Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/49

46 with themselves, and talked to each other, of their cruel treatment of their blameless brother, and no doubt a sense of guilt and dread of future retribution often troubled their guilty minds. How natural was it that their present misfortune should bring their crime forcibly to their recollection, and awaken a sense of their guilt! So keen were the stings of conscience, that they began to accuse themselves while they were yet in Joseph's presence. They spoke what they supposed to be a language unknown to Joseph. "They said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother; in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us." Reuben increased this cause of self-accusation by reminding them that he had spoken unto them, saying—"Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear; therefore, behold, also his blood is required."

In the account of their treatment of Joseph nothing is said about his anguish and his entreaties. But here we find an additional reason of their confession to one another of