son's course of action, be proved a liar."

Here he paused to push his white hair back from his burning brow and, as
no one contradicted him, he turned to the worker in metals, and added
with cordial friendliness:

"What angered me, Uri, was certainly not your purpose. That is a good
one; but you have measured the greatness and majesty of the God of our
fathers by the standard of the false gods of the Egyptians, who die and
rise again and, as Aaron has just said, represent only minor attributes
of Him who is in all and transcends everything. To serve God, until Moses
taught me a better counsel, I deemed meant to sacrifice an ox, a lamb, or
a goose upon the altar like the Egyptians; but your eyes, as befell me
through Moses, will not be opened to Him who rules the world and has made
us His people, until, like me, you, and all of us, and probably my son
also, shall each have kindled in his own breast the sacrificial fire
which never goes out and consumes everything that does not relate to Him
in love and loyalty, faith and reverence. Through Moses, His servant, God
has promised us the greatest blessings--deliverance from bondage, the
privilege of ruling on our own land as free men in a beautiful country,
our own possession and the heritage of our children. We are going forth
to receive His gift, and whoever seeks to stop us on our way, whoever
urges us to turn and creep back into the net whose brazen meshes we have
burst, advises his people to run once more like sheep into the fire from
which they have escaped. I am not angry with you; your face shows that
you perceive how foolishly you have erred; but all ye who are here must
know that I heard only a few hours ago from Moses' own lips these words:
'Whoever counsels return and the making of covenants with the Egyptians,
I will denounce as a scorner of Jehovah our God, and the destroyer and
worst foe of his people!'"

Uri went to the old man, gave him his hand, and deeply convinced of the
justice of his reproaches, exclaimed: "No treaty, no covenant with the
Egyptians! I am grateful to you, Nun, for opening my eyes. To me, also,
the hour will doubtless come in which you, or some one who stands nearer
to Him than I, will teach me to know your God, who is also mine."

As he ceased speaking, he went away with Nun, who put his arm around his
shoulders; but Miriam had listened breathlessly to Uri's last words, and
as he expressed a desire to know the God of his people, her e