90 BOYS OF THE BIBLE.

fairest sight in all the world was the sight of Rachel with
the water-pot upon her shoulder, going to or coming from
the well. How shamefully he was deceived about Rachel!
And what a grand loyal lover he was! What are all the
classic tales of love compared with this story! What were
the lovers sung of by Homer compared with Jacob?
Leander for the sake of Hero swam the Hellespont, but
what was that compared with such enduring love and _ ten-
derness as Jacob bore toward Rachel.

“And Jacob loved Rachel, and said I will serve thee
seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter. And Laban
said, it is better that I give her to thee, than that I should
give her to another man. Abide with me. i

‘“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they
seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.”

Seven happy years of pure and gentle love! Perhaps
these were the happiest years of all the patriarch’s life.

But we must part company with Jacob now. His boy-
hood and youth are passed. As the years rolled on there
came an opportunity for reconciliation with Esau. And at
the fords of Jabbok Jacob has a repetition of the Bethel expe-
rience, only in another form. This scene at Peniel was
memorable for the fact that Jacob’s name is changed, and
he is no more Jacob, but Israel. The dreaded meeting with
Esau passed more pleasantly than Jacob had dared to dream.
How earnestly Jacob prayed!

“And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God
of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return
unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal with
thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and
of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant;
for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am