Bulrushes Plants which were used for the weaving of baskets.

Ark A woven basket.

Pitch A sticky substance daubed on the basket to keep out the water.

Handmaid A servant.

Once upon a time a little boy was born to some poor Hebrew people who were slaves in Egypt. The pharaoh, or king of that country, did not like the Hebrew people, and he said that all the little boy babies born to them must be killed. But the mother of this little boy wanted to save her pretty baby if she could. So she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done with him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked {118} along by the river side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compa.s.sion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?"

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go."

And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto 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. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses.

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THE RIVER NILE

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

The great river Nile was the very life of the country of Egypt which lies along its banks. A little way back from the river the desert begins. On the little green strip of the banks lived the proud and powerful people who enslaved the Israelites. A fleet of dahabiyehs is being loaded by the sh.o.r.e.

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AN OLD BOOK OF SONGS

Gates and Courts The gates and open s.p.a.ces of the temple of G.o.d.

Endureth Lasteth.

Faithfulness G.o.d will keep his promises.

Unto all generations Always.

In a city of the Bible land, called Jerusalem, there was a great temple, a sort of big church. Every day people came to this temple to worship in it. On the Sabbath, all the people came to worship in it.

They did not sit in seats as we do in church, but stood up and listened. In front of where they stood were steps. Here, where all the people could see, stood a great band of singers dressed in white robes. Near by, were men with silver trumpets. When they blew the trumpets, all the people bowed down to pray. Then the singers sang praises to G.o.d, and the musicians played upon all the instruments of music, and the great temple was filled with glad, joyous song. The book of songs from which they sang is the book of Psalms in our Bible.

Many of the songs were calls to the people to praise G.o.d for his goodness. Here is one of them:--

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. {122} Know ye that the Lord he is G.o.d: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name.

For the Lord is good; and his mercy endureth for ever; And his faithfulness unto all generations.

Here is another beautiful song of praise:--

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

In his hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; And his hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker: For he is our G.o.d, And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

The great pyramids of Egypt are among the wonders of the world. They are the tombs of some of the Pharaohs. They are great ma.s.ses of stone, and we can hardly imagine how in those days it was possible to build them. The sphinx is a great stone figure of a beast with a human face. The pyramids and the sphinx were built before Joseph came to Egypt.

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Here is a song of trust in G.o.d, who watches over us day and night:--

I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: From whence shall my help come?

My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.

The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in, From this time forth and for evermore.

The shortest song of all those in the book is a song of praise:--

O praise the Lord, all ye nations: Praise him, all ye peoples.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord.

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A STORY WHICH JESUS TOLD

Straightway At once.

Tribulation Trouble.

Persecution Injury done one by an enemy.