Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-08-04
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
DR.. Talmags Champions the Cause
Of Young Folks.
The Evils of Unnecessary Acad mic
Honors,

Judges H., 90
Jephthah was a freebooter Early turned
out from a home where he ought to have
been cared for, he consorted with rough men
and went forth to earn his living as best he
could. In those times it was considered
right for man to so out on independent
military expeditions. Jephthah was a good
man according to the light Of his dark age,
but through wandering and predatory life
he became reckless and precipitate. The
grace Of God changes a mans heart, but
never reverses his natural temperament.
The Israelites wanted the Ammonites
driven out of their country. so they sent a
delegation TO Jephthah, asking him to be-
come commander-in- chief of all the forces.
He might have said, ''You drove me out
when YOU had no use for me. and now you
are in trouble you want me back, but he did
not say that He takes command OF the
army. sends messengers to the Ammonites to
tell them to vacate the country. and getting
no favorable response marshals his troops
for battle
Before going out to the war Jephthah
makes a very solemn vow that if the Lord
will give him the victory then on his return
home whatsoever first comes out OF his door
way he will offer in sacrifice as a burnt Of
fering. The battle opens. II was no Skin
mishing on the edges OF danger, no unlim-
herring OF batteries two miles away. but the
hurting Of men on the points OF swords and
spears until the ground could no more drink
the blood and the horses reared to leap over
the piles Of bodies OF the slain. In those
old times opposing forces would fight until
their swords were broken. and then each one
would throttle his man until they both fell,
teeth to teeth grip to grip, death stare to
death stare. until the plain was one tumbled
l.. L. #
manhood had been dashed out.
Jephthah wins the day. Twelve cities lay
captured at his feet. Sound the victory all
through the mountains of Gilead. Let the
trumpeters call up the survivors. Home
ward TO your wives and children. Home
ward with your glittering treasures. Home
ward to have the applause of an admirinS
Nation. Build triumphal arches. Swing out
flags all over Mizpeh. Open all your doors
to receive the captured treasures. Through
everyhall spread the banquet. Pile up the
viands Fill high the tankards. The Nation
is redeemed the invaders are routed, and the
National honor is indicated.
Huzza for Jephthah, the conqueror Jeph-
thah. seated on prancing steed, advances
amid acclaiming multitudes. but his eye is
not on the excited populace. Remembering
that he had made a solemn VOW that, return
ing from victorious battle. whatsoever first
came out OF the doorway of his home, that
should he sacrifice as burnt Offering, he
has his anxious look upon the door. / Won
der what spotless lamb, what brace ofdoves,
will be thrown upon the fires OF the burnt
offering. Oh, horrors Paleness OF death
blanches his cheek. Despair SEXES his
heart His daughter, his only child, rushes
out the doorway TO throw herself in her
fathers arms and shower upon him more
kisses than there were wounds on his breast
or dents on his shield. All the triumphal
splendor vanishes. Holding back his child
from his heaving breast and pushing the
locks back from the fair brow and looking
into the eyes Of inextinguishable affection,
with choke1 utterance he says would
God l lay stark on the bloody plain. My
daughter, my only child. JOY of my home,
life Of my life. thou art the sacrifice y"
The whole matter was explained TO her.
This was no whining, hollow hearted girl
into whose eyes the father looked. All the
glory OF sword and shield vanished in the
presence OF the valor OF that girl. There
may have been tremor OF the lip as a rose
leaftrembles in the sough OF the south wind,
there may have been the starting OF tear
like a raindrop shook from the anther OF
water lily, but with self sacrifice that man
may not reach and only wOman's heart can
compass she surrenders herself to fire and 10
death. She cries out in the words Of my
text. "My father, if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord. do unto me whatso-
ever hath proceeded from thy mouth.
She bows to the knife, and the blood which
so often at the fathers voice had rushed to
the crimson cheek smokes in the fires Of the
burnt Offering No one can tell us her name.
There is no need that we know her name.
The garlands that Mizpeh twisted for
Jephthah the warrior, had gone into the
dust but all ages are twisting the GHls
chaplet. II is well that her name came not
10 US. for no one can wear it. They may
take the name Of Deborah or Abigail or
Miriam, hut no one in all the ages can have
the title OF this daughter Of sacrifice.
OF course this Offering was not pleasing to
the Lord but beforeyoI hurl your denuncia-
tions at Jephthah's cruelty, remember that
in olden times. when VOWS were made, men
thought they must execute them, perform
them, whether they we're wicked or good.
There were two wrong things about Jeph-
thah's VOW First, he ought never to have
made it Next, having made it, 1t we're better
broken than kept. But do not take on pre-
tentious airs and say. II couldnOt have done
as Jephthah did" II to-dayyou were stand
inc on the banks Of the Ganges and you had
been born in India. you might have been
throwing your children to the crocodiles. 1t
Is not because we are naturally any better,
but because we have more gospel light.
Now, make very practical use OF this
question when tell you that the sacrifice OF
Jephthah's daughter was type OF the physi-
cal. mental and spiritual sacrifice OF 10000
children in this day. There are parents all
unwittingly bringing to bear upon their chill
dren class of influences which will as Ger.
tainlv ruin them as knife and torch destroyed
Jephthah's daughter. While | speak, the
whole Nation without emotion and without
shame looks upon the stupendous sacrifice.
In the first place, I remark that much Of
the system Of education in our day is a sys.
tenn of sacrifice When children spend six
or seven hours a day in school. and then
must spend two or three hours in prepare
ton for school the next day, will you tell me
how much time they will have for sunshine
and fresh air and the obtaining ofthat exu'
berance which is necessary for tho duties OF
coming lifeY
No one can feel more thankful than l do
for the advancement Of common school edu'
cation. The printing OF books appropriate
for schools. the multiplication of philosoph'
ical apparatus, the establishment OF normal
schools. which provide for our children teach.
ers Of largest caliber, are themes on which
every philanthropist ought to be congratulate
ed. But this herding Of great multitudes OF
children in i'll ventilated school-rooms and
poorly equipped halls Of instruction is max
ing many Of the places OF knowledge in this
country huge holocausts.
Politics in many OF the cities gets into ed.
ucational affairs, and while the two political
parties are scrabbling for the honors Jeph'
thah's daughter perishes. II is so much SC
that there are many schools In the country to
day which are preparing tens OF thousands
of invalid men and women for the future. 81
that in many places By the the time tho
child's education is finished the child is fin
ished In many places, in many cities ofthe
country. there are large appropriations for
everything else and cheerful appropriations
but as soon as the appropriation is 20 be
made for the educational or moral interest oil
the city we are struck through with an econ
omy that is we'll nigh the death OF US.
In connection with this ] mention what I
might call the examining system Of the con-
mon schools and many OF the academies
children OF delicate brain compelled 10 tasks
that might appall mature intellect, chill
dTen going down to school with a strap OF
books half as high as themselves. The fact
Is. in some Of the cities parents do not allow
their children to graduate for the simple
reason. they say. I've cannot afford TO allow
our children's health to be destroyed in