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and a parting song, and as they went
away they turned to look back at the
grave, but they could not see it for the
flowers that covered it.
All were sorry that Fred was dead—
he was such a good boy—but they loved
Harry, and soon dried their tears, and
when they had reached his home, they
feasted at his table, and afterwards
played games until they were glad to
rest.
And when nine o’clock came, Harry’s
father read a chapter about our beauti
ful home in Heaven, “ where God shall
wipe away all tears from our eyes;’*
and after praying to God to guard them
through life, they went home to dream
of Harry’s party, and to wish that his
birthdays would come oftener.
►
Written for Burke’s Weekly
To EUie, on her Twelfth Birthday.
FROM HER MAMMA.
tBAULEIN ELLIE! must I pay
Compliments to thee to-day ;
Must I weave a birthday song
QQ/yO Very sweet and very long ?
YyT Fraulein Ellie! must I tell
How thy parents’ bosoms swell
High with hopes that give sure
gage
Os thy worth at riper age ?
Fraulein Ellie! be the dove
Nestling in the vale of love,
Rather than the brilliant bird,
Charming till her voice is heard.
Fraulein Ellie! be the flower,
Lowly, yet endued with power.
By rich perfume and sweet glance
All beholders to entrance.
Fraulein Ellie! let thy dress
Neat simplicity express ;
Soft and quiet colors choose,
Rather than more gaudy hues.
Fraulein Ellie 1 court old Time,
Hoary in old age sublime,
Swift his car outstrips the wind.
See thou be not left behind.
Fraulein Ellie! this I mean:
Always diligent be seen;
Truly will each moment tell
If my child employs it well.
Fraulein Ellie! more and more
Eagerly lay up in store
Gems of thought and wisdom’s gold,
Fraught are they with joys untold.
Fraulein Ellie ! ne’er despise
Counsel from the old and wise,
Lest, by giddy youth misled,
Turned may be my daughter’s head.
Fraulein Ellie ! never fret,
’Twill make trouble harder yet;
Nothing like a temper mild
Beautifies the little child.
Fraulein Ellie ! sooth to say,
I would have you blithe and gay;
Children’s voices ! let them ring
Merrily as birds in spring.
Fraulein Ellie 1 cherish yet
Dolls and every such like pet,
Fresh and green thy feelings keep.
Time enough there’ll be to weep.
Fraulein Ellie ! blessings now
Be upon thy youthful brow.
Fervently a mother prays
That her child be good always.
BURKE’S WEEKLY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
Fraulein Ellie ! now I ask,
Closing this my pleasant task,
That our Heavenly Father’s hand
Guide thee to the “ Happy land.”
E. H.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
BIOGRAPHIES OF ANCIENT PERSONS,
FOR YOUNG FOLKS.
BY PROF. T. B. RUSSELL, A. M.
MOSES.
IMOSES was born in the year of
the world 2433, and B. C.
1571, He was of the tribe of
Levi. His father was Amram, and
Jochebed was his mother. The birth
of Moses occurred while the Israelites
were in bondage in Egypt. At that
time, they were suffering a most cruel
and distressful persecution, which was
caused by a decree issued by the king
of Egypt, to destroy all the male child
ren of the Hebrews.
The infancy of Moses was attended
by most remarkable providential cir
cumstances. He was a babe of extra
ordinary beauty, and from this fact, the
tender affection of his parents for him
being greatly heightened, they deter
mined to save him, if possible, from the
execution of the fierce decree. His
mother therefore hid him three months;
but, at the end of this time, finding she
could conceal him no longer, she took
a little ark or boat of bulrushes, and
daubed it with slime and pitch, and
having put him in, she placed the ark
among the flags on the brink of the
great river Nile. His sister Miriam was
stationed at some distance off, in order
to watch the fate of the child. Near
this place, the daughter of Pharaoh,
the cruel king, came down with her
maidens, and walked along the river’s
side, and when she saw the ark among
the flags, she sent one of her maidens
to fetch it. When the princess had
opened the ark, she saw the child, and
whilst she gazed upon him, the babe
wept. The forlorn and helpless condi
tion, and the pitiful wailing and tears of
the little, innocent, lovely boy, touched
the heart of this noble lady. “ She had
compassion on him, and said, ‘This is
one of the Hebrews' children.’ ” His
sister, who had now approached the
party, “ Then said to Pharoah’s daugh
ter, ‘ Shall I go and call to thee a nurse
of the Hebrew women, that she may
nurse the child for thee ?’ And Phara
oh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ And
the maid went and called the child’s
mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said
to her, ‘ Take this child away and nurse
it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
And the woman took the child and
nursed it.”
The Bible further tells us that “the
child grew,” and his mother “ brought
him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he be
came her son.” She also called his
name Moses, “Because,” as she said,
“ I drew him out of the water.”
How wonderful is the Divine Provi
dence ! The little Moses in the ark of
bulrushes is as safe when rocked on the
waters of the mighty river as if lulled
to rest on his mother’s bosom. And,
though the haughty and heartless king
designed to destroy God’s people, root
and branch, how astonishingly does the
Lord disappoint him, by using as an in
strumentality a female member of his
own family, to preserve a deliverer for
His people.
From the moment that Moses was
brought to the princess and became her
son, his education commenced “in all
the learning and wisdom of the Egypt
ians.” There can be no doubt, how
ever, that he had sufficient opportunity
to associate with his own family and
people, in order to acquire ample in
struction in the true religion of his pious
ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and
Joseph. His own parents were unques
tionably pious, for the apostle Paul af
firms that, “ By faith, Moses, when he
was born, was hid three months of his
parents, because they saw he was a pro
per child ; and they were not afraid of
the king’s commandment.”
When Moses w~s grown, being then
full forty years old, he went to visit his
brethren, and viewed their burdens and
the despotism under which they groan
ed. Here he saw an Egyptian smiting
a Hebrew, and taking part with the lat
ter, he slew the former, and hid his body
in the sand. Upon a second day, he
went out and saw two Hebrews striving
together; whereupon, wishing to recon
cile them, he said to the one that did
the wrong, “Whereforesmitest thou thy
brother?” But the wrong-doer, refu
sing Ins kind offices, answered him
roughly and said, “Who made thee a
prince and a judge over us ? Wilt thou
kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian ?”
In consequence of this, Moses feared,
and felt certain that his treatment of the
Egyptian was known. When Pharaoh
heard of it, he sought to slay Moses.
On this account, he fled from Pharaoh,
and went into the land of Midian. Here
he was hospitably received by Reuel, or
Jethro, a priest of Midian. He married
Zipporah, one of Jethro’s daughters,
became the shepherd of his father-in
law’s flock, and resided in Midian forty
years. At the end of this time, whilst
tending the flock in a distant part of the
desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain
of God. Here, that wonderful miracle
of the bush that burned with fire and !
was not consumed, was manifested to 1
him. At this time and place, the Lord 1
appeared to him, and commissioned
him anew in a most extraordinary man
ner, to go on the mission of deliverance
to his countrymen from the bondage of
Egypt.
The wonderful facts and events in the
history of Moses, from the time of his :
return to Egypt until his death, are re- j
lated in a most graphic manner in the
Bible. In order justly to appreciate
them, they should be attentively and
reverently perused in the sacred vol
ume. The great miracles, which, by
the power of the Lord, he performed in
Egypt,—his dividing the waters of the
Red Sea and crossing its bed on dry
ground with the hosts of the children of
Israel, the destruction of Pharaoh and
his army in the waters, the miracles
which he wrought in the wilderness and
in the desert, and the amazing manifes
tations of Jehovah to him on Mount
Sinai, and at other places, are all dis
tinctly narrated in the divine word.
As respects Moses’ killing the Egypt
ian, wise commentator have justly con
cluded that he was divinely authorized
to inflict death upon the Egyptian, as a
punishment for having slain the He
brew. At that time he was sensible
that God had called him to be the leader
of his people, but he saw that the Israel
ites were not as yet prepared to leave
their bondage, nor had Providence yet
sufficiently opened the way. “ Had he
stayed in Egypt, he would have endan
gered his life. Prudence, therefore,
dictated an escape for a time to the land
of Midian.”
Os all mere men who have been hon
ored with the divine inspiration, Moses
appears to have possessed a character
the greatest and most sublime. He of
fended Jehovah at the waters of Meri
bah, and for this he was divinely pro
hibited from going over into the prom
ised land. But, notwithstanding this
deficiency, the character of Moses must
be regarded “as almost immaculate.”
The holy Scriptures style him the meek
est of men. This, doubtless, was a
grand and prevailing element of strength
in the bright assemblage of his noble
and illustrious qualities. The Spirit of
God has bestowed upon him this eulogy :
“ And there arose not a prophet since
in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jeho
vah knew face to face, in all the signs
and wonders which the Lord sent him
to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh,
and to all his servants, and to all his
land, and in all that mighty hand, and
all the great terror,which Moses showed
in the sight of all Israel.”
“By faith,” says the apostle, “ Mo
ses, when he was come to years, re
fused to be called the son of'Pharaoh’s
daughter, choosing rather to suffer af
fliction with the people of God, than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt; for
he had respect unto the recompense of
reward.”
The writ ings of Moses, which are the
first five books of the Bible, commonly
called the Pentateuch, are by hundreds
of years the oldest written productions
in the world.
Our brief space forbids us to speak
extensively of him as a law-giver, ruler,
poet, orator, writer, and in all other
varied relations. The Holy Word calls