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that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master."

Before he had quite done praying, a young woman came out of the city with a pitcher to draw water, and approached the well. It was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother, Nahor; so that Abraham was her great uncle. She was a fair young woman, of a very interesting appearance, such an one as Eliezer might well hope would prove to be a suitable wife for Isaac.

While she was drawing some water from the well, he made haste to meet her. He accosted her, as he proposed to do in the prayer which he had just offered. "Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher."

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With a kind and prompt civility, such as she was accustomed to show to strangers, she said, Drink, my lord," and immediately "let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink."

And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels."

Such were the simple and hospitable customs of those times. Eliezer was a stranger and advanced in years. The well had been dug by some of the inhabitants of the city, and was regarded by them as their property. There were often disputes and quarrels about wells in those days, and travellers sometimes had to pay for the water which they and their camels drank.

Rebekah wished, not only to show her hospitality to this very respectable company of strangers, as they appeared to be, but to let them see, by hastening to draw the water herself, how entirely welcome they were to what was considered so valuable.

Eliezer wondered at all that he saw and heard. Thus far his prayer had been answered in a singular and very striking manner. He stood in silent amazement, while the camels were yet at the trough drinking, inquiring in his own mind what the result would be.

When they had done, he asked her whose daughter she was, and whether himself and his attendants could lodge in her father's house.

"I am the daughter of Bethuel," she replied, "the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor; we have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

On hearing this, Eliezer took a beautiful gold ornament for the face, and two rich bracelets of gold for the hands, and presented them to Rebekah. He was so struck, also, with the discovery of who she was, and with the persuasion that the object of his journey would be accomplished, that full of gratitude to God," he bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren."

"And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house of these things.'

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In all that Abraham did in this affair of endeavouring to procure a wife for his son, we see how strongly he desired to do what he

thought would be pleasing to God. He might, doubtless have found one among some of the rich and powerful families of the Canaanites, who would have been proud of such a connection with his. But faith in the promises of God, and obedience to his commands, appear conspicuous in this, and in all his other conduct. He acts not to promote his worldly honor, or to increase his worldly possessions, but to do his duty towards his Heavenly Father, and to secure his favor and blessing for himself and for his family.

Let us not forget the oath of Eliezer, which Abraham required him to take; nor the long and laborious journey on which he sent him, to procure a wife for Isaac from among those who knew and worshipped the true God.

Let our plans, whatever they may be, which have any kind of connection with our fellow-men, be formed in the fear of God;that we may the better love and serve him, and do good to our own souls and to the souls of those around us. And let us beseech him, continually and earnestly, to lead us to do this; and keep us from those temptations of worldly honor or wealth which would allure us from the path of duty and of peace.

STORY XX.

ISAAC BECOMES THE HUSBAND OF REBEKAH.

REBEKAH had a brother whose name was Laban. As soon as he saw the costly ornaments which his sister had received from the stranger, and heard what he said to her, he went quickly to the well to meet him.

"And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord: wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

Eliezer and his company then went with him, and were received with the kindest hospitality by Rebekah's mother and the whole family. It seems that her father was not living.

Straw and provender were furnished to the camels, and water immediately brought to wash the feet of the strangers, the reason of which the reader doubtless recollects.

Food was set before Eliezer; but he would not eat till he had told the object of his visit. -"I am," said he, "Abraham's servant.

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