Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-06-17
DEFENDED BY MOSES.
Rev. Dr.. Talmage and the Story
Of Jethro's Daughters,
Helping with the Flocks OF the Priest of
INDIAN Gods Retcntlve Memory
Knows Where to Find the
Men lie Wants.

Men lie Wants.
Rev. DR.. Talmagc, taking the story
of Jethro's daughters, draws practical
lessons for all classes. The text is:
Now Moses kept the flock OF Jethro, his ia
ther-in-law, the priest Of INDIAN, Exodus
ill, l.
In the southeastern part of Arabia a
man is sitting by well. 1t is an arid
country, and water is scarce, so that a
we'll is of great value, and flocks and
herds are driven vast distances to have
their thirst slaled. Jethro, n Midi
ante sheill and priest, was 50 fortu-
nate as to have seven daughters and
they are practical girls, and yondcr
they come, driving the sheep and cattle
and camels of their father to the water
ing. They lower the buckets and then
pull them up, the water splashing on
the stones and chilling their feet, and
the tro1yhs are filed, Who is that
man out there sitting unconcerned and
looking on? Why does he not come
and help the women in this
hard work of drawing water?
But no sooner have the dry lips
and painting nostrils of the flocks
begun to cool little in the trimming
trough of the well than some rough
hodouin 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 hocks of these i'll
hammered shepherds are driven to the
troughs, taking the place of the other
hocks. Now that man sitting by the
well begins to color up, and his eye
flashes with Indignation, and all the
gallantry of his nature is aroused. 1t
is Moses, who naturally had quick
temper anyhow, as he demonstrated on
occasion when he saw an Egyptian
expressing an lsraelitc and gave the
Egyptian u sudden clip and buried him
in the sand, and as he showed after
ward when he broke all the ten com
mandments at once by shattering
the two granite slabs on which the
law was written. But the injustice of
this treatment OF the seven girls sets
him on fire with wrath, and he takes
this shepherd by the throat, and pushes
back another shepherd till he falls
over the trough, and aims a stunning
blow between the eyes of another, as
he cries: "Begone, you villains!" And
he boots and roars the sheep and
cattle and camels of these invaders
and drives them back; and having
cleared the place of the deSperadoes
he told the seven girls of this Midianite
sheik to gather their llocks together
and bring them again to the watering.
Oh, you ought to see fight between
the shepherds at a well In the orient
as | saw it in December, 1890. There
were here group of rough men who
had driven the cattle many miles, and
here another group who had driven
their cattle as many miles. Who
should have precedence? Such clash
ing of buckets! Such hooking of horns!
Such kicking of hoofs! Such vchc-
mence in II language fortunately
could not understand. Now the sheep
with peculiar mark across their
woolly backs were at the trough, and
now the sheep of another mark. 1t
was one OF the most exciting scenes |
ever witnessed. An old book describes
one Of these contentious at an eastern
well when it says: ''One day the poor
men, the widows and the orphans met
together and were driving their camels
standing by the water side. Daj came
up and stopped them all and took pos.
session Of the water for his masters
cattle. Just then an old woman be.
longing to the tribe of Abs came up
and accosted him in suppliant man
ner, saying: BE so good, Master Dali,
as to let my cattle drink. They are al
the property | posses, and l live
by their milk Pity my flock
have compassion on he. Grant my
request and let them drink. Their
came another old woman and ad
dressed him: %, Master Dali, | am {
poor, weak old woman as you see
Time has dealt hardly with me Il
has aimed its arrows at me, and it!
daily calamities have destroyed all my
men. have lest my children and my
husband, and since then have been il
great distress These sheep are al
that possess Let them drink, for
live or the milk that they produce
| Pity nv forlorn state. have no ont
to tend them. Therefore grant IN,
sppplication and of thy kindness lie
them drink. But in this case th
brutal slave, so far Prom granting thi
humble request, smotc the woman t,
the ground
A like scrimmagc has taken place a
the well in the triangle of Arabia be
tween the Beduoin shepherds AM
Moses championing the cause of th
seven daughters who had driven thei
fathers flocks to the watering. On
of these girls, Zipporah, her namt
meaning "little bird, was fascinatet
by this heroic behavior of Moses; TO
however timid woman herself may be
she always admires courage in man
Iipporah became the bride of Moses
one of the mightiest men of al
the centuries. Iipporah little though
that that morning as she helpe
drive her fathers hocks to the wei
she was splcndidly deciding her owl
destiny. Had she stayed in the ten
or house while the other six daughter
of the sheill attended to their herds
her life would have been tame an
uneventful life in the solitude, but he
industry, her fidelity to her father
interest, her spirit of helpfulnes
brought her into league with one G
the grandest characters of all history
They met at that famous well, an
while she admired the courage O
Moses, he admired the tlial behavio
of Zipporah.
The fact that it took the seven daugh
ters 10 drive the hocl1s to the well i'm
plies that they were immense flock
! ,,l Lnu ia