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"Ishouldthinkso。Isaid，Well，ifyouwon\'tsing，youshan\'tsleep，anyway;andifyoufellowshadletmealoneIwouldhavemadehimshinoutofGalileequickerthananyturtleeverdidyet。Butitisn\'tanymatternow——letitgo。Theskinisalloffthebackofmyneck。"
AboutteninthemorningwehaltedatJoseph\'sPit。ThisisaruinedKhanoftheMiddleAges，inoneofwhosesidecourtsisagreatwalledandarchedpitwithwaterinit，andthispit，onetraditionsays，istheoneJoseph\'sbrethrencasthiminto。Amoreauthentictradition，aidedbythegeographyofthecountry，placesthepitinDothan，sometwodays\'
journeyfromhere。However，sincetherearemanywhobelieveinthispresentpitasthetrueone，ithasitsinterest。
ItishardtomakeachoiceofthemostbeautifulpassageinabookwhichissogemmedwithbeautifulpassagesastheBible;butitiscertainthatnotmanythingswithinitslidsmaytakerankabovetheexquisitestoryofJoseph。Whotaughtthoseancientwriterstheirsimplicityoflanguage，theirfelicityofexpression，theirpathos，andaboveall，theirfacultyofsinkingthemselvesentirelyoutofsightofthereaderandmakingthenarrativestandoutaloneandseemtotellitself？Shakspeareisalwayspresentwhenonereadshisbook;Macaulayispresentwhenwefollowthemarchofhisstatelysentences;buttheOldTestamentwritersarehiddenfromview。
IfthepitIhavebeenspeakingofistherightone，ascenetranspiredthere，longagesago，whichisfamiliartousallinpictures。ThesonsofJacobhadbeenpasturingtheirflocksnearthere。Theirfathergrewuneasyattheirlongabsence，andsentJoseph，hisfavorite，toseeifanythinghadgonewrongwiththem。Hetraveledsixorsevendays\'journey;
hewasonlyseventeenyearsold，and，boylike，hetoiledthroughthatlongstretchofthevilest，rockiest，dustiestcountryinAsia，arrayedintheprideofhisheart，hisbeautifulclawhammercoatofmanycolors。
Josephwasthefavorite，andthatwasonecrimeintheeyesofhisbrethren;
hehaddreameddreams，andinterpretedthemtoforeshadowhiselevationfaraboveallhisfamilyinthefarfuture，andthatwasanother;hewasdressedwellandhaddoubtlessdisplayedtheharmlessvanityofyouthinkeepingthefactprominentlybeforehisbrothers。Thesewerecrimeshiseldersfrettedoveramongthemselvesandproposedtopunishwhentheopportunityshouldoffer。WhentheysawhimcomingupfromtheSeaofGalilee，theyrecognizedhimandwereglad。Theysaid，"Lo，hereisthisdreamer——letuskillhim。"ButReubenpleadedforhislife，andtheysparedit。Buttheyseizedtheboy，andstrippedthehatedcoatfromhisbackandpushedhimintothepit。Theyintendedtolethimdiethere，butReubenintendedtoliberatehimsecretly。However，whileReubenwasawayforalittlewhile，thebrethrensoldJosephtosomeIshmaelitishmerchantswhowerejourneyingtowardsEgypt。Suchisthehistoryofthepit。Andtheself—samepitisthereinthatplace，eventothisday;andthereitwillremainuntilthenextdetachmentofimage—breakersandtombdesecratersarrivesfromtheQuakerCityexcursion，andtheywillinfalliblydigitupandcarryitawaywiththem。Forbeholdinthemisnoreverenceforthesolemnmonumentsofthepast，andwhithersoevertheygotheydestroyandsparenot。
Josephbecamerich，distinguished，powerful——astheBibleexpressesit，"lordoverallthelandofEgypt。"Josephwastherealking，thestrength，thebrainofthemonarchy，thoughPharaohheldthetitle。JosephisoneofthetrulygreatmenoftheOldTestament。Andhewasthenoblestandthemanliest，saveEsau。WhyshallwenotsayagoodwordfortheprincelyBedouin？Theonlycrimethatcanbebroughtagainsthimisthathewasunfortunate。WhymusteverybodypraiseJoseph\'sgreat—heartedgenerositytohiscruelbrethren，withoutstintofferventlanguage，andflingonlyareluctantboneofpraisetoEsauforhisstillsublimergenerositytothebrotherwhohadwrongedhim？JacobtookadvantageofEsau\'sconsuminghungertorobhimofhisbirthrightandthegreathonorandconsiderationthatbelongedtotheposition;bytreacheryandfalsehoodherobbedhimofhisfather\'sblessing;hemadeofhimastrangerinhishome，andawanderer。YetaftertwentyyearshadpassedawayandJacobmetEsauandfellathisfeetquakingwithfearandbeggingpiteouslytobesparedthepunishmentheknewhedeserved，whatdidthatmagnificentsavagedo？Hefelluponhisneckandembracedhim！WhenJacob——whowasincapableofcomprehendingnobilityofcharacter——stilldoubting，stillfearing，insistedupon"findinggracewithmylord"bythebribeofapresentofcattle，whatdidthegorgeoussonofthedesertsay？
"Nay，Ihaveenough，mybrother;keepthatthouhastuntothyself！"
EsaufoundJacobrich，belovedbywivesandchildren，andtravelinginstate，withservants，herdsofcattleandtrainsofcamels——buthehimselfwasstilltheuncourtedoutcastthisbrotherhadmadehim。Afterthirteenyearsofromanticmystery，thebrethrenwhohadwrongedJoseph，came，strangersinastrangeland，hungryandhumble，tobuy"alittlefood";andbeingsummonedtoapalace，chargedwithcrime，theybeheldinitsownertheirwrongedbrother;theyweretremblingbeggars——he，thelordofamightyempire！WhatJosephthateverlivedwouldhavethrownawaysuchachanceto"showoff？"Whostandsfirst——outcastEsauforgivingJacobinprosperity，orJosephonaking\'sthroneforgivingtheraggedtremblerswhosehappyrascalityplacedhimthere？
JustbeforewecametoJoseph\'sPit，wehad"raised"ahill，andthere，afewmilesbeforeus，withnotatreeorashrubtointerrupttheview，layavisionwhichmillionsofworshipersinthefarlandsoftheearthwouldgivehalftheirpossessionstosee——thesacredSeaofGalilee！
Thereforewetarriedonlyashorttimeatthepit。Werestedthehorsesandourselves，andfeltforafewminutestheblessedshadeoftheancientbuildings。Wewereoutofwater，butthetwoorthreescowlingArabs，withtheirlongguns，whowereidlingabouttheplace，saidtheyhadnoneandthattherewasnoneinthevicinity。Theyknewtherewasalittlebrackishwaterinthepit，buttheyveneratedaplacemadesacredbytheirancestor\'simprisonmenttoomuchtobewillingtoseeChristiandogsdrinkfromit。
ButFergusontiedragsandhandkerchiefstogethertillhemadearopelongenoughtoloweravesseltothebottom，andwedrankandthenrodeon;
andinashorttimewedismountedonthoseshoreswhichthefeetoftheSaviourhavemadeholyground。
AtnoonwetookaswimintheSeaofGalilee——ablessedprivilegeinthisroastingclimate——andthenlunchedunderaneglectedoldfig—treeatthefountaintheycallAin—et—Tin，ahundredyardsfromruinedCapernaum。
Everyrivuletthatgurglesoutoftherocksandsandsofthispartoftheworldisdubbedwiththetitleof"fountain，"andpeoplefamiliarwiththeHudson，thegreatlakesandtheMississippifallintotransportsofadmirationoverthem，andexhausttheirpowersofcompositioninwritingtheirpraises。Ifallthepoetryandnonsensethathavebeendischargeduponthefountainsandtheblandsceneryofthisregionwerecollectedinabook，itwouldmakeamostvaluablevolumetoburn。
Duringluncheon，thepilgrimenthusiastsofourparty，whohadbeensolight—heartedandsohappyeversincetheytouchedholygroundthattheydidlittlebutmutterincoherentrhapsodies，couldscarcelyeat，soanxiousweretheyto"takeshipping"andsailinverypersonuponthewatersthathadbornethevesselsoftheApostles。Theiranxietygrewandtheirexcitementaugmentedwitheveryfleetingmoment，untilmyfearswerearousedandIbegantohavemisgivingsthatintheirpresentconditiontheymightbreakrecklesslyloosefromallconsiderationsofprudenceandbuyawholefleetofshipstosailininsteadofhiringasingleoneforanhour，asquietfolkarewonttodo。Itrembledtothinkoftheruinedpursesthisday\'sperformancesmightresultin。Icouldnothelpreflectingbodinglyupontheintemperatezealwithwhichmiddle—agedmenareapttosurfeitthemselvesuponaseductivefollywhichtheyhavetastedforthefirsttime。AndyetIdidnotfeelthatIhadarighttobesurprisedatthestateofthingswhichwasgivingmesomuchconcern。Thesemenhadbeentaughtfrominfancytorevere，almosttoworship，theholyplaceswhereontheirhappyeyeswererestingnow。Formanyandmanyayearthisverypicturehadvisitedtheirthoughtsbydayandfloatedthroughtheirdreamsbynight。
Tostandbeforeitintheflesh——toseeitastheysawitnow——tosailuponthehallowedsea，andkisstheholysoilthatcompasseditabout:
thesewereaspirationstheyhadcherishedwhileagenerationdraggeditslaggingseasonsbyandleftitsfurrowsintheirfacesanditsfrostsupontheirhair。Tolookuponthispicture，andsailuponthissea，theyhadforsakenhomeanditsidolsandjourneyedthousandsandthousandsofmiles，inwearinessandtribulation。Whatwonderthatthesordidlightsofwork—dayprudenceshouldpalebeforethegloryofahopeliketheirsinthefullsplendorofitsfruition？Letthemsquandermillions！Isaid——whospeaksofmoneyatatimelikethis？
InthisframeofmindIfollowed，asfastasIcould，theeagerfootstepsofthepilgrims，andstoodupontheshoreofthelake，andswelled，withhatandvoice，thefrantichailtheysentafterthe"ship"thatwasspeedingby。Itwasasuccess。Thetoilersofthesearaninandbeachedtheirbarque。
Joysatuponeverycountenance。
"Howmuch？——askhimhowmuch，Ferguson！——howmuchtotakeusall——eightofus，andyou——toBethsaida，yonder，andtothemouthofJordan，andtotheplacewheretheswinerandownintothesea——quick！——andwewanttocoastaroundeverywhere——everywhere！——alldaylong！——
Icouldsailayearinthesewaters！——andtellhimwe\'llstopatMagdalaandfinishatTiberias！——askhimhowmuch？——anything——anythingwhatever！——tellhimwedon\'tcarewhattheexpenseis！"[Isaidtomyself，Iknewhowitwouldbe。]
Ferguson——（interpreting）——"Hesays
