her hand towards the unconscious babe, and murmuring, Benoni, "The son of my sorrow," her eyelids fell, and the imprisoned spirit fled.

Upon the grave of Rachel, he erected a pillar, that the spot might be remembered as the burial place of Israel's beloved wife. Long he wept for her; but she had left him two fair boys to whom descended her own gentle loving spirit, and upon these he lavished all the love that once was hers. He did not retain his mother's mournful name for the younger, but called him Benjamin, "the son of my right hand," as expressing the value he set upon him.

From this place Israel journeyed beyond Edar, and thence to the Vale of Hebron-to Mamre the fair beautiful home of his childhood and youth. As he saw the white tents of his father arise before him, his heart flew back to the time when, a happy careless boy, he had tended the sheep in the plain, or sat by the door of the tent, whilst the delights around would steal over his senses. He forgot the years that had elapsed since he quitted this dear

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spot and all the sorrows and the joys he had experienced, he felt himself again a youth, and hastened forward half-expecting to see his mother watching for him at the tent, and his father returning from his employments in the field.

But alas! no mother was there; for over her the grave had long closed its mouth; and his father, blind and decrepit, received him lying on his couch. Yet with tears of joy and heartfelt blessings he received him, and the children that he brought with him. Israel pitched his tent here, resolving to remain and cheer with filial piety his father's path to the grave.

Now Israel loved Joseph, the first-born of Rachel, more than all his sons. He was fourteen years old when Benjamin was born. Gentle and loving, his spirit clung with fondness to his father and his young brother; and the two grew together like a tender rosebud, and a bright opening blossom on the same stem. The other sons of Jacob were angry and envious because of the superior love bestowed on Joseph, and they loved him not. The ready kindness and patient gentleness which he showed towards them, instead of winning their

affection, but made them more bitter; because it contrasted with their own conduct.

When Joseph was seventeen years old he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives, keeping the sheep. On their return, their father enquiring of their actions, Joseph told him of their evil deeds; so they now hated him with a deadly hatred, and would not so much as speak peaceably to him.

One night Joseph dreamed that they were all binding sheaves in the field; and behold the sheaves of his brethren stood round his, and bowed to it. And again he dreamed that the sun, and moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. These dreams he told to his father and his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed, come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" And his brethren envied him, and they hated him more and more.

Soon after this Jacob sent his sons from the Vale of Hebron to Shechem with the flocks. This was far off, and they could not frequently

return; so after a time he sent Joseph to enquire how they fared. He joyfully obeyed, for it was many days since he had seen "those faithless brothers whom he loved."

But, when he reached the plains of Shechem, his brethren were not there. A man found him wandering about, and looking anxiously for them, and he told him that they were gone to Dothan. Thither he followed, regardless of his own toil, and thinking only of the pleasure of meeting his brethren; and when he saw the sheep scattered in parcels over the plain, and fancied he could distinguish each of his brethren, as he tended his own division, his heart bounded with joy, and he ran forward stretching forth his arms, as if eager to fold them to his bosom. Alas! his guileless soul knew not, and could not comprehend, all the dark treachery of theirs.

At a distance they discovered him, for he wore an embroidered coat of many colours, which his father had given him as a token of affection, and now, unchecked by their father's immediate presence, the fierceness of their hatred blazed forth, and they planned to murder

him, and tell their father that a beast had devoured him; "And then," cried they, mockingly, "we shall see what will become of his dreams."

But Reuben, the eldest son of Israel, was struck with horror at the thought of imbruing his hands in the blood of a child, and his brother too; yet it was vain to contend openly with the fury of the rest, so he proposed that they should cast him into a pit; intending to take him out unknown to them. To this they agreed, and as soon as the boy approached and began to speak words of affectionate greeting, with a countenance confirming every word he uttered, they fiercely seized him and stripped him of his coat of many colours, and binding his hands, threw him into a well, in which was no water. Vainly did the trembling boy enquire what he had done, and entreat them to look and speak like his brethren, they heeded not his tears or his words, but with taunting and bitter mockery, proceeded with their savage purpose; and then, as if the intention of fratricide had no power to make even a transient impression on their seared consciences, they sat down to eat bread,