Till Shiloh Comes Read Online Free Page A

cakes.”
    Such almost proved true. Benjamin could hardly stand up he was so tired, and Jacob said, “Bring him into the tent. Joseph, I’m not through with you yet.”
    Dan and Naphtali waited for their father to thank them, but he ignored them completely as he gathered his “two lambs,” as he called them, into the tent.
    â€œWe should’ve let the wolves get ’em!” Dan snarled.
    â€œYou’re right. Father will wind up making heroes out of them, and not give a word of thanks to us for wearing our legs out looking for them!”
    Leah brought the boys food and Joseph ate ravenously, but Benjamin was so sleepy he wound up slumping over his dish. “Take him and put him to bed, Leah,” Jacob said, pulling Benjamin to his feet. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, young man.”
    â€œYes, Father. I’m sorry. We should have told you we were going.”
    â€œIndeed you should.” Jacob tried to sound angry, but the woebegone, tearstained face of the lad was too much. He put his arms around him, held him close, then kissed him and whispered, “Go on to bed, little lamb. Go to bed.”
    As soon as Leah had taken Benjamin to the tent he shared with Joseph, Jacob turned and said, “Joseph, I continually think you have reached the height of foolishness, but this is the worst!”
    Joseph fell to his knees. “Father, I deserve your just punishment. I was indeed wrong. Get out the rawhide and beat me until my back is bleeding.”
    â€œDon’t think I won’t do it!”
    â€œI deserve it, Father. I was thoughtless and had no more sense than one of the lambs that wanders away from the herd.”
    Jacob had been frightened at the possible loss of his two favorite sons, and now he was filled with indignation that Joseph had been foolish enough to risk both his own life and his brother’s.
    Seeing his father’s face, Joseph sought to assuage his anger by pulling a bag out of his woven sack. “We really went to buy you a present, Father, and here it is—sugared dates all the way from Damascus. Your favorite!”
    â€œYou shouldn’t have done that,” Jacob said. Nonetheless, he took the bag and sampled one of the dates. “They are very good, but you were still wrong.”
    Joseph embraced his father and said, “If only our beloved mother were alive, I wouldn’t have done such a thing. I miss her so much, and Benjamin wants to hear about her all the time. I’m such a wicked lamb because she’s not here to correct me.”
    To this day, Jacob could not speak of Rachel without weeping, and now the tears ran down his cheek. “Yes, my beloved Rachel. She would have been the ideal mother. You will never know how I miss her, son.”
    â€œSo do I, Father. Except for you, I have no one, and little Benji has only you and me. We’re all that’s left of our beloved mother.”
    And so it was that, instead of beating Joseph with a strap as he richly deserved, Jacob found himself holding the boy, weeping, and whispering, “Oh, my dear lamb, if I had lost you, I would have lost the last I have on this earth of her, the True Wife. You must never, never take such risks again!”
    â€œI promise I won’t, Father.”
    With the danger of his father’s punishment over, Joseph felt a quick surge of relief, though he had never been in doubt about how the thing would turn out.
    Jacob dried his eyes and cleared his throat. “My son,” he said, “you must thank your older brothers for searching for you. They have worn themselves out.”
    â€œOh, I will, Father, I will. How I dearly wished that they loved me more.”
    â€œIt is within your power, my lamb, to make them love you more. I must say to you that you need to show more humility. They are your elders, and you need to show them the respect that older brothers deserve.”
    â€œYou are right, and it was good