of the mines. Moreover, Joshua's deliveramee was tamte ef rejoicing, not aloae among fck tn. stcala -sTan.' exceptant these ef the tribe ef JTad, be was bow called by that new name, wish fall be lief in the comforting promise conveyed by it The young men who, aader him, bad put the Egyptians to rout, told in their tribes what sort- of man Joshua was; how he thought of everything, and put every one in the very place where he could do best. The mere light of his eye aa it fell on a man fired his warlike ardor; the foe quaked only to hear him shout the battle cry. The children picked np .the golden fruits of the colocynth, which fell from the now withered gourds above as it tney dropped from heaven, and brought them to their parents. But they were as bitter as gall to eat, and a morose old man of the tribe of Zebulon, who kept some of the stout rinds to serve to hold salve, said: "Thus will this day be. It has a fair seeming; but when the sun is high and we lack water we shall know its bitterness!" And his prophecy was only too soon ful filled; for the path, after leaving the region of sand, went on through rocky cliffs like walls of red brick and gray stone, up and up, now at an easy slope and now very steep;, the sun, too, mounted higher and higher, and the heat increased affthe hours went o'n. Never had its arrows fallen more cruelly on the pilgrims, striking pitilessly on their un protected heads and necks. Here an old man and there a young one sank to the ground under its fierce glow, or tnflaail IrtwtrmvA I lira nn a riwinV 'supported by his neighbors and clasping his hand to his brow, ine blistered skin peeled off their faces and hands, and there was not one whose tongue and gums were not dried by tie beat, or whose newly found courage it did not quell. The beasts toiled sullenly forward with drooping heads and heavy feet, or rolled rebellionsly in the sand till tbe herdsman's thong compelled them to collect their -strength" for a fresh effort. At noon the .Israelites were allowed to halt, but there was not a hand breadth of shade to give them the reprieve they sought; and those who threw themselves down, on the ground found fresh torment instead of rest. Thus the hapless "wretches of their own accord set forth again soon for the wells of Alush. Until this day, as soon as the sun had passed the meridian and begun to sink to ward the west, the heat had abated, and a fresher breeze had fanned their brows before tbe rail of dusk, but here tbe rocks for hours gave out the heat they had absorbed from the noontide sun, till at length a faintly cooler, breath came up from the sea on the west At the same time the van. guard, which, by Joshua's advice, marched foremost, halted, and the whole multitude einywboit , zjkMrai wriu: THB COMBAT BETWEEN THE AWAT.BKITE3 AH1? came to a standstill. Men, women and chil dren all fixed their eyes and pointed with hands, sticks and crooks to the same spot lor there, before them, a strange and novel spectacle attracted their gaze. A shout of amazement and delight broke from their parched' and weary lips which had long ceased to stir for speech; rft rapidly spread from one division to the next, irom tribe to tribe, to the lepers that closed the train and the vanguard beyond. One and another elbowed his neighbor and whispered a name familiar to them all that of the Holy Mountain where the Lord had promised to Moses that He would lead His people into a good and pleasant land, flowing with, milk and honey. Non6 had told the weary multitude that this was the place, and yet they knew that they beheld Horeb and the peak of Sinai, the most sacred summit of this mass of granite. Although but a mountain, vet was it the throne of the Almighty God of their fathers! Al thlinnnp ttlA wttnin mamnaA Kill aaamail like the burning bush out pf whioh He had there spoken to His chosen servant, to be steeped in fire. Its seven-peaked crown towered .from afar, high above the hills and vales that surrounded it, burning like an enormous ruby lighted up by a blaze of glory in tbe clouds. Per a little while the pilgrims had for gotten thirst and exhaustion in watching the inspiring spectacle. But ere long their high enthusiasm was turned to the deepest discouragement for when night fell, and after a short march they reached the wells of Alush. it was discovered that the desert tribe which had encamped, here yester day had choked the spring, which at best was but brackish, with stones and rubbish. All the water they had carried with them had been used before reaching Dophka, and the exhausted spring at the :mines had not sufficed to fill the skins. Thirst, which at first had only dried their gums, now began to burn their vitals. Their scorched throats could not swallow the solid food of which tney nad abundance, un every side there was nothing to be seen but heart-broken looks, and pitiable or disgraceful scenes. Men and women storming, cursing, weep ing, and groaning, or else sunk in morose despair. Some, whose wailing infants clamored for water, had gathered round-the choked wall and were lighting lor a spot on the ground where they hoped to collect a few drops of the precious fluid in a sherd. And the beasts lowed and bleated so miserably that it cut their drivers to the heart like a reproach. Very few cared to exert themselves to pitch a tent The night was so warm, and tbe sooner they went forward the better, for Moses had promised to join them again at a spot but a few hours further on. He alone could help them; it was his bounden duty to save man and beast from perishing of drought If the God who had promised them such great things left them to perish in the wilderness with all their little ones, then the man in whose guidance, they had put their trust was a aeclver, and tbe God whose power and mercy he was never weary of preaching to them was falser and feebler than the Idols with heads ot men and beasts whom they had worshiped in Egypt. Blas phemy and curses were mingled with threats, and when Aaron came forth to comfort the thirsty pilgrims with wards of hope, "many a clenched fist Was shaken at him. Soon after midnight Joshua, after hold ing council withrthe elders.bid the trumpets sound to call the fighting men together. He set them in ranks under the starlit sky, appointed a leader to each division, and im pressed on each the hearing of the word of command he was to obey. They came at the call, half perishing with thirst: but the fresh efforts to whicn their captain exhorted them wonderfully revived their fainting energies; as well as the hope of victory and a precions, reward, a plot of land, namely, at the foot of the Holy Mountain, rich in wells and palms. Among the youths came Ephraim, giving life to tbe others by his own vigor. And now, when the Captain, to whom God had already proved that He thought him worthy of the help which his naroo promised, ad dressed the men, bidding them put their trust in the Lord Almighty, it had quite a different effect from that produced by Aaron. whose admonitions theylhad hearkadto every day since the; it? !fel2 iL i. j. J Wh Bj"? .4 rrvarw p IWW 't jPwHK swsrFWTVa parebed with ftfcsif "Kail teth CpihI Yob are oar leader; we will felkw bom other!" Them he went ea, gravely and decisively, to explain to them that he wm prepared to show to the utmost such obedieaee at he re quired of them. He was ready to inarch as the last man in the lowest plaee, if it should be Moses' will. ' The stars were still bright in a cloudless sky when a cow-hora called the Hebrews to 1 set forth again. A runner had already been plight, and Epnralra ha flown after him as soon as ne was iree toooso. jsuttnrougn out tbe morning's march Joshua kept his troops 'in strict order, as though an on slaught was to be expected. Meanwhile he took advantage of every minute to teach the fighting men and their leaders something for the coming struggle, to note their be havior, and close up their ranks. He thus kept them on the alert till the stars began to pale. ' Pew indeed were the murmurs or com plaints among the fighting men. but rebel' lion, curses and threats were all the more rife among those who bore no weapons. Long before dawn the cry was heard,1 more and more often, of "Down with Mooes I We will stone him when we find himl" And indeed their knees were failing them for weariness, and the misery of their wives and children was visible to every eye. They struggled on for less than an honr, when suddenly a loud shout of joy rang out, spreading from the foremost In tbe van to the last man in the long train. No one had been told in so many words to what it owed its origin, but everyone knew it must mean that they had come upon fresh water. Tnea Ephraim came flying back with the glad tidings, and what a miracle it worked on the exhausted wanderers I They pulled themselves up as though they had already emptied the brim ming jar at a deep draught aad strag gled forward, at double speed. The ranks of fighting men now no longer hin dered them, but hailed those oftheir tribe who hastened past them with glad greet ings. Soon, however, the hurrying tide stopped of its own accord; for at the spot where re freshment was to be found the foremost came to a standstill and behind them the whole multitude were checked more effectually than by moats and walls. The toiling pilgrims had become a vast, dis orderly crowd, filling the whole valley. At last men and women turned back carrying well-filled water jars in their hands or on their heads, beckoning joyfully to their friends with words at encouragement and ! making their way through the throng to I8BAEMTES. their own families; bnt the precious fluid was snatched away from many before it could be conveyed to its destination. Joshna and his troop bad made their way to the immediate vicinity of the wells, to keep order among the thirsty people. How ever, for some little time there was nothing for it but patience, while the mighty men of the tribe of Judah. who. with Hur at their head, had been the first to reach ihe nf w nlAA hol mwb .nJ p(-mwa wE,(. levers hastily made out of tbe franks of acacia trees to clear away the nuge bould ers which strewed the path,and open up the way to the spring which leapt forth from several rifts in tbe rock. At first it had flowed among a chaos of moss-grown blocks of granite; but presently theysucceeded In directing the flow of the precious fluid, and in checking the water by forming a sort of tank, where even the cattle conld drink. Tbbse who had filled their jars had caught the water in its overflow from the hastily contrived dam. Now the men whose duty it was to watch the camp kept the throng off, so as to give the water time to settle and clear in the larze new basin, which it filled with amazing rapidity. In sight actually of the blessing for which they had so loudly clamored, it was easy now to have patience. They had found the treasure; all that was necessary was to hus band it. Not a word of discontent or com plaint or reviling was now to be heard; many, indeed, looked abashed and ashamed on this new mercy from the Most High. Lond and jubilant voices were heard fat and wide, shouting and talking; hut the man of God who knew every rock and valley, every pasture and spring of the hjlls of Horeb better than any one, and who had again been the instrument of such great blessing to his people, had retired into a neighboring ravine, as if seeking refnge there from the thanks and acclamations which rose louder end spread lurther every moment seeking peace and silence above all things for his deeply agitated spirit Presently hymns of thanksgiving to the Lord were to be heard from tbe Hebrew multitude, who, refreshed and revived, and overflowing with gratitude, were pitching their camp with as much hope and confi dence as ever they had known. The sound of song, of happy laughter, 'jests and en couraging cries, formed an accompaniment to the workot putting op tents, and the en campment was rapidly effected, as rapidly as if it had been raised from the earth by a magic speii. The eyes of the young men flashed with martial ardor, and many a beast shea its blood to make a feast Mothers, after doing their part by the hearth and in the teat, led their little ones to the spring to show them tbe spot where Moses with his staff bad pointed out the spring babbling thrbngh the rift in the frauite. Many men likewise stood with ands and eyes raised to heaven round the place Where Jehovah had shown such grace to His people, and among them were not a few of those mur murers who had picked up stones wherewith tostonetheservantofGod. None doubted that they here beheld the result of a great miracle. The elders impressed on tha little onesthat they should never forget this day or tbis water, and an old grand mother was wetting her grandchildren's brows at the brink of the pool to insure di vine protection for them for the rest oftheir fives. Hope, thankfulness and the glow of trust prevailed on all hands: even the fear of tbe hostile Amalekites had vanished, for what ill could come to him who put his trust in the mercy ot to omnipotent a Protector. Joy was absent from one tent alone, and that tbe finest ot them tbe tent of the head of the tribe or Judah. Miriam sat among her women after distributing tbe midday meal in silence to tbe meq overflowing with grateful Baring the hours of the evening watch the warriors all marched past her, and from rank to rank the cry re-echoed of "Hail to Joshua!" And those, who repeated the watchword, "Steadfast and strong," did so in honor of the mas. she once had loved, but now hated as the confessed to herself. None hut tbe men of his own tribe had honored her husband with a special cry. Was this their gratitude for the generosity which had led him to ab dicate tbe post, to which, he alone had the right, Tn favor of a younger man? Itout her to thir. heart to sae her hashand to d muJi Kn Ua..J Lj. a. MAvn Ia iA I $? Har owdd-tat ftftutaii liiljr wad- &U & !Hesrfat.sMals4 tft steers Mm BsV rabBitec feat was a feoff m. AltttkWsW midnight site sent herserring-womeato bed, and lay down herself to wait till ber has band should reinra.to confess to him all that had troubled and angered her, and what she Hi est desired. She thought that it would be easy to keep awake whea she was in such anguish of mind; bat the great fatfgaet aad straia of the last few days and nights had told upon 'her, and, in the midst of a prayer for hu mility aud the lore of her husband, $e was overcome by sleep. At last, at the hour of the first morning watch, when day was just beginning to break, she was startled from her slumbers by the sound of thr trumpets giving warning of immediate danger. , She rose quickly, and, glancing at her husband's couch, saw that it was empty : still it had been used, and on the sandy soil for mats were spread only in the living room. sne saw the traces or iiurs footsteps by her owd bedside. He must have stood close by her, and perhaps, while she slept, have gazed tenderly down oa her face. This was indeed the trnth; her old slave woman told her so unasked. Por after she had-rousd Hup, she had seen him care fully shading the lamp while he looked oa Miriam's face, aad bent over her for sobm minutes, as though he would have kissed her. This was good hearing, and rejoiced the lonely wife so greatly that she forgot her usual calm dignity and pressed her lips to the wrinkled brow of tbe little bent old woman, who had dene service of yore to her parents. Then she hastily bade her maids to braid her hair and diess her in a holiday robe of light blue which Hur had given her and hastened forth to take leave ot him. Meanwhile the troops had formed in order. The tents were being struck, and Miriam sought lor husband for a long time in vain; At last iha found him, but he was deeply engaged in talk with Joshua, and, as she canght sight of the Captain, the prophetess shuddered with a sudden chill, nor could she persuade herself to address the men. CHAPTER XXVIL A hard battle must; be fought, for, as the spies reported, the Amalekites had been joined bVother desert-tribes. Nevertheless, the Israelites were still almost twice their number; but how far inferior in warlike skill were Joshua's troops to their oppon ents, inured to battle and ambush. The foe came up from the south, from the oasis at the foot of the Sacred Mountain which was tbe primeval home oftheir race, their foster mother, their beloved, their all, and to them well worth shedding the last drop for. Joshua, now the captain, recognid by Moses and all the people as leader of the Hebrew fighting-men, led bis newly-formed army to the widest portion of the valley, as this allowed him to take the utmost advantage of their superior numbers. The camp was removed by hit orders, and pitched in a 'narrower place at the northern end of the valley of Bephidim, in which the struggle must be fought out, as this made it easier to defend the tents. He left the command of the camp and of the men told off to protect it to the prudent care of his father. He had wished to leave Moset and all ihe elders of the tribes safe within the precincts of the camp, bnt their great leader had gone 1 forward with Hur and Aaron, and climbed a peak of granite where they could look down upon the fight Thus the fighting men could see Moses and his two compan ions on-the cliff which commanded the top of tha valley, and feel assured that the servant of the Lord would not cease to beseech Him to spare them and give them the victory. But every .simple man in that host, and every woman and old man in the camp, in that hour of peril turned to the God of their fathett, and the rallying cry chosen by Joshua, "Jehovah, our Befnge," bound the hearts of tbe warriors to tbe ruler of the battle, and reminded the most faint-hearted and unskilled among the fighting-men that he could not take a step nor deal a blow, but the Lord would mark it The trumpets and cow-horns of the He brew host rang out louder and louder, for the Amalekites were pouring dewn on the level ground which was to be the field of battle. It was a strange scene for such a struggle, such as no experienced captain would ever willingly have chosen, for it was shut in on both sides by steep gray cliffs of granite toVering up to heaven. If the foe should win, the camp, too, must be lost, and any benefit to be derived from knowledge of war fare must here be displayed within the smallest conceivable space. To circumvent the enemy or surprise him in flank seemed quite impossible; but even the rocks were turned to account by theleader, for wherever it was possible ,he had made his best sling ers and archers climb up them to no great height, and instructed them to watch for a sign at which they should mingle in the fight Attnenrst glance uosnua perceived that he had rfot overrated the foe, for those who began the battle were bearded men, with clearly cut, manly faces, out of which their black eyes glowed at the enemy with wild and bloodthirsty hatred. And every man, like their leader himself, a gray-haired man of many scars, was spare and supple of limb. They wielded the curved saber, the javelin of heavy sharpened wood, and tbe lance ornamented with a tuft ot camel's hair, like practiced warriors, and the war cry rang ont lond, cruel and death-defying from the, deep hearts of these men, who felt that they must die or see their dearett pos session in the hands of the enemy. At the first onslaught Joshua led forward tbe men whom be had armed with the large Egyptian shields and lances.' and these. -fired by their valiant leader, made a good stand, particularly as toe narrow dehle into the field of battle hindered their wild op ponents from taking full advantage of their superior numbers. But when the men on foot presently withdrew, and a troop of war riors or dromedaries rushed down on the He brews, many of them were scared at the strange signt oi tnese creatures known to them only by description. They cast away their shields and fled with loud out cries, and wherever a gap was made tbe riders drove in their dromedaries and thrust down at the foe with their long sharp javelins.- At this the herdsmen, unused to such attaok. thought only of saving themselves. and many turned to fly,"for sudden terror seized them as they taw the flaming eyes, and heard the shrill, malignant cry of the enraged Amalekite women, who had rushed into the fightto add fuel to their husbands' r courage and terrify the enemy. They held ou to the humped brutes by leathern straps banging down from tbe saddle, which tbey clutched in their left hands, and allowed themselves to be dragged whithersoever the riders went Hatred seemed to have steeled each female heart against fear of death, compassion and womanly feeling; and the hideous cry of these Megaeras broke the spirit of many a orave .tie Drew. But no sooner did their, captain see tbem give way than he took advantage of tbe dis aster, and bid them retire and allow the sav age lpe to enter the valley; for he said to himself that tbe superior numbers of his men could be turned to better account as soon as they had the opportunity of press ing on the foe from both flanks as well as in front, and wbea the sllngers and archers could take their part in tbe fight , Ephraim and the bravest of his com rades, who remained with him as run ners, were now sent' back to the northern end ot the valley, to tell the leaders of the ranks posted there what Joshua pro posed, and to order them to advance. The swift-footed shepherd lads vanished as nimbly as gazelles: aad it toon was seen that their captain had hit on the right plan: for no- sooner had the Amalekites reached tbe middle or the valley than the Hebrews fell upon them from all sides; several who were bravely rushing forward fell in the sand as they brandished tbo sword or spear, hit bvs round pebble or a sharp arrow fronting or bow. ifiosw, BMMWMM. Kept kit piae oa tbe ..IMP aaLL. .. Asm aii Hw. pr. ttwtwe ,ke waishif sac Dwue Mta, jsn t fuwral pmttmVm, ewtM take ,pt ealy'l js-t. Ft wsi JsrwtrF astntt ovni ai vr strvTVStuwu tt bwv Not a a sword raiatd or dropped among friend or foee, tieaped his keen eye; bat when the fray had fairly began, aad tbe eaptsJn, with wise forethought, had opened a way for the eaeaiy- in tbe id4 of hit own fighting men, Hur ex claimed to the gray-headed man of Godr "My wife, your sister's lolty spirit has in deed discerned the trnth. The soatof Nun. belies-the call of the Most High. What is this? We are ihe superior force, and yet the eaemy makes his way unhindered into the very heart ol our host- As the waters of the Bed Sea stood aeide at the word of the Lord, so da oar ranks. aad, as it would seem, by their leader's bidding," "Only to swallow up Aaalekas tbe waves of the. sea swallowed up the Egyptians," was Motes' reply. Then ha lifted up his hands to heaven aad cried: "Look down, Jehovah, oa Thy people, who are in fresh straits. Strengthen the arm and give sight to the eyes of him whom Tbouhsst chosen to be Thy sword. Send him the succor Thou didst promise him when Thoa didst name him Joshua instead of Hosea! And if Thou dost no more suffer him to prove" himself steadfast and strong at beseems the Captain of Thy choice, then do Thou, with" the hosts of heaven, set Thy self at tbe-head of Thy people that they may put their eaemiea to flight!" Thus the man of God besought tbe Lord with hands lifted on high, and ceased not to entreat Jehovah and cry lo Him whose mighty will ruled his people, and presently Aaron whispered to him that the foe" was hard beset, and that the courage of the Israelites was proving itself nobly. Joshua was now here and now there, and the ranks ot the enemy were visibly thinner, while those of the Hebrews seemed to multiply. And Hur confirmed this report, and added that the untiring zeal and heroic contempt of death of the son ofi Nun were beyond all praise. He had, as at that moment, felled one ot the wildest of the Amalekites with his battle-axe. . Atthis Moses breathed more freely. His arms fell by bis side, and he eagerly watched the course of the fight, which was surging and raging, fossing'and waving at his feet The sun had by this time reached its noon, aad shone down on the combatants with scorching fires. The gary granite walls of the valley glowed with intenser heat every hour, and the sweat had long since stood on the brows of the three men on the rock. What, then.-mustthe heat be below, adding to tbe labor of struggling and wrestling? How sorely must the wounds ache of the bleeding wretches lying there in the sand! Moses felt it all as though he himself were suffering it, for his immovably steadfast soul was rich in compassion, and he bore this people, who were of his own flesh and blood, and for whom he lived and labored, in his heart as a father does his child. The wounds inflicted on his brethren painedhim: yet his heart beat high with proud gladness as ne beheld now those whose cowardly sub jection had but a short while since so greatly fired his wrath had learned the arts of attack and defense. Now one band of young He brews afteranotberrushed on the enemy with lond cries of "Jehovah, our Befnge!" In Joshua's proud, heroic form he saw the posterity of Israel as he dreamed and hoped it might be, and he now no longer doubted that the Lord had indeed called Joshua to be tbe Captain of his people. Barely had his large commanding look flashed more' brightly than at this moment But what was that? A cry of horror broke from Aaron's lips, and Hur started to his feet and gazed anxiously toward the north; for from the spot where the people's tents were pitched cam'e a fresh battle cry, mingling with loud and lamentable shrieks, not, as it seemed, from the men alone, but from women and children. The enemy had surprised the camp. A troop of tbe Amalekites had been de tached from the main body and had made their way around by a mountain defile known only to themselves, and had fallen uponHur's camp with overwhelming im petuosity. Hebrews and Amalekites were rolling on the blood-stained mats, while Miriam and her women were bound hand and feet and were being threatened with death by fire. Joshua, with i detachment of men, rushed to the rescue, and Miriam awoke to con sciousness to find Ephraim cutting the cords which bound her and to see herself sur rounded by tha brave, fighting men of her nation. Near her was Joshua, whose wounds were being dressed by his father. This task she felt should have been hers and hers alone; and deep grief and burning shame came over her as she remembered how great ly she had sinned against this man. She knew not how she could repay him, on whom she had brought such deep sorrow, all she owed him. Her whole heart longed to hear tome word of forgiveness from his lips, and she went toward him on her knees across the blood-stained ground; but the prophetess' eloquent lips were dumb; the conld not find the right word, till suddenly the imploring cry rose loud from her op pressed breast: "Joshua! O Joshua! I have sinned against you indeed, and will repent of it all my life long, but do hot scorn my thanks. Ho dot repel sae from you, and, if you can, forgive me!" She could not have uttered another word; but then and this again she never fonrot rhis eyes had overflowed with scalding tears, ana ne aau raueu ner j real me grouna witn irresistible strength, and yet with a hand as gentle as a mother's when her child has had a fall, and from his lips came mild and friendly words, promising full forgiveness. The men pressure of his hand was enough to show her that ho was no longer wroth with her, as she heard his assurance that the name of Joshua could not fall more sweetly on his ear from any lips than from hers. Then with tha cry "Jehovah, our Befnge!" he turned from her; but his clear shout, and the enthusiastic battle-cry of his followers rang in her ears long after. In other parts of the field the battle still raged fiercely. The fight around the camp bad already lasted above an hour, and Moses had not ceased to beseech the Lord, with hands uplifted to heaven, when the Amalekites made a great tush forward. At this the leader of his people collected all his strength for a new appeal to the Al mightypbut he was much exhausted, bis knees shook and his weary arms fell by his sides. But his spirit had all its fire and his heart all its fervent desire not to cease from entreating Him who is the Buler. of battles. The leader of his people must not be idle during the struggle, and his weapon was prayer. Like a. child which will not cease from besee'chlng its mother till she has granted him that which it unselfishly de mands for its brethren, Moses importuned the Almighty, who had hitherto shown Himself to be a Father to him and tbe Hebrew folk, aad saving them as by a miracle from the greatest perils. But bis frame was faint, so he called on his companions, and they pushed forward a block of stone on which be might sit while he besieged the heart of the Lord with more and yet more prayers. There he sat; and when'his weary limbs refused their service his soul still answered to his call, and treat up as in a fl-iine to the Buler of the des tinies of man. But his arms grew more and more feeble, nd dropped at lasf as if weighed down by heavy masses of lead, al though it bid for yean been-his habit to raise tbem heavenwards when he cried fer vently to God on high. This his comrades knew,and they thought they had perceived that, as olten as their great chiefs hands sank, tbe sons of Amalek. gaiaed some new advantage; Then they diligently held up his arms, the one oa tbe right hand aal the other on the left; aad al though the mighty man could no longer ap peal to Heaven in intelligible werdcand hi giant's frame swayed to aad fro, aad more Z -?if iT man oaoe ae it at tfloBgn vn ttotte on which he sat, tha valley below him aad the wheh world were ia movement, still hit eyes and hands were raised on high. Not tor an instant did he cease oslring on the Most Hub Jill, on a sodden, from the Caatp then came mp glad shouts of victory, whieli eiwed loudly from the reekywa.lt ef UMfOtft." JotlkM W MttlMMd to ItM field of aattta, aad a tbe head of hit mops rasbed a tha twmy with irrultttMi Ituy? -Ml - t, AW a a- x " "" ew aspect Tbe deeuios, is!5ws)jftll oabtfni. Moses, supported on either iid7 ared not cesua tn nniiit his heartaadRhUl hands, but at last, at last, the final struggle; was over. The ranks of tha AmaiKitet gave way, and presently they fled.lbrpkea and panic-stricken, to tbe northern pattUby which they had entered the valleyj-nd even from thence the cry came up.'froaafa a flinnaanil Iim.I.) i)T.L..c .n.TIrHi.f" "Vlctnrvl "Vietnrvt" -' 3& At this the man of God let hitarasTfalll from the supporting shoulders of hisTcom? panions, stood up, tall and strong,ryi5g with renewed and wonderfully revivedj energy: "I thank .Thee, my God andjlflrdll Jehovah, our Befnge I Thy people are" sAvedfSj But then his sight grew dark from.exhaas5 tion. 'iJgjP8! "Hail to Joshua! Hail to the cnnnnerorll re-echoed from cliff to cliff long afterTthat last of the troop was lost to sightSf Batl more clearly still did the words r?ogin!the warrior's heart in which Moses had thanked! bim, for they bad been: "verily as the! tword of the Most High, steadfast and! strong, hast thou fought the fight So loncrR as the Lord is thy Helper and Jehovah our Refnge- vr tip.pA fir nn enemies!" - COKCLVSIOS. Wherever Joshua went he was hailed withi glad acclamations; but he failed to find his 9 father, for Nun had accented Hurs blddihsr. and it was outside his tent that the son em braced the old man, radiant with thankful pride. And the belated guest waswel comed by Miriam and her husband in a way ; , which gladdened his heart; Hur gave'him "' his hand with hearty frankness, while iha bowed reverently before him, and her eyes beamed with joy and gratitude. Before he sat down, Her 'led him aside) , ordered a slave who had just slaughtered a calf to divide it in two parts, and, pointing to it, said: 'rw Yon have done great things for the people and for me, son of Nun, and my life is 'too short for the gratitude yon have laid on me and on-my wife. If yon, can forget the bitter words which troubled our peace at Sophkx and you say you have forgotten tbem let us henceforth dwell in unity as brothers in one cause, and stand up for each other In Joy and sorrow, in peril and in need. .The captaincy henceforth belongs to yon alone, Joshna, and to none oth er; and the people all rejoice thereat, and, most of all, so do X and my wife. And if you share my desire that we should henceforth live in the bonds of brotherhood, come with me. and after tbe custom of oar fathers we will walk together between the two halves of this slaughtered beast And Joshua gladly did his bidding. Mi riam was the first to join in the loud ap proval which old Nun began, and she did so with ardent vehemence; lor it was sne who, whose love she had now quite won back, had suggested to bim to invite Joshua ia this treaty of brotherhood which was now rati fied. All this had cost her no pang, for the two vows to which she had pledged herself after that the son ot Nun, whom she-now was ready to call Joshua, had saved her from the hand oftne foe were about to be fulfilled, and the felt that it was in a happy hour that she bad made them. '- The feeling, new to her, that she was a woman even as other women are, gave toberj whole person a gentleness which had hithefg to been foreign to her. and this won her.tbe? love of her husband, whose full worth shall bad learnt during the bitter time whence had opened his heart to her. The rest of Joshua's active life, and how her conquered a new home for his people, is a well-known tale. The whole force pf his body and soul ha devoted to tbe Hebrew folk; but his nephew Ephraim, as a powerful prince ot his tribe, well worthy of the honor he achieved,, founded a house in Israel. Through him" old Nun saw great-grandchildren growing up who promised enduring posterity to his noble race. ' And there, in the land of promise, many hundred years later, was another Joshua' born who'bronght to all mankind the gifts which the son of Nun vainly sought for tha children of Israel love, mercy and re demption! THE EXD. PIKEAPFLB FOB DIPflXBEEU. Tie Dread Disease Cared by Ttut; IB Jnlce of tha FrnlC rroin the Milwaukee Wisconsin. J Becently the Chicago Tribune printed that important announcement that the juice .ofr the pineapple is a cure wr aipntnena, and asserted further that the fact Is nothing new that the Creoles of the South have long known of the value of pineapple juice in the treatment of the dread disease. Since the publication of the first announcement the Tribune has printed the evidence of a num ber of its readers who have tried pineapple juice in the treatment of diphtheria. One man says he administered the juice to his 7-year-old boy, who was in great distress for breath, and fqjir hours thereafter the patient began to cough up the diphtheritic mem brane. Another says he used the juice in the case of his 6-year-old daughter, who was dangerously ill with diphtheria. He says he induced the little sufferer to take the juice through a medicine tube, and within two or three hours she began coughing up small bits of the membrane. As the diphtheritic membrane which, grows in the ainpassagesisof afungoid char acter physicians have all along recognized ihe fact that it some acid conld be applied that would disintegrate the membrane with out attacking the mucous surfaces the dis ease could be readily controlled. It would;: be gratifying but not surprising if the sin, pie juice of tbe pineapple should become established as a specific for the cure of diph theria. It would simply be confirmation of the theory that nature has a cure for every ill. In the application of pineapple juice for diphtheria, parents should ot course consult the family physician. No progressive doctor1' -" will slight new discoveries in any field ofj'" medicine, and experiment with the alleged f.. '. cure should be supplemental to tbe regular " course of treatment prescribed by the lessons of medical experience. ' " ' RADAMS MICROBE KILLER CUBES ALB DieEASESL Tbe claim to cure all diseases, may at first glance seem very absurd; but after reading our pamphlet giving a history ot the Microbe Killer, explaining the germ theory of disease, and reading our testimonial, which prove con clusively there is no disease it will not cure, the trnth of our assertion becomes clear. 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