The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-05-11
THE BRIDE OF MOSES.
HOW ZlP2CRAH DECIDED HER MATRl-
MONiAl DESTINY.

mon draws practical and inspiring les
sons for all classes of people. The text
is Exodus iii, ], "Now Moses kept the
flock of Jethro his fatherin-law, tho
priest Of Midian."
In the southeastern part OF Arabia
man is sitting by a well. It IS Ill arid
country, and water is scarce, so that
we'll is OF great value, and fio2ks and
herds are driven vast distances to have
their thirst slaked. Jethro, a Midianlte
sheik and priest, was so fortunate as to
have seven daughters, and they ars
practical girls, and yonder they come
driving the sheep and cattle and camels
of their father to the watering. They
lower the buckets and then pull them
up, the water FLASHING on the stones
and chilling their feet, aud the troughs
are filled. Who is that man out there
sitting unconcerned ard looking on:
Wby does he not come and help the
women in this hard work of drawing
water? But no sooner have the dry lips
and painting nossrils Of the llocks begun
to cool little in the brimming trough
of the we'll than some rough Bedouln
shepherds break in upon the scene and
with clubs and shouts drive back the
animals that were drinking and alright
these girls until they fly in retreat, and
the flocks of these i'll hammered shep-
herds are driven to the troughs, taking
the places of the other fockS Now that
man sitting by the well begins to color
up, and his eye flashes with indignation,
and all the galiantry Of his nature IS
aroused. 1t is Moses. who naturally had
a quick temper anyhow, as he demon
strated on one occasion when he saw an
Egyptian expressing al 1sraelite ard
gave the Egyptian a sudden clip and
buried him IN the sand and as he show
ed afterward when he broke all the len
Commandments at once by shatterlr2
the two granite slabs on which the law
was written. But the injustice OF TINS
treatment of the seven girls sets him Oh
fire with wrath, aud he takes this shep-
herd by the threat and pushes back all
other till he falls over tho trough and
aims q stunning blow between the eyes
of another as ne cries, "Begone, you
villainsr' and he hoots and roars at the
sheep and cattle and camels of these in
vaders and drives them back, and hay
ing cleared the place Of the desperadoes
he told the seven girls Of this Midianl:e
sheik to gather their f]ocks together and
bring them again to the watering.
So E(yhf
the shepherds at we'll in tie orient as
I saw it in December, 1880. There werc
here group Of rough men who lad
driven the cattle many miles, and here
another group who had driven their
cattle as many miles. Who should have
precedence? Such clashing Of buckets!
Such hooking Of horns! Such kicking
of hoofs! Such vehemence in language
1 fortunately could not understand!
Now the sheep with G peculiar mark
across their wcolly backs were at the
trough and now the sheep Of another
mark. Itwas one Of the most exciting
scenes I ever witnessed. An old book
describes one Of these contentious at an
eastern we'll VIXEN it says: lone day
the Door men, the widows and the or
phans met together and were driving
their camels aud their 6ocks to drink
and were all standing by the water side.
Dali came up and stopped thcm all and
took possession cf the water for his
MASTER cattle. Just then an cid woman
belonging to the tribe CT Abs came up
and accosted him in q suppliant manner
saving; BE so good, Master Dali, as to
let nv cattle drink. They are all the
property possess and live by their
milk. Pity ny flock, have compassion
on me. Grant my request and let them
drink Then came another old woman
and addressed him: 'Oh, Master DaJl, l
am q poor, weak old woman as you see'
Time has dealt hardly with Inc. 1t has
aimed its arrows at me and its daily
and nightly calamities have destroyed
all my men. / have lost my children
and my husband, and since then have
been in great distress. These sheep are
| all that | possess. Let them drink, for
| live on the milk that they produce.
, Pity my forlorn state. I have no one TO
tend them. Therefore grant ny suppl
cation and of Try kindness let them
drink But in this case the brutal
slave, so far from granting this humble
request, smcto the woman to the
| ground.
The Bride OF Moses.
4 like scrimr2age has taken place at
! the we'll in the triangle Of Arabia be-
| tween the Bedcuin shepherds and Moses
championing the cause CT the seven
daughters who had driven their father 5
Gocks to the watering. One OF these
girls, Zipporah, her name meaning
;'little bird, was captured BY this he
roic behavior c. Moses; for however
timid woman herself may be she al
WAYS admires courage il a man, LlF'
porah became the bride Of Moses, one
of the ,night:.st men cf al the Ger
turies. Zipporah little thought that
that morning as she helped drive h"l
fathers focks to the well she was
splendidlv deciding her own destiny.
Had she Staid il the tent or house while
the other six daughters or the shelh
tended to thcir herds her life wouIc
probably have been tame and unevent
ful life il tie solitudes. bat her indus
try, her fidelity to her fathers interest
her spirit CT helpfulncSs, brought her III
10 league with one Of the grande>t char
aoters of al history. They met at tha
famous we'll, and while she admired th'
courage CT Moses lie admired the flla
behavior Of Zipporah.
The fact that it took the seven daugh
ters to drive the fiocks to the we'll I'M
plies that they were immense t1ocks AM
that her father was man Of wealth