An old-world story this! In its strange Eastern dress, it appears to be as remote from us as the garb of an Arab, or the barter of an Oriental Bazaar. And yet human life is much the same, whenever and wherever lived. Our critics complain of our poring over these timeworn pages of ancient biography, but, with all deference to them, we feel bound to say that we learn better how to live, we inhale more spiritual ozone, we see further into the reasons of God's dealings with men, when doing so, than when scanning the pages of yesterday's newspaper, or of a society journal. Thousands of miles cannot part us from our kin across the seas; and thousands of years cannot part us from our kin across the ages, or sever the readers of these words from the son of Isaac, who, nearly drowned in the seas of his own craft and cunning, at length emerged a new man, and a prince with God. (Adapted by MaryAnn from Chapter 1)