braham wanted their marriage kept secret because, in those days, when
a lover-king wished to get rid of an obnoxious husband, he hypnotized
him into eternal silence by having him used as a target for a sling, a
spear or javelin, instead of causing an appeal to the divorce courts,
as they do in this civilized and enlightened generation. And I believe
that, after all, the old way is the better one, for when men and women
die, they are dead, but when they are only divorced they are awfully
alive sometimes.

[Illustration: "AND THE MEN WATCHED TO SEE HER GO BY."]

And it came to pass, when they arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians "beheld
the woman that she was very fair," and the men watched on the street
corners to see her go by; and she passed herself as a giddy maiden
with such unrivaled success that she gained a notoriety that would
have made the fortune of a modern actress, and the princes of Pharaoh
commended her wit, beauty and grace to the king, "and the woman was
taken into Pharaoh's house."

The attentive reader will observe that Holy Writ, in speaking of a
woman, never deigns to say that she is virtuous, industrious,
obedient, or a good cook, but seems to ignore everything but the fact
that "she was fair to look upon."

That was all that seemed to be required of the "holy women of old."

And Pharaoh "entreated Abraham well for Sarah's sake" (you notice they
did everything to please the ladies in those days), and loaded him
with riches, presents and honors; and Pharaoh's wives and sub-wives
and cadet wives didn't like it. And the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Prime Minister and the High Lord Chamberlain of the Bedchamber didn't
like it. The neighbors began to talk openly; the scandal "smelled to
heaven;" and the Lord Himself had to interfere to head the fair Sarah
off, and He "plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because
of Sarah, Abraham's wife."

And then--after the preliminary amorous clasping of hands, the little
caressing attentions, the lingering kisses; after the fiery
expectation and the rapture of possession, after all this came--as it
always does--the tragedy of satiety and separation.

"And Abraham went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife and all that he
had."

[Illustration: "AND THE WOMAN WAS TAKEN INTO PHARAOH'S HOUSE."]

Yet Peter, in speaking of the duties of wives, has the temerity to
refer to the "holy women of old," and holds Sarah up as a bright and
shining example for us to