brothers. These were crimes his elders fretted over among themselves and

proposed to punish when the opportunity should offer. When they saw him

coming up from the Sea of Galilee, they recognized him and were glad.

They said, "Lo, here is this dreamer--let us kill him." But Reuben

pleaded for his life, and they spared it. But they seized the boy, and

stripped the hated coat from his back and pushed him into the pit. They

intended to let him die there, but Reuben intended to liberate him

secretly. However, while Reuben was away for a little while, the

brethren sold Joseph to some Ishmaelitish merchants who were journeying

towards Egypt. Such is the history of the pit. And the self-same pit is

there in that place, even to this day; and there it will remain until the

next detachment of image-breakers and tomb desecraters arrives from the

Quaker City excursion, and they will infallibly dig it up and carry it

away with them. For behold in them is no reverence for the solemn

monuments of the past, and whithersoever they go they destroy and spare

not.

Joseph became rich, distinguished, powerful--as the Bible expresses it,

"lord over all the land of Egypt." Joseph was the real king, the

strength, the brain of the monarchy, though Pharaoh held the title.

Joseph is one of the truly great men of the Old Testament. And he was

the noblest and the manliest, save Esau. Why shall we not say a good

word for the princely Bedouin? The only crime that can be brought

against him is that he was unfortunate. Why must every body praise

Joseph's great-hearted generosity to his cruel brethren, without stint of

fervent language, and fling only a reluctant bone of praise to Esau for

558

The Innocents Abroad