nd purer, and holier
emotions of our nature. For instance: the beloved child of the
beautiful mother of Israel, for whom Jacob toiled fourteen years,
which were but as one day for the love he bare her--this child, so
eagerly coveted by his mother, so devotedly loved by his father, and
who was destined hereafter to wield the destinies of such a mighty
empire--had a token, a peculiar token, bestowed on him of his father's
overwhelming love and affection. And what was it? "A coat of many
colours;" probably including some not in general use, and obtained by
an elaborate process. Entering himself into the minutiae of a concern,
which, however insignificant in itself, was valuable in his eyes as
giving pleasure to his boy, the fond father selects pieces of
various-coloured cloth, and sets female hands, the most expert of his
household, to join them together in the form of a coat.

But, alas! to whom should he intrust the task? She whose fingers
would have revelled in it, Rachel the mother, was no more; her warm
heart was cold, her busy fingers rested in the tomb. Would his sister,
would Dinah execute the work? No; it was but too probable that she
shared in the jealousy of her brothers. No matter. The father
apportions the task to his handmaidens, and himself superintends the
performance. With pleased eye he watches its progress, and with
benignant smile he invests the happy and gratified child with the
glowing raiment.

This elaborate piece of work, the offering of paternal affection to
please a darling child, was probably the simple and somewhat clumsy
original of those which were afterwards embroidered and subsequently
woven in various colours, and which came to be regarded as garments of
dignity and appropriated to royalty; as it is said of Tamar that "she
had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the
king's daughters that were virgins apparelled." It is even now
customary in India to dress a favourite or beautiful child in a coat
of various colours tastefully _sewed together_; and it may not perhaps
be very absurd to refer even to so ancient an origin as Joseph's coat
of many colours the superstition now prevalent in some countries,
which teaches that a child clothed in a garment of many colours is
safe from the blasting of malicious tongues or the machinations of
evil spirits.

In the Book of Samuel we read, "And Hannah his mother, made him a
little coat." This seems a trivial incident enough