FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1264   1265   1266   1267   1268   1269   1270   1271   1272   1273   1274   1275   1276   1277   1278   1279   1280   1281   1282   1283   1284   1285   1286   1287   1288  
1289   1290   1291   1292   1293   1294   1295   1296   1297   1298   1299   1300   1301   1302   1303   1304   1305   1306   1307   1308   1309   1310   1311   1312   1313   >>   >|  
d fugitives had come was now a wide sea, and the smoke was blown toward the north instead of toward the southwest--it was at the time of the first morning watch--his heart, surcharged with joy and gratitude, sent forth the jubilant shout: "Look at the pans. The wind has shifted! It is driving the sea northward. Pharaoh's army has been swallowed by the waves!" The group of rescued Hebrews remained silent for a short time; but suddenly Nun's loud voice exclaimed: "He has seen aright, children! What are we mortals! Lord, Lord! Stern and terrible art Thou in judgment upon Thy foes!" Here loud cries interrupted him; for at the springs where Moses leaned exhausted against a palm-tree, and Aaron was resting with many others, the people had also perceived what Ephraim had noticed--and from lip to lip ran the glad, terrible, incredible, yet true tidings, which each passing moment more surely confirmed. Many an eye was raised toward the sky, across which the black clouds were rushing farther and farther northward. The rain was ceasing; instead of the lightning and thunder only a few pale flashes were seen over the isthmus and the distant sea at the north, while in the south the sky was brightening. At last the setting moon emerged from the grey clouds, and her peaceful light silvered the heights of Baal-zephon and the shore of the bay, whose bottom was once more covered with tossing waves. The raging, howling storm had passed into the low sighing of the morning breeze, and the sea, which had dashed against the rocks like a roaring wild-beast, now lay quivering with broken strength at the stone base of the mountain. For a short time the sea still spread a dark pall over the many Egyptian corpses, but the paling moon, ere her setting, splendidly embellished the briny resting-place of a king and his nobles; for her rays illumined and bordered their coverlet, the sea, with a rich array of sparkling diamonds in a silver setting. While the east was brightening and the sky had clothed itself in the glowing hues of dawn, the camp had been pitched; but little time remained for a hasty meal for, shortly after sunrise, the gong had summoned the people and, as soon as they gathered near the springs, Miriam swung her timbrel, shaking the bells and striking the calf-skin till it resounded again. As she moved lightly forward, the women and maidens followed her in the rhythmic step of the dance; but she sang: "I will sing u
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1264   1265   1266   1267   1268   1269   1270   1271   1272   1273   1274   1275   1276   1277   1278   1279   1280   1281   1282   1283   1284   1285   1286   1287   1288  
1289   1290   1291   1292   1293   1294   1295   1296   1297   1298   1299   1300   1301   1302   1303   1304   1305   1306   1307   1308   1309   1310   1311   1312   1313   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

setting

 

terrible

 

remained

 

clouds

 

people

 

farther

 
brightening
 

resting

 
springs
 

morning


northward

 
Egyptian
 
spread
 
corpses
 

mountain

 
splendidly
 

nobles

 
illumined
 

bordered

 

strength


embellished
 

paling

 

quivering

 

tossing

 

covered

 

raging

 

howling

 

bottom

 
zephon
 

passed


roaring

 

coverlet

 

sighing

 

breeze

 

dashed

 

broken

 

resounded

 

timbrel

 
shaking
 
striking

lightly
 

forward

 
maidens
 
rhythmic
 

Miriam

 
glowing
 

clothed

 

sparkling

 

diamonds

 
silver