EGYPTIAN LIGHT ON BIBLE TEXTS.

Customs and habits of life still existing in Egypt illustrate many usages referred to in the Bible. The Sunday at Home gives the following example:

"Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Exodus 3: 5.

This putting off the shoes is an invariable custom in the East as an act of courtesy or reverence. The Mussulman on entering his mosque, the Copt in passing into his church, leaves his shoes at the door; it is, indeed, common to all Orientals in the act of worship; nor that alone, for it is done as a mark of respect on appearing before a superior.

"Now Israel loved Joseph, . . . and he made him a coat of many colors." Genesis 37: 3.

Such a coat we often see in the streets of Cairo; it comes from Syria, and is made of pieces of cloth of divers colors, so arranged as to form a rude though effective pattern. The edges are then braided, and sometimes very elaborately.

"Over Edom will I cast out my shoes."

Psalm 60: 8.

Casting a shoe at a wife is at this day in Egypt a sign of divorce and of great contempt.

"By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff." Hebrews 11: 21.

The Coptic Christians, down to the present time, lean upon a staff, or sort of crutch, in their worship, as they have no seats in their churches; it is made with a transverse piece of wood at the top, thus, T; on this staff they place both hands, and thus support themselves as they stand during the prayers and the reading of the gospel. Their services are very long; but this is doubtless a primitive usage.

"On the tops of their houses, and in the streets, every one shall howl, weeping bitterly." Isaiah 15: 3.

This custom still obtains here. Dressed in the dark blue cotton of the country, I see women wailing, or, more literally, howling, on the housetops; and we often hear them making "a great cry in the streets.

"Their throat is an open sepulchre." Psalm 5: 8.

Many of the Arabs bury without coffins to the present day; and where a coffin is used, they do not fasten down the lid, but

cover it with cashmere shawls. The wealthy have family vaults, the walls of which rise a foot or two above the surface of the ground. When the vault is opened for a fresh tenant, or when the wall yields to natural decay, as is not uncommon, the effluvium proceeding from the open sepulchre is fearful-like the words of the wicked.

"Elijah girded up his loins and ran before Ahab." 1 Kings 18: 46. The groom who prepares to run before his master always wears a broad girdle round his loins, which he tightens as occasion requires; and he generally tucks one side of his flowing garment therein, which give a greater freedom to the legs.

"When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house if any man fall from thence." Deuteronomy 22: 8.

I am reminded of this merciful injunction when I see the large and lofty houses in Cairo, with flat roofs, called terraces, where the inmates take the air at eventide. These are generally surmounted with a slight lath and plaster barricade, with a battlement top, as is the case of the mission-house, giving it a castellated appearance: but in many instances modern innovation has substituted fancy palisades to prevent the hazard of any one falling from the roof. Few houses are so insignificant as not to have a terrace and protecting barrier.

DEBORAH, THE SERVANT OF JACOB.

BY THE EDITOR.

Lately, as I was seated in the office of a certain dentist, the doorbell rang. An old lady stepped in, leading a sorrowful child by the hand.

"Good morning, 'Auntie,' what can I do for you this morning?" said the doctor, kindly.

"Doctor, I've brought this little girl to you. She has such dreadful pain in her teeth. Can't you do something for her, doctor? But, doctor, the poor little thing can't pay for it, she is poor." "All right, 'Auntie,' bring her in this afternoon."

Overhearing this conversation in an adjoining room, I afterwards inquired: "Doctor, who is 'Auntie' ?"

"Don't you remember old 'Auntie,' who lived with us many years? The poor soul, she pitied the little girl so, that she could not help crying. She is a very tender-hearted kind old

woman."

The incident started a pleasant train of thoughts in my mind. "Auntie" had lived with the doctor many years. She always proved herself kind and trustworthy. And the family were kind to her. In her old age, after she had left the family for a number of years, she picks up a penniless child in the street, crying with the toothache. She has no one to pity, no one to care for her. The sight is too much for the kindly heart of "Auntie." She thinks of her former mistress and her kind husband. Would he not relieve the poor girl without pay? She knew her man. Leading her many squares to the office of her friend showed a certain kind of faith in the doctor's skill and charity, which seemed as flattering to his heart as to hers.

We have a touching instance of this kind related in the life of Jacob.

"So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is Bethel), he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and he called the place El-beth-el; because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. But Deborah (which means a bee), Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel, under an oak : and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth (the oak of weeping)."

In wealthy and noble families of the ancients in the East the

nurse of a child was kept for life. After the child had grown up she followed its destinies, as a friend and companion and in turn became the nurse and foster mother of its children. When Jehosheba stole Joash from among the sons of Ahaziah, she took the nurse along with him. (2 Kings 11: 2.)

And when Abraham's faithful servant, Eliezer, had secured the consent of Rebekah to become the wife of Isaac, the blushing bride took her nurse with her to her distant home; most likely the woman who had nursed her when an infant. "And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse." (Genesis 24: 59). This "Nurse" doubtless was Deborah, who must have nursed Rebekah when a child. Now she follows her as her foster mother and friend, and the nurse of coming generations. She nurses Jacob and Esau. In Jacob's family she continues to live till her death. We are not told whether Jacob had her brought to Mesopotamia, or whether she met him on his return, at Succoth or Shechem. After tarrying a while at both these places, he at length reaches Bethel, where twenty years before he had spent a solemn night. Now he builds an altar, as he then promised. Great preparations are made for this solemn service. The strange gods or images must be put away. Their garments must be cleaned. Even their ear rings or amulets, used for idolatrous purposes, are given up. And Jacob buries them under the oak at Shechem. Then they proceed to Bethel, build the altar, and offer sacrifices of thankfulness.

While here engaged in this solemn act, the old nurse Deborah dies. She must be over a hundred years old. Though a servant, she was an important member of the patriarchal family. Her pious heart and diligent hand helped to mould the character of Rebekah, of Jacob and his sons. We are not told when and where the wife of Isaac died, or where she was buried. Strange that her nurse is honored with such a notice. She must have been tenderly loved by the sons of Jacob. The friend of their early days, who relieved their child wants and woes, gently chided their wayward feet, and joined them in their plays and their prayers to the God of Jacob their father. In her old days they kindly cared for her. When she is too feeble to walk or work, they help and support her as she nears the end of life's journey. And now, when she dies, they lay her gently under the old oak, into her dusty bed. The large family of Jacob had seldom seen such a sorrowful day, as was that of her burial. So great was the weeping and lamentation by the grateful children of Jacob and their parents, under the old tree, that it was ever thereafter called "the oak of weeping."

The question of domestic help is perplexing the minds of many people. It is so hard to get good help, and so hard to keep it. Servants are not now what they used to be. Bridget has become a saucy independent personage, who claims the right to serve where she pleases, and to have things very much her own way. Doubtless the fault lies not all on one side. Corruption and fashion descend like a stream, from the higher to the lower classes, from the wealthy to the poor, from the mistress to the servant. Bridget sees the airs, flummery and feathers of her mistress, and admires and apes them. To do that she must have time and high wages. In many cases servants simply reflect the morals of their employers.

Would it not be well to adopt the patriarchal plan on this subject? Try and get little girls or quite young women. Give them a Christian education and training. Help them to a character that will make them pleasant and useful companions to yourself and children. Have an eye to their religious habits; be to them a trusty friend and counsellor. Insist on the cultivation of piety and habits of prayer.

Then do not make strangers of them. Give them good books and papers to read, and allow them to read them in your cozy sitting room, and do not push them on a cold cheerless garret. Give them good wages, and they will try all the more to serve you well, in the Lord. Give them the assurance that if they obey you and behave well that you will never forsake them in time of trouble, sickness or old age. That if you should die before they, you would charge your children to be kind to them, and, if possible, give them a home.