Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-07-31
DU1'ls0 Of PARENTS.
on. TALMAeE SETS FORTH tHs DAM
eEHs THREATENING THE YOUNG.

but = Type ~ Millions of child Sacrifices
by Unwiss Training or Cruel Neglect by
Parents.
BROOKLYN, July 80.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now ON his vacation tour
in the west, has chosen for topic for
this morning, "Children's Rights" the
text being Judges II, SO, my father,
II thou hast opened thy mouth unto the
Lord. do to me according to that which
hath proceeded ont Of thy mouth"
Jephthah was freebooter. Early
turned out from 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 q man
TO go out ON independent military expe-
ditions. Jephthah was q good man ac-
cording 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 rcverses his natural tempera-
ment.
THE WILD COMMANDER.
The Israelites wanted the Ammonites
driven out of their country, 30 they sent
a delegation to Jephthah, asking him to
become 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 doorway he will offer in sacri-
fee as burnt Offering. The battle
opens. 1t was no skirmishing on the
edges of danger, no unlimbering of bat
teries two miles away, but the hurting
of men on the point of swords and
spears until the ground could no more
drink the blood and the horses reared to
leap over the pile 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 mass Of
corpses from which the last trace Of
manhood had been dashed out.
Jephthah wins the day. Twelve cities
lay captured at his feet. Sound the vic
tory all through the mountains of
Gilead. Let the trumpeters call up the
survivors. Homeward to your wives and
children. Homeward with your gilt
tering treasures Homeward to have
the applause of an admiring nation.
Build triumphal arches. Swing out flags
all over MiEpeh. Open all your doors to
receive the captured treasures. Through
every hall spread the banquet. Pile up
the viands. Fill high the tankards.
The nation is redeemed, the invaders
are routed, and the national honor is
vindieated.
THE RETURN IN TRIUMPH.
Huzza for Jephthah. the cenquerorl
Jephthah, seated on prancing steed,
advances amid acclaiining multitudes,
but his eye is not on the excited popu'
lace Remembering that he had made q
solemn VOW that, returning from vic
torious battle, whatsoever first came out
of the doorway of his home, that should
he sacrifice as burnt offering, he hai
his anxious look upon the door. ] won
der what spotless lamb, what brace %
doves, will be thrown upon the fires o.
the burnt offering. Oh, horrors! Pale
ness of death blanches his cheek. De
spair seizes his heart. His daughter, hi
only child, rushes out the doorway Il
throw herself in her fathers arms an'
shower upon him more kisses than Their
were wounds on his breast or dents OF
his shield. All the triumphal splendo
vanishes. Holding back his child fron
his heaving breast and pushing the lock
back from the fair brow and looking in
to the eyes of inextinguishable affection
with choked utterance he says; "Woul
God lay stark on the bloody plain. M
daughter, my only child, joy of IN
home, life of my life, thou art the sacri
ficeI'
The whole matter was explained
her. This was no whining, hollow hear
ed girl into whose eyes the father looked
All the glory of sword and shield val
ished in the presence Of the valor of thi
girl. There may have been a tremor
the lip as a rose leaf trembles in the soug
of the south wind, there may have bee
the starting of a tear like a raindrc
shook from the anther of water Ill
but with self sacrifice that man ns
not reach and only woman's heart ca
compass she surrenders herself TO fl
and 10 death. She cries out in the worC
Of my text. my father, If thou ha
opened thy mouth unto the Lord,
INTO ms whatsoever hath proceeded fro
thy mouth"
THE MAIDEH's HERoIsM.
She bows to the knife. and the bloc
which so often at the fathers voice hs
rushed to the crimson cheek smokes
the fires of the burnt Offering. No On
can tell us her name. There Is no ne'
that we know her name. The garlan'
that Mispeh twisted for Jephthah, q
warrior. had gone into the dust but
ages are twisting this girls chaplet.
M a