posed at the hands of the troubled king.

"Arise, and take the young child and His mother," the heavenly visitant
said to him, "and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee
word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him."

The face of the angel was beaming with love, and he had been sent on an
errand of mercy. But how his words thrilled through the just and
tenderhearted Joseph! Destroy his darling babe, that holy child whom God
had given to his good wife to nurse and bring up for Him! Kill the
little One about whom such great things had been said; at whose birth a
whole sky full of angels had sung for joy; and before whom the Wise Men,
who had been guided from the distant east by God Himself, had bowed in
humble adoration. Never. "Man proposes; but God disposes." Man may try
to hinder the great, purpose of God, by attempting to take the life of
the one whom He would raise up to accomplish it. But God can never be
baffled. And not all the plans that a thousand Herods, wicked as the one
that sat on the throne, could form, could bring His word to nought.

Suddenly, Joseph awoke; and starting to his feet, thought over the
dream. That it was sent from heaven he felt sure; and he must
immediately obey it.

He must rouse the mother; and under cover of the darkness, they must set
out at once. By the time that the bright sun lighted up the horizon it
might be too late; for, even then, the dread messengers of the cruel
king might be on their way.

Hastily he awoke Mary, telling her of the dream; and soon the
God-fearing man was on the road to Egypt, with the loving mother and her
precious child safe by his side.

The dark curtain of night had not yet been lifted from the earth; but
they went fearlessly along, trusting to the guidance of Him who had
bidden them set out. And when the agonising shrieks of the mothers of
Bethlehem rent the air and were re-echoed by the astonished hills,
Joseph, with his precious charge, was far away. So, though the swords of
Herod did a terrible work, they did not take that one life, to destroy
which he had commanded the massacre.

Still, Joseph and Mary journeyed along and along, till, at last, the
great Pyramids came in view, and they reached the farthest bank of the
river of Egypt, and were safe.

There, it is said, they remained two years, living at Matareeh, to the
north-east of Cairo, till the angel of the Lord came again to Joseph, in
a dream, to tell him of He