What Lack We Yet? A Poem

HAS JOSEPH SMITH BEEN DISCREDITED? 351 later than one reading "sixth." These reasons are not of a character to be readily apparent to anyone knowing the passage merely in the English translation, but derive a «-ood show of cogency from a discussion of the original language. In the first place the verb here used does not mean merely "ended" or "finished," as if there were about two hours' work left over to be disposed of on the morning of the seventh day. The word (kalah) means rather "to be complete, perfect, finished, ended, past," etc., and in no sense "to complete, to finish," etc. This is one important point to bear in mind. In the second place, the verb as here used is in causative form, having the meaning "he made, finished, ended," etc., or "he caused to be finished, ended," etc. In the third place, taken as a whole, this passage (Gen. ii. 2) furnishes an excellent example of the peculiar Hebrew construction known as "parallelism," in which the same idea is twice repeated, in somewhat different form, for the sake of emphasis. This construction is frequent in the Book of Psalms; thus, familiarly (Ps. xix 1): "The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament showeth his handiwork (skill)." In the present passage we have a precisely similar idea thus given twice in slightly varied form. Thus, in the Hebrew order: "And made ended God on day the seventh work-his which he had done; "And sabbathed he on day the seventh from all work-his which he had done." If there is any sufficient reason for substituting "sixth" for "seventh" in the first clause of this passage, it is not manifest in the Hebrew text. 'Consequently, the fact that the Book of Abraham rpparently follows a "more recent reading" is no argument against its antiquity, whether it be translated from Egyptian or any other language. What Lack We Yet? "When Washington was President, as cold as any icicle He never on a railroad went, and never rode a bicycle. "He rode his pony near and far, nor ever had an auto ride, Nor hung to strap of trolley car, and we all know he never lied. "He read by no electric lamp, nor heard about the Yellowstone; He never licked a postage stamp, and never saw a telephone. "His trousers ended at his knees, by wire he could not words dispatch; He filled his lamp with whale oil grease, and never had a match to scratch "But in these days it's come to pass, all work is with such dashing done; We've all these things — but then, alas! We seem to have no Washington." R. J. BURDETTE. A GROUP OF MEXICAN SCHOOL CHILDREN, CONCHO, ARIZONA