ather's wrist, trying to lift the hand to the other head. The mother
seems to smile as if well content. Perhaps she shares the
grandfather's preference for little Ephraim.

The picture is a study in the three ages of man, childhood, manhood,
and old age, brought together by the most tender and sacred ties of
human life, in the circle of the family.

III

THE ANGEL RAPHAEL LEAVING THE FAMILY OF TOBIT

The story of Tobit is found in what is called the Apocrypha, that is,
a collection of books written very much in the manner of the Bible,
and formerly bound in Bibles between the Old and the New Testament.

The story goes that when Enemessar, King of Assyria, conquered the
people of Israel, he led away many of them captive into Assyria, among
them the family of Tobit, his wife Anna, and their son Tobias. They
settled in Nineveh, and Tobit, being an honest man, was made purveyor
to the king. That is, it was his business to provide food for the
king's household.

In this office he was able to lay up a good deal of money, which he
placed for safe keeping in the hands of Gabael, an Israelite who lived
at Rages in Media. Tobit was a generous man, and he did many kind
deeds for his less fortunate fellow exiles; he delighted in feeding
the hungry and clothing the naked.

When Sennacherib was king of Assyria, many Jews were slain and left
lying in the street, and Tobit, finding their neglected bodies, buried
them secretly. One night, after some such deed of mercy, a sad
affliction befell him. White films came over his eyes, causing total
blindness. In his distress he prayed that he might die, and began to
make preparations for death. He called his son Tobias to him and gave
him much good advice as to his manner of life, and then desired him to
go to Rages to obtain the money left there with Gabael. But Tobias
must first seek a guide for the journey. "Therefore," says the story,
"when he went to seek a man, he found Raphael that was an angel. But
he knew not; and he said unto him, 'Canst thou go with me to Rages?
and knowest thou those places well?' To whom the angel said, 'I will
go with thee, and I know the way well: for I have lodged with our
brother Gabael,'" The angel gave himself the name Azarias. "So they
went forth both, and the young man's dog with them."

"As they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the river
Tigris, and they lodged there. And when the young man went down to
wash himself, a