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PINEY
WOODS
RACHEL’S REST.
By Lucy Rice.
“Po’ thing!” murmured a neighbor,
looking pityingly into Rachel’s still
face, “I hope she had pleasant dreams
as she dozed off, and didn’t fear to
find the River Jordan soap-suds or
dish-water. Po’ thing! She never
woulder done it if she hadn’t been
broke down. The Lord only knows
what’ll become of them children!”
They put her wedding dress on her
—’twas the newest one she had, and
folded her yellowed hands over the
yellowed lace on her breast. Then,
the seven children were allowed to
come in for a last look at her. They
wept and declared it was not “Ma.”
Someone said the reason she looked
unnatural was because they had never
before seen her resting.
It was the fall of the year, when
everything in nature was dying that
Rachel- died, too. Rachel died of her
own accord. She saturated her only
handkerchief with chloroform, then
put it over her face, and lay down
for a long rest.
That was the only selfish thing
Rachel had done since her marriage,
ten years before. Os course, it was
very wrong; but, then, there was such
a big wash waiting to be done, and
there was so much sewing, before the
three oldest children should be ready
for school, and the baby had been
exposed to whooping-cough, and the
cooking-stove refused to draw —and Ra
chel was tired.
Rachel’s death inconvenienced Jim
very much. He was compelled to lose
a whole day from his farm work to
attend to the burial. If Rachel had
thought, she would surely have put it
off until Jim’s busiest season was over.
Jim did not understand why Rachel
did it. She could not have been dis
satisfied with her lot. Why, there was
not another woman's husband in all
the country saving as much money as
he was. It was certainly a mystery
JOSEPH TESTS HIS BRETHREN.
June 1, 1913.
Time—l7o7 B. C.
Gen. 44-4 to 17.
Places —Egypt and just outside the
city.
THE GOLDEN TEXT: “Confess
therefore your sins one to another,
and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed.” —James 5:16.
SUGGESTIVE THOUGHT.
What Should I Do?
1. Get the Stolen Cup Out of Your
Sack. —Vs. 4 to 12.
These brethren were innocent of tak
ing this cup, but on another occasion
they had been guilty of “rewarding evil
for good.” (Gen. 37-13 to 20). We
too have been guilty of rewarding evil
for good in our treatment of our fel
lowman, but more especially in our
treatment of Christ. (Ps. 35-12; Ps.
109-5; Prov. 17-13; John 10-32; John
15-25.) Have you a stolen cup in your
sack? Have you used your time as
; HEkF
why Rachel should have wanted to
relinquish this life.
It was fully three months before
Jim could arrange to get another wife.
In the meantime, he had to give the
younger children out to any of the
neighbors who were kind enough to
keep them, and hire a woman to come
and help the older children with the
work. The hired woman never came
in to start the day’s work until after
sunrise, whereas, Rachel had always
arisen at 4 o’clock and given Jim an
early breakfast.
The new arrangement was a great
bother, certainly. Jim could not com
prehend why it was that, when school
opened, the children were unable to
go, on account of having nothing fit
to wear. He was disgusted that the
fruit was all rotting on the ground,
instead of drying, canning, and pre
serving itself as usual. He was puz
zled to know why he never had a clean
shirt ready to put on, and why the
lamps were always smoked, untrimmed
and in need of oil. It vexed him that
he was constantly being called on for
money for household expenses. Rachel
had always taken butter and eggs to
the store to give in exchange for the
things she needed. Things were cer
tainly being badly managed, Jim
thought, so he discharged the hired
woman and got another. The new one
was not very kind to the children.
She put too much soda in the bread,
and made the coffee too weak. Jim
was plainly discouraged.
The children went around with soil
ed faces and hands, uncombed hair and
their clothes hanging on by one but
ton. They did not miss their mother
much. Now they could play out in
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Byi B. LACY HOGE, Richmond, Va.
directed in God’s word? Have you
used your money in the right way?
Have you given to God that part he re
quires of you? Are you using your
talents to build up the kingdom of
God? If you are keeping back any
thing that should be surrendered to
God, you have a stolen cup in your
sack. If like Joseph’s brethren you
are covering up an old sin, it will
give you trouble.
11. Don’t Practice Deception —Vs. 4
to 12.
Whatever may have been Joseph’s
intentions, he practiced deception up
on his brethren. This was wrong]
We are not to defend Joseph or his
acts. This record was not given for
our imitation, but for our instruction
and our admonition. (I. Cor. 10-11;
Rom. 15r4.) His brothers had prac
ticed deception upon their father ana
caused him to rend his clothes. (Gen.
37-31 to 34.) Now this deception prac
ticed upon them by Joseph was caus-
The Golden Age for May 22, 1913.
the rain all they wanted to. At night
they cried with the ear-ache, and their
father thought it strange that they had
never been bothered, or rather both
ered others, with it before.
Nobody thought of gathering the
dried vegetables for next year’s plant
ing. Nobody thought to feed the lit
tle turkeys down by the barn; so one
morning they were found with their
feet turned up to the sun. The cows
fell back in giving milk until there
was scarcely enough for the family
use all because a good milker could
not be found for them. The dead
leaves were not swept from the yard,
the weeds were allowed to grow up
with the flowers, and things looked
desolate. Everything about the house
showed very plainly that Rachel was
resting. Jim has never yet under
stood why Rachel went off for her
long rest. Os course, it was very
wrong of Rachel.
Frank Jackson, one of the best
known evangelists in Georgia, and
who tips the beam at over 200, was
jokingly asked at one of his meetings
why it was that he was so large and
his wife, who weighs less than 100,
was so small. The inquirer rather in
sinuated that it was neglect on the
part of Brother Jackson to properly
provide for her.
Quick as a flash the evangelist re
plied: “I eat the good things you peo
ple set before me, but she has to make
out with what I can buy with what
money you folks give me.” With a
sickly, guilty smile, the jokester back
ed away, hitched up his fine team
and drove back to his splendid coun
try home.
ing them to rend their clothes. “What
soever a man soweth, that shall he
reap.” (V. 13; Gal. 6-7.)
111. Confess Your Sins —The Golden
Text. James 5-16; Vs. 16 to 28.
“He that covereth his sin shall not
prosper, but vhoso confesseth and for
sake them shall have mercy.” (Prov.
28-13.) When Judah made full confes
sion, Joseph made himself known. If
we confess our sins, we will hear our
great Joseph say, “Come near unto
me; your sins nailed me to the cross,
you meant it for evil, but God meant
it for good to cleanse you from sin
and redeem lost men and give them a
home with him. The sin of these breth
ren that has been covered for years
has at last brought them in dismay on
the ground at the feet of Joseph. They
were called upon to give an account
of themselves and their deeds. Ju
dah knew that the present charge was
unjust, but he also saw that it was
all the outcome of their own sins.
SKETCHES
By MARGARET BEVERLY UPSHAW
SET FOR FISH.
The old physician is an enthusiastic
angler in every sense of the term.
While on his way home from a fish
ing trip he received an emergency call.
The proud newly-made father was im
patient to have the child weighed, but
couldn’t find the steelyards; so the
physician had to use the pocket scales
with which he weighed his fish.
“Great Scott, doctor!” exclaimed the
father as he saw the pointer go up.
“Thirty-seven and a half pounds!”
The little daughter of a clergyman
stubbed her toe and said, “Darn!”
“I’ll give you ten cents,” said her
father, “if you’ll never say that word
again.”
A few days afterward she came to
him and said:
“Papa, I’ve got a word worth half
a dollar.”
They Should First be Friends.
I do not believe in love at first sight.
Oh, yes, I know there is a mutual
attraction, and this impulse many mis
take for love. But it will not do
to marry on. Two people who intend
to enter upon the life-time partner
ship and close association of marriage
should know each other thoroughly—
the every-day side of each other, as
well as the company side —the senti
mental side, but also the real man.
TO PREVENT BODILY ODORS,
from the skin, mouth, armpits and
feet or internal organs, dissolve one
teaspoonful of Tyree’s Antiseptic Pow
der in a pint of water and use as a
wash, gargle or douche. All disagree
able odors stop at once, while the
cause is soon removed by the purify
ing properties of this antiseptic lo
tion. Invaluable as a douche, enema
or spray for cleansing and disinfec
ting purposes. Get a 25c box at any
drug store (or by mail) and if not
pleased, return the empty box and get
your money back. J. S. Tyree, Chem
ist, Washington, D. C. Mr. Tyree will
mail a liberal sample of his powder
with full directions free to all who
write, mentioning this paper.
(Vs. 16; Gen. 42-21 to 28. The day
is coming when all will bow at the feet
of our great Joseph. (Phil. 2-10 and
11; Rom. 14-11.) The time is com
ing when everyone shall give an ac
count of himself and his deed to Jesus.
(11. Cor. 5-10; Rom. 14-12.) God al
ways finds out our sins and brings
them to the light and often he does
so in the most unexpected -ways.
(Num. 32-23; Josh. 7-1 and 18 to 20;
Judges 1-7; Luke 12r2; Eccl. 12-4.)
IV. —Be True in Time of Trial —Vs.
17 to 34; Gen. 43-9.
Judah had been guilty of many sins
in the past, but when the trial came
upon him he was true to his vow and
offered to take the place of Benjamin.
Let us follow this example and no
matter what may have been our past,
make a vow to do right and under
all circumstances be true to your vow
and true to your fellowman and true
to God.
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