ecrelMY
o'taVoious
idll
COPYRIGHT 1911
13
SYNOPSIS.
Jo Coilman and her sister Loulia are
lft orphans. Their property haa been
wept away by the death of their fa
ther and they are compelled to cast about
for some means to earn a living. Iu
lle answers an advertisement of an inva
lid who wants a companion. She declines
the position. Ixmlie advertises for a po
sition as companion, and Mrs. Hazard
replies. She offers Loulle a position as
her "secretary of frivolous affairs." Her
chief work Is to steer Mrs. Hazard's son
and daughter In the right matrimonial
path. Loulle talks baseball to Hap Haz
ard and also gains the confidence of Lau
ra Hazard. The Due do Trouville is be
lieved to be interested In Laura. Mrs.
Hazard gives a big reception and Loulle
meets many people high in the social
world. Natalie Agazziz, to whom Hap
has been paying attention, loses an em
erald bracelet during the reception. She
declares there is not another like It in
the world. It develops that Natalie has
lost several pieces of jewelry under sim
ilar circumstances. Hap takes Loulie to
the baseball game. He tells her he Is
not engaged to Natalie and has been
rured of his infatuation. The sceae
changes to the Hazard country place,
where many notables have been invited
for the summer. Loulie and Laura visit
the farm of Winthrop Abbott, an author.
In whom Laura takes considerable inter
est. Due de Trouville arrives at the Haz
ard place. Loulie hears Winthrop's mo
tor boat out late at night. Next morning
the papers announce the robbery of sev
eral nearbv homes. Natalie accuses Lou
lie of stealing her ruby pendant. Mrs.
Hazard assures Loulle of her confidence m
her. Hap declares his love for Loulle.
BheVeciprocates. but will not admit It as
he fears what Mrs. Hazard will say;
Loulle is excused from dinner on account
of a headache. She is bombarded with
notes from Hap imploring her to see him.
Winthrop is arrested in the presence or
Hap and Loulle, charged with robbing
General Schuyler's home and shooting the
general. A box of Jewels is found In W ln
throp's safe, among them ?n emerald
bracelet exactly like the one lost by Na
talie. Natalie apologizes to Loulie for ac
cusing her of theft. Loulie Is awakened
at midnight and finds Hap in her room.
Next morning Hap explains that he was
in pursuit of a mysterious woman he had
peen in the corridor and who eluded him
by passing through Loulie's room. Na
talie identifies the emerald bracelet found
Jn Winthrop's safe as her own. Loulie s
sister. Jo, arrives for a week's sta . John
Crowninshleld pays marked attention to
Jo. Loulie watches all night with Natalie.
She sees Winthrop cross the lawn in the
early morning, shadowed by Thomas a
footman. Loulie hears a noise in the gal
lery and goes to Investigate. She slips
into the card room and stumbles over a
bag. She starts to carry it to her room
and Is surprised by someone In the hall
and falls downstairs.
CHAPTER XXII. Continued.
When I remembered again, John
, was sitting at my desk with the glit
tering mass spread out before him.
Every one had crowded around him,
except Hap, "who was kneeling beside
the couch, holding my hand desper
ately and listening for the sound of
the. doctor's car. I remember that it
hazily occurred to me how beautifully
the lavender brocade dressing-gown
John wore and the soft pink of Jo's
kimono harmonized and lavender and
pink usually don't.
"Where did you get them, Loulie?"
Jo asked. "What happened, dear?" .
My head was buzzing; there was a
pounding in my ears. Her questions
seemed to make a jumble of my
thoughts.
"Why, of course, I must tell you."
I tried to think clearly. "I I found
them found them in the card-room."
"Yes, dear," Jo soothed. "What were
you doing in the card-room?"
f"l heard a noise in the gallery and
wanted to see see I I found them
found them in the card-room."
Everybody looked so queer! Na
talie glanced quickly at Mrs. Hazard
a glance Laura intercepted. I sat up
suddenly.
"Surely you don't think I took
them!" I fell back against the pil
lows again with a groan, but it. was
because little unseen devils tortured
me when I moved.
"She must not talk," Laura ex
claimed. "Don't question her. It Isn't
fair. She doesn't know what she is
6aylng. For Heaven's sake, why
doesn't the doctor come?"
, Jo sat down beside me helplessly.
There was nothing anybody could do
until the doctor did come.
"I think there's loot here from ev
erybody," John remarked. "It's a jolly
mess."
From the mess he separated Dor
othy Ambercrombie's green lizard
with the ruby eyes, Mrs. Abercrom
ble's moonstone set with sixteen
large diamonds, and that crazy bow
knot collar of Mrs. Sargent's. Then
Natalie pointed out other things she
recognized. But there was jeft a jum
ble of solitaires, handsome but non
descript; rings and pendants, brace
lets and brooches that only their own
ers could' identify.
"Everybody but myself," Natalie
said finally. "There's not a single
thing there of mine."
Somehow it seemed to me there
ought to have been in the bag those
things she lost earlier.
"You had a pistol," I said weakly,
thinking of it.
"Yes, but no one knew it but you!"
Faid Natalie. And if a good, clear
thought had come to me out of ray
throbbing head I would have seen
what everybody saw later.
"The thieves were in the gallery," I
tried to tell them. "I heardI heard
a hammer fall. 1 went to see" sud
denly I thought of Winthrop, and I
closed my lips tightly for fear I
, would say I had seen him there on
the lawn.
"Yes. dear," Laura soothed. "We'll
look. The thieves are gone now, but
"We have the jewels, eo it's all right.
Illustrations by
Y.L.BARNE5
No harm done. John will hold a levee
after luncheon and return them."
I suppose It occurred to John what
a Job that was going to be, especially
as he was apt to have a crowd of hys
terical women on his hands any min
ute. He tumbled the Jewels back into
the bag as Doctor Graham's horn rent
the air, and .was just about to pull
the string securing them.
"Well, HI be damned!" he exclaim
ed. "This Is my bag!"
CHAPTER XXIII.
"A Disappearance.
Dawn found me lying on the couch
in my sitting-room, pale and a little
sick from the ether, with my right
arm nicely boarded up and a bruise on
my shoulder about as big as a turkey
platter. Doctor Graham, after mixing
me some vile stuff doctors are brutes
about medicine cheerfully turned to
discuss art with Jo, apropos of the
search of the gallery for any signs of
disturbance. Nothing unusual was
found anywhere, except the door at
the bottom" of the steps leading to the
tennis courts was open, and a hammer
that was proved did not belong to any
one connected with Lone Oak was ly
ing on one of the courts. The thieves
had made good their escape during
the commotion that followed my
plunge down the steps into the wing.
When I awoke from the sleep the
doctor prescribed it was noon. The
room was fragrant with flowers' and
there was a huge bunch of pink roses
that I knew had not been cut at Lone
Oak. Laura was with me, and Celie
tearfully hovered in the background.
Celie brought my breakfast and Laura
explained that Jo had gone, reluctant
ly, to play golf with John Crownin
shleld, who decided not to go to town.
"There's a nurse coming," she con
cluded. "Nurse!" 1 exclaimed. "What do I
want with a nurse? I'm going down
stairs tonight if I can get a sleeve
over this arm."
To prove I could get up, I did, but
I was rather trembly.
"Loulie, it was too funny about that
silk stocking and the hot-water bot
tle," Laura laughed gleefully.
"Has everybody discovered the rob
bery?" I asked.
"They were up shrieking before
ten," she told me. "John had an aw
ful time getting things straight. There
are ten solitaires still in doubt. I
think Dorothy and Mrs. Sargent will
have to toss for them. Funny, isn't
it, people don't know their own
Jewels?"
"Did any one else hear the racket
we made last night?"
"No," she replied. "No wonder they
were robbed. Mrs. Cutler thinks there
must have been an attempt to chloro
form her. There was no cloth or any
thing that has been saturated, but the
odor of chloroform was in her room.
Thank Heaven, there's no way to im
plicate Winthrop in this."
Winthrop! I closed my lips tightly
"Has Everybody Discovered the Rob
bery?" I Asked.
again. No one but I knew he had
been there on the lawn; no one but
myself was going to know it. But
Thomas! The thought startled me!
lie knew it. But
Laura finally broke the silence with
one of her startling questions:
"Loulie, are you going to marry
Hap?"
I shook my head decidedly.
"Why not? Won't you tell me?
Have you a reason, dear?"
"Yes."
She paled a little, I didn't know why
at the time.
"Won't you confide in me?" she
pleaded. "And let me help you? I can
help you, no matter how difficult it
is."
She was very winning and sweet.
I intended to tell ller jokingly my rea
son was that her mother really had
Intended me as a pace-maker for bcr,
and that I'd have to be free to en
courage the eUgilies until she was
quite sure just who she wanted to
marry, but I was weak, and the tears
a 1 1 ,
were Veirf Je surface. Two
brimmed over rolled down my
cheek. ' I couldn't Joke! "v
"You love him don't try to deny
it. Why are you giving him up?"
"I can't let him spoil his life with
me," was what I said after all. "I
couldn't spoil your chances with His
Grace if you decide to want him.
His Grace would be terribly
shocked " .. ,
"I don't want him," she interrupted.
"I love Winthrop and I'm going , to
marry him if he ever , asks me."
"But I am nobody," I insisted. "I
haven't a penny. Marriage marriage
is impossible!"
She looked at me in amazement.
"Is thatyour only reason?" she
asked.
"Surely"
"Is that all? Oh, my poor, deluded
little Loulie! What difference does
a few paltry dollars make? I'm so
glad that's the reason, dear; so very,
very glad." She came close to me
and slipped her arm around my waist.
"Dear, if you had told me somethiag
terrible, some awful thing that was
keeping you from saying 'yes' to Hap,
I would have lovi you just the 6ame.
Remember that."
It was a shameless statement. I
wonder I did not see its significance
at the time, but I only realized that
hev affection was one of the most
wonderful things that had ever hap
pened to me.
"You're a queer person," I told her.'
"Now, won't you let me say to Hap
that ha may come up after luncheon?"
She tried to keep me from shaking
my head. "I'm afraid he will come,
even If you don't say so. I've had
a terrible time keeping him out while
you slept. He went to town for the
roses" she pointed to them "and
was back in an hour. I don't , know
how he escaped being arrested for
speeding. By the way, the detective
is here. He wants to ask you some
questions when you are well enough
to see him. We've had an exciting
morning being questioned. He's rather
a nice-looking chap. I think Natalie
found her Interview with him much
more agreeable than she expected.
His eyes are blue," she finished irrele
vantly. "Has he talked to Mr. Abbott?"
"Yes. He and. John by the way,
his name is Adams went over to
Winthrop's this morning. Winthrop
came back with them; he" came to
play golf. He was unusually cheerful,
too. He has finished his novel. I
don't think he cares bow. many em
erald bracelets he is accused of steal
ing, since that is over. And I'm for
getting to tell you that Mrs. Dykeman
has dug up a German count. I don't
know how he ranks. He's a connois
seur on art, or some kind of a high
brow. She's giving a German musi
cale next week. Ich dien! Oh! We
had a message from the Schuylers!
The general . is entirely out of dan
ger." .
I lay on the couch for a long time
thinking after Laura had gone, and
Celie had arranged my hair and ten
derly gotten me into a negligee. I
tried tried desperately to see a
way out of all the robberies for Win
throp 'and I could not do it. Except
for 'the ruby, when Laura had proved
that he was at home, and the woman
in . the corridor, every circumstance
pointed to him. What did he actually
know of it all? Was he shielding
some one? A woman? But that
thought was ugly. I bad rather be
lieve him a thief!
The door of my sitting-room, lead
ing into the corridor, was standing
open, for the day was intensely hot,
and I caught the sound of Hap's
voice. He was talking to his mother.
I listened, not deliberately to what
he said, but just to hear his voice;
and because there was no one to see,
I arose and buried my face in the
roses his roses. It was wrong to
listen; I knew it. I could not fail
to hear what he said.
At first the full meaning of his
words did not strike me, nor even
the tone of the argument. I was
thinking of other things. Then he
spoke my name. He was angry; I
listened, amazed.
"I don't care if she Is a thief," he
said, "I want her, and I'm going to
have her. I'd marry her If she Is
proved a thief a thousand times. And
I wouldn't believe her a thief if I saw
her stealing!"
His mother's answer I didn't want
to hear; an instant later I stood in
the doorway across the corridor.
"Don't believe him," I said to his
mother. "He isn't going to marry
me."
Hap, with an exclamation of con
cern, threw some pillows into a chair
and indicated an intention to carry
me to it.
"I'm not an Invalid," I insisted. And
I walked to the chair. "I've just a
silly broken arm, otherwise I am
quite fit. Now, tell me why am I a
thief again?" I was quite calm about
it, but I had to sit down, for my
knees were shaky and I was realizing
why Laura had said such queer
things to me.
Hap made some choky noises like
men do when they want to swear;
Mrs. Hazard pressed her handkerchief
to her Hps.
"Just because I found some jewels
in the" card room, and can't tell you
who put them there, or why they
were there?" The .whole thing sud
denly struck me as absurd and amus
ing. I laughed. "My story isn't plaus
ible?" Mrs. Hazard began to cry what a
blessing tears are to a woman and
it was so different from' her dear
chuckle I could not resist the impulse
to go to her and put my only good
arm around her fat neck.
"Please den't cry," I begged. "I
e?n't see that it's worth one little
lcai I'm not going to let him marry !
roe, he sure of that; and the other
only concerns myself." ' '
"Mr dear child," she sobbed, "I
feel responsible for everything. I told
your sister would take care of you."
"You distinctly said you would not
be responsible for any 4acerated af
fections, and you certainly can't help
it if I'm a thief. I tried to get him
on the right track, but "
"Right track!" she sobbed.
"Right track?" Hap echoed.
And, notwithstanding the gravity
of the situation and the tears running
down her fat cheeks, Mrs. Hazard
chuckled. She dabbed at her eyes.
"I said, too, you might pick a plum
from the social pudding, and I had
no objection. If the plum happens
to be my own son It's my own fault"
"What are you two talking about?"
Hap demanded. "I love her, and I'm
going to marry her whether she's a
thief or not."
"All right, take her," Mrs. Hazard
replied, giving me a gentle push, and
Hap gazed at her with that comically
surprised expression. "Just be sure
to pour the coffee for him every morn
ing at breakfast, my very dear little
girl, and you have my blessing. It
Just occurs to me that I've never yet
made a mistake in estimating a per
son, and I'm not going to begin now."
"But gracious me!" I exclaimed, as
Hap swept me to my feet and shame
lessly kissed me, "I'm accused of
stealing!"
"We'll have to prove you Innocent!"
Her tone was final, "I must have my
judgment vindicated."
"But"
"The bag was my brother's," she
mm J
"Don't Believe Him. He Isn't Going
to Marry Me."
interrupted belligerently. "It occurs
to me that he needs to do some ex
plaining." "Surely you don't think?"'
"I don't think anything, after the
fool I've, just made of myself trying
to. We have a detective here now
to do the thinking. If he thinks
wrong, I'll discharge him. Why isn't
your story true? You heard a noise
in the gallery; you're a brave girl
and you went to see what it was. I
would have been crazy with curiosity
myself. If you don't know why ' a
thief put down a bag of jewels on
the floor of the card-room and left
it there for you to find, why you
can't help it. Natalie having a pistol
and you knowing it is just a coinci
dence. The thieves didn't get to her,
that's all. The door of the back stairs
was open and a hammer was dropped
on the court where a hammer doesn't
belong. It's quite plain that the
thieves came from. outside, since' I've
had the common sense to think of it."
But I saw how unreasonable my
story was as she repeated it. The
absurdity of my being in the card
room when I had said the noise was
in the gallery, the absolutely ridicu
lous idea that a thief had put down a
bag of loot on the floor of the card
room for me to pick up, and yet that's
what he did it was all a child's
story. And I couldn't speak of Win
throp, nor of Thomas without men
tioning Winthrop, and Winthrop had
enough to do to explain the emerald
bracelet.
"There won't be any further trou
ble," she went on. "Every jewel has
been taken to a bank until somebody
has been proven, guilty. Now let the
detective solve it. And he may just
as well prove Winthrop innocent
while he's at it. Winthrop is a farm
er, not a thief." She dismissed the
subject with an airy motion of her
fat hand. "Since you've got Hap on
the right track"
"What's this right track thing?"
Hap demanded.
"A scheme, a put-up job, to make
you notice me," I replied. "But I had
to do It; it was a part of my job."
I suddenly covered my face with my
hands.
"I guess you're satisfied then," Hap
grinned. "And now you refuse to
marry me after deliberately "
"You surely don't believe I intend
ed" I cried.
"I don't know what you intended,
but I know what's going to be." Hap
put his arm about me in that master
ful Hazard way.
The Hazards are a stubborn lot,
and when they want a thing they get
it. When I went back to my room,
carefully shutting the door in Hap's
face, the mystery was still a mystery.
I couldn't see but that I had a badly
damaged reputation, and I had prom
ised Hap, with his mother's consent,
to let him share It.
That night the mystery, instead of
clearing, deepened., Jo disappeared!
And not only that, but she had been
taken away forcibly abducted!
Adams, the detective who was there
to protect us, was found bound and
gagged at the foot of the stairs lead
ing to the tenuis courts.
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Search.
We knew Jo had been taken away
by force because a woman does not,
of her own free will, go out dressed
only in ;a silk petticoat, a flimsy
dressing-gown, and a pair of thin bed
room slippers, even if the weather is
warm. Adams, the detective, whom
John found tied up hard and fast, told
us the little he knew of what had
happened, when he could talk poor
fellow! And although I tried not to
get shrieky and faint, I threw myself
across the pillow where Jo's dear old
dark head had rested, and came very
near doing both. I tried to tell my
self that she . was all right, that we
should find her soon, alive! I didn't
believe it. I could only see that who
ever took her away did so for a pur
pose, that they would kill her, or per
hapshad! It was the culmination of an awful
day. After what I had gone through
morning and afternoon, I could not go
down to dinner. The doctor said
"No," with that capital N, and I hated
him. And I was exasperated with
Jo, who, after playing golf with John
till morning, played golf with him all
afternoon or said she did and sat
outside on the terrace all evening,
also with John, where the sound of
their voices floated up to me, punctu
ated occasionally with laughter from
both of them. He never in his life
did such a thing as sit on the ter
race all fvening with a woman! 1
could not catch a word of what they
were saying. I was sure he was mak
ing love to her.
I could not complain of being
neglected, for the doctor had ordered
Jo down-stairs and told me to go to
sleep, adding that my temperature
was up and my heart queer. Celie
put me to bed, but when Jo came
finally I was sitting up, crying softly
and scratching the palm of my hand.
Poor old Jo! She patted me to
sleep, but it was a restless, fitful
sleep, and at two o'clock I changed to
the couch in the sitting-room because
I imagined the salty breeze that came
in through the open windows would
soothe me. I must have slept sound
ly after that. I did not hear Jo when
she awoke; I did not know what had
become of her.
When I could compose my thoughts
I remembered to search for the pistol
which Natalie had returned the day
before. It was gone, but I could gain
no satisfaction from that because, evi
dently, Jo had not used the pistol and
the reason of that was quite clear
to me: they had disarmed her.
Adams said there were three men.
He had heard sounds but couldn't
locate them until he came into the
upper hallway, when he heard , the
door at the foot of the stairs leading
to the tennis courts slam. He had
a flashliarht and he said he wasn't
many seconds getting to the bottom -
of those stairs. When he opened the.
door some one struck him a terrific
blow on the head, and when he re
gained consciousness he was bound
securely, hand and foot, and gagged.
He had not recognized any of the
menit was still dark nor were their
voices familiar to him.
They had gone toward the ninth
hole and they were carrying some one.
He know that the person was a
woman. That was all. What had
happened before he heard the sounds
he didn't know. His wrists were bad
ly cut and bleeding where he had
struggled to release himself; he had
dragged himself to the door and
banged on it, but no one had heard
him.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
, The Whale's Song.
Whales are rarely thought of as vo
calists, yet according to Miss A. D.
Cameron in "The New North," they
really have a distinctive Bong of their
own.
A certain Captain Kelly was the
first to notice that whales sing. One
Sunday, while officers from three whal
ing ships were "gamming" over their
afternoon walrus meat, Kelly started
up with "I hear a bowhead!" There
was much chaffing about "Kelly's
band," but Kelly weighed anchor, and
went to find the band-wagon. Every
sail followed his, with the result that
three whales were bagged.
Among bowheads, this singsong is a
call that the leader of the school, as
he forces a passage through Bering
sea, makes in order to notify those
that follow that the straits are clear
of ice.
Walruses and seals and all true mam
mals that have lungs and, live in the
water have a bark that sounds strange
enough as it comes up from hidden
depths. Every lookout from the mast
head notices that, when one whale is
struck, the whole school is "gallied"
or stampeded at the very impact oi
the harpoon; they have heard the
death song.
The sound that the bowhead makes
is like the long-drawn-out "hoo-hoo-oo-oo!"
of the hoot-owl. A whaler says
that the cry begins on F, and -may
rise to A, B, or even C before slipping
back to F again. He assures us mat
with the humpback the tone is much
finer, and sounds across the water like
the note from the E string of a vio
lin. Her Mission.
"Girl scouts must learn how to wash
a baby, bake a loaf of bread, build a
coal fire arid darn a sock, to say noth
ing of bei:ig able to find their way
about in woods and cure snake bites,"
said the parent. "Don't you want to
become a girl scout, dear?"
"No, mamma," replied the young
gh l; "I won't need to know how to do
those things when I grow up. I'm .go
ing to be a suffragette."
MlBMTIONAL
Lesson
(By E. O. SELLERS, Director of Even
ing Department The Moody Bible In
stitute of Chicago.)
. LESSON FOR JULY 27.
MOSES' REQUEST REFUSED.
LESSON TEXT Ex. 6:1-14.
OOL.DEN TEXT "Blessed are thj
that mourn for they shall be comforted."
-Matt. 6:4. -
Only one incident is mentioned with
reference to that long journey Moses
had to take in returning from Midian
to Egypt. "The Lord met him and
sought to kill him," (4:24). Moses is
about to pronounce a fearful penalty,
see 4:23, and it was necessary that he
comprehended the terrible meaning of
his threat. Also he had neglected to
observe the sign of covenant peace
(circumcision) with his youngest son,
and that was a serious delinquency
for the future leader of Israel. "It
was necessary at this stage of his ex
perience that he should learn that God
is in earnest when he speaks, and will
assuredly perform all that .he has
threatened." (Murphy.)
Showing himself with Aaion, the
elders of Israel are soon convinced
that God had sent them and was about
to work out through Moses and Aaron
the long promised deliverance.
l6sue Plainly. Stated.
I. Moses' Message, vv. 1-9. Moses
and Aaron plainly stated the issue at
the very outset, "Thus saith the Lord
God of Israel" (v. 1). This was at
once a challenge as to the bcksted su
perior greatness of the Egyptian gods.
It also touched Pharaoh's pride for he
was an absolute monarch and can he
allow these representatives of an op
pressed people any liberties? Lastly,
it was a question or economic impor
tance. Pharaoh looked upon these Israel
ites as his own property, now they
pie go." In contempt, Pharaoh ex
claims, "Who is Jehovah?" It was in
answer to that very question Moses
had been sent and right well was Pha
raoh to learn the answer ere the ac
count is settled. Men are flippantly
asking that same question today, both
by word and conduct, who will find
out to their final sorrow who Jehovah
is, and why they should obey his
voice. Pharaoh spoke the truth when
he said "I know not the Lord," but
though he seems to boast of that he
little knew what it means for a man
to set' up his will against that of God.
"I will not" was the proud boast of a
weak, wilful, ignorant worm of the
j - st. for all his exalted position among
mn. Read 2 Thess. 1:8 and Rom.
l'iS.
In reply, (v. 3) Moses and Aaron
did not seek to argue the case. Very
little is ever gained by such a meth
od, much better for us to deliver God's
message verbatim and trust, to the
holy spirit to bring conviction. Moses
and Aaron were far more afraid of
the pestilence and sword of Jehovah
than the boasted power of Pharaoh.
God does punish disobedience whether
we like it or., not, see Deut. 28:21.
Zech. 14:16-19, etc. This fearlessness
angered Pharaoh (v. 4) and he com
mands them and their brethren at
once to resume their burdens. The
world is constantly accusing the ser
vants of God of unfitting people for
their work, see Amos 7:10, Luke 23:2
and Acts 17:6.
Truth Confirmed. -
The truth of this narrative is con
firmed by the bricks found in the
ruins of cities built during this period
of Egyptian history. The bricks were
made of clay mixed with stubble,- rath
er than the ordinary straw and baked
in the sun rather than in a fire kiln.
II. Pharaoh's Method, vv. 10-15. It
must have been a severe test of faith
for the Israelites to have had their
hopes thus dashed and more grievous
burdens thrust upon them. Before,
the government furnished the neces
sary straw, now they must get it
themselves and at the same time keep
up the usual toll of bricks.
Those who were beaten (v. 14) were
of their own number who were held
accountable under the Egyptian task
masters for the conduct of the whole.
Is this not suggestive of one other
than ourselves "who bore our sins In
his own body on the tree" and "by
whose stripes, we are healed?"
How little we comprehend, even
with centuries of Christian history as
our guide and the inspired word as
our teacher, the full meaning of Paul's
words, "For I reckon that the suffer
ings of this present time are not
worthy to he compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in "us." Rom.
8:18. But God is mindful of his own
and aa soon as Moses and Aaron turn
ed to him he gives them a most gra
cious renewal of his promise and of
the ultimate blessing, see Chapter
6:1-8.
III. The Summary. God's ways of
deliverance are never easy. His peo
ple ire always slow to believe and his
enemies have a hard hearted and ter
rible persistence In their opposition
to him and his plans. But God does
not permit this defeat, nor prevent the
accomplishment of his purposes. When
pain has done its work he makes it to
rease. When the fire has burned out
the dross he will extinguish it. Pha
raoh esteemed human life cheaply,
about the sweat shop of today?
"Let my people go" is the watch-word
of the fight that is still in progress.
Israelitish oppression still survives.