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CLIPPINGS FROM THE ANCIENT PRESS The Story of Joseph and His ‘Brethren. As it might habe appeared in the newspapers published in the ancient times. SLAIN BY WILD BEASTS. (From The Bethlehem Journal.) Mr. Jacob, the well known herdsman who comes so often to our little city, is bowed down with grief today at the sudden and awful death of Jo seph, the next to the youngest of his sons, and the oldest of the two sons of Rachel, who was liTs fa vorite wife. About a month ago, Reuben, Simeon, • Levi, Judah, Issaehar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher, other sons of the old man, were sent by him with a large flock of sheep and goats to the rich pasture lands around Dothan. The pas turage in this section has been very poor on account of the dry weather and it was hoped that over about Dothan the flocks might become fat enough to be marketed in a few weeks. Not hearing from his sons as soon as he hoped to he sent Joseph to find them and bring him word how the flocks were getting along. The boy has always been quite a favorite with the father and he has given him many tokens of his love, among them, a beautiful parti-colored coat to be worn upon state occasions. This he wore when he went in search of his brothers. Yesterday the ten brothers returned with their Hocks and with them they brought the parti-colored coat. It was wrinkled almost beyond recognition and covered with blood and dirt. They found it under some bushes on the other side of Dothan. The ground on every side showed signs of a strug gle and the surrounding bushes were smeared with blood. The men had not found the pasturage good about Dothan and they decided to push on lo Shechem, fifteen miles to the north. On their return toward home they found the coat. The supposition is that some wild beast surprised the Loy and killed him as he was traveling.alone and unarmed. The blow is a terrible one to the father and he is prostrated with grief. Although the best pepole in the community have called upon him to tender their sympathies to him, he refuses to be comforted. SOLD INTO SLAVERY. (From The Shechem Herald.) Last night a band of Ishmaelites, on their way from Gilead to Egypt to trade, spent the night in Shechem. They camped in the public square and attracted considerable attention for they had with them a number of young men purchased at differ ent places along the road and destined for the slave market in Memphis. A reporter of the Herald talked with some of the men and had a conversation with several of the slaves. One of them was quite a boy. He was bought only yesterday. His face and his body were badly bruised and he was so sore from the rough treatment he had received that he could hardly walk. He told a most interesting story as to how he came to be in the possession of the Ishmaelites. It seems that he is one of a large family, as he has ten brothers. Just where they live the reporter failed to learn. These brothers were in charge of a large flock of sheep and he had been sent to them with a mes sage. He had been searching for them for several days and finally located them in a fertile valley five miles to the east of Shechem. He was not very popular with the other brothers because he had been having some dreams about them that made them think he regarded himself as superior to them. He had dreamed on one occasion that they were all binding wheat in the field together when, all of a sudden, the sheaves they had bound rose up, gathered about his sheaf and bowed down to it. It was the general impression among the brothers that he was the favorite of the father. Not very long ago they were guilty of some very Immoral -conduct. He kgijew of it and had told the The Golden Age for December 20, 1906. By ALEX W. BEALER father about it and he, in turn, gave them a very sharp rebuke. Yesterday, as he approached them in the field, one of them cried out, “Here comes our dreamer, let’s put him out of the way where he will dream no more.” He had no idea that they really in tended to harm him and he approached them to de liver his message. They seized upon him, and, stripping off his outer garments, were preparing to kill him, when another brother said: 1 ‘ Shed no blood, boys; but cast him into that pit over there. Lay no hands in violence upon him.” They adopted this suggestion and hurried him toward the pit. He begged them not to cast him into the deep pit, and not to leave him alone to die, but heeding not his entreaties they dragged him along and cast him headlong to the bottom of the pit. He was bruised and stunned by the fall, but as soon as he recovered he could hear them talk ing together as they seemed to be eating dinner not far from the pit. He called to them again and again but they heeded not his calls. He could hear them planning to take his coat and dip it in the blood of a kid so that they could tell his father that he had been slain by the wild beasts. Their voices died away and he was left alone to face a horrible death, for he had no means of climbing out of the pit. After some time had elapsed, the boy heard them coming back and his heart leaped for joy for he felt that he was to be delivered and that he had only been made the victim of a practical joke. They drew him out, but instead of taking him with them, sold him for twelve dollars and a half to these wandering traders. They are going to sell him as a slave when they get down into Egypt. Before the name of the boy or that of his father could be learned, the reporter was discovered by the leader of the band and driven out of the camp. A few hours later the company left and by this time they are well on their way to Egypt. A SLAVE PUT IN JAIL. (From The Memphis News.) A young Hebrew slave, the property of Captain Potiphar, chief of the police force, was yesterday put in the city prison for an indefinite period. It is but a repetition of the old story of the man who was bitten by the reptile he had warmed to life in his bosom. The details of the story are not Hl. for publication. Suffice it to say that the young slave, Joseph by name, offered a gross and unpar donable insult to Mrs. Potiphar, wife of the cap tain. The story is very unusual from start to finish and bears within it much of human interest. 'Cap tain Potiphar found this young man in the slave market on Nile street. He had just come in, hav ing been brought here for sale by a band of Ish maelites who come from Gilead. The intelligent face of the young man attracted the Captain’s at tention and he purchased him, paying for him the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars. The young man had a number of peculiarities. One of them was that he refused to worship the deities of Egypt but worships what he calls the true God of heaven. From this God he seemed to get a supernatural power. Seeing this, Captain Potiphar gave him some responsible work to do. He did it so well that he was made overseer over all the business that came into his hands. He was trusted implicitly and had a more honorable posi tion, probably, than any other slave in the city. The captain reposed the most perfect confidence in him. In spite of all this the young man offered a gross insult to Mrs. Potiphar a few days ago. He en tered her private apartments and she tried to drive him out but not until she screamed did he flee, leaving a part of his robe in her hands. As soon as Captain Potiphar heard of the occurrence on his return to the city yesterday he found his wife in a nervous collapse and he immediately had the ungrateful slave put in jail. FROM THE CELL TO THE THRONE. (From The Memphis News.) From a prison cell to the favor of the king and to a throne of power is a step that is not often taken by a man of this day and time and yet that is just what happened to a young prisoner yester day. ’ The story of the upward step is one of absorbing interest. A few nights ago His Majesty, Pha raoh, had a remarkable dream. He was standing on the banks of the Nile when he saw seven sleek cows come forth from the river and begin to feed upon the rich grasses in the meadow below the pal ace. While he stood there seven other cows very poor came out of the river and proceeded to devour the fat cows. It was such an astonishing perform ance that the king awoke. He dropped off to sleep again and dreamed another dream. He saw a splendid stalk of* corn come up with seven well filled oars upon it. As he looked seven thin ears, blasted by the east wind, came out upon the stalk and devoured the good ears. The king sought among the magicians for an in terpretation to his dream but they could not, give it. He was about to despair when his chief butler told him that there was a young Hebrew in the city prison who could interpret dreams. He recalled how he himself had had a dream and it had been interpreted correctly for him by the young pris oner. Pharaoh summoned the young man and learned that he had been sent to prison for offering an insult to Mrs, Potiphar, the wife of Captain Potiphar. The king told his dream lo the young man and he replied that he could not interpret it, but his God could. When he heard the dreams he said that God was only telling Pharaoh what He was about to do. The seven tat cows ami the seven full ears of corn denote that seven years of unprecedented prosperity are coming upon Egypt, but the seven lean cows and the seven blasted ears of corn denote that they are to be followed by seven years of dreadful famine. The young prisoner spoke as one who was certain of his information and he advised the king to ap point a. wise man to gather in corn during the seven years of plenty, so that the people should not suf fer during the seven years of famine. Pharaoh in quired into the imprisonment of the young man and found that he had been a trusty in the prison for nearly two years. He also learned that lie was entirely innocent of the crime charged to him. It seems that Mrs. Potiphar had become enamored of the handsomest young man ami, failing to win ins affections, trumped up the story that caused him to be placed in prison. Having satisfied himself as to the integrity of Joseph and finding that the God in whom he trusts has 'worked wonders through him, the king yesterday issued an order making ■him governor in Egypt and instructing him lo gath er up corn against the day of tannine. His majes ty and the new governor are today making out a list of the men who will be appointed to help in this work and within the next few days a contract will be let for the erection of several of the largest barns that have ever been built in Egypt. ♦ Only One Pair. Mamma—“Why, Johnny, what is the matter?” Johnny—“ M-my new s-shoes hurt my f-feet.” Mamma—“No wonder, dear; you have them on the wrong feet.” Johnny—“ W-well, I c-can’t help it. I ain’t g-got no other f-feet. 800-hoo-oo! ” —'Chicago News. For Men Only. Sunday School Teacher, reprovingly—Georgia, do you know where little boys go when they don’t come to Sunday school? Georgie (greatly embarrassed) —Yes’m, down to the river behind that big sycamore—but don’t you go, it’s only for men. 9