The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-09
DAUGHTER OF THE SHEIK.
TALMAGE breaches on A TEXT
TAKEN FROM EXODUS.

who Had Driven the seven DnuEh-
.ers of the Midianite Priest From
"A weII-The Lessons Taught by the
Text Expounded.
Washington, May s.-From RUSTIC
Bible scene, DR.. Talmage, in this sermon
draws practical and inspiring lessons Tor
all classes of people. The text is Exodus
81: Now Moses kept the flock Of Jethro,
his fatber-in-law. the priest of INDIAN
In the southeastern part of ARABIA
man is sitting by a wen. 1t IS an ARD
country. and water is scarce, so that a
well is of great value, and focks and
herds are driven vast distances TO nave
their thirst slaked. Jethro, a Mldianite
eheik and priest, was so fortunate as TO
have seven daughters; and they are prac-
tieal girls. and yonder they come driving
the sheep and cattle and camels OF their
father 10 the watering. They lower the
buckets and then pull them up, the water
plashing on the stones and chilling their
feet. and the troughs are filed. VINO 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 focks
begun to cool little in the brimming
trough of the well, than some rough Be
doujn 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 1ocks of these ill-mannered shepherds
are driven to the troughs, taking tna
places of the other iocks. Now the man
sitting by the well begins to color up, ana
his eyes flashes with indignation, ana al
the gallantry of his nature is aroused. Ii
is Moses. who naturally had quick tenn
Yer ANYHOW. as he demonstrated on one
occasion when ne saw an Egyptian OPP
messing an Israete and gave the Egypt
ian a sudden clip and buried him in the
sand, and as he showed afterwards when
he broke all the Ten Commandments at
once by shattering the two granite SLABS
on which the law was written. But the
iniustice 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 stunning
blow between the eyes Of another, as he
cries, "Begone you Williams! and ne
boots and roars at 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 shek to gather their
fiocks together ANA bring them again to
the watering.
q YOU ought to see a fight between the
Shepherds at a well in the Orient as
saw il in December, 1880. There were here
a 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
clashing of bucketsi Such hooking of
horns, Such kicking of hoofs! Such We
hemence in a language I fortunately could
not understand! Now the sheep with
peculiar mark across their woolly backs
we're at the trough, and now the sheep of
another mark. 1t was one of the most ex-
citing scenes I ever witnessed. An old
book describes one of these contentious
ct an Eastern well when 1t says: lone
day the poor men, the widows and the
orphans met together and were driving
their camels and their flocks to drink, and
were all standing by the water-side. Dali
came up and stopped them all, and took
possession of the water for his masters
cattle. Just then an old woman belong
ing to the tribe of Abs came up and ac-
costed him in a suppliant manner saying,
BE so good, Master Dali, as TO let my
cattle drink. They are all the property
possess and 1 live by their milk Pity
my flock, have compassion on me. Grant
my request and let them drink Then
came another old woman and addressed
him; %, Master Dali, 1 am poor, weak
old woman as you see. Time has dealt
hardly with me. 1t has aimed its arrows
at me. and its daily and nightly cslamities
have destroyed all my men. 1 have lost
my children and my husband. and since
then / have been in great distress. These
sheep are all that l possess. Let them
drink for live on the milk that they pro-
duce. Pity my forlorn state. 1 have no
one to tend them. Therefore grant my sup
plication and of thy kindness let them
drink But in this case the brutal slave,
so far from granting this humble request,
smote the woman to the ground"
A like scrimmage has taken place at
the well in the triangle of Arabia between
the Bedouin shepherds and Moses cham
pioning the cause of the seven daughters
who had driven their fathers fiocks to the
watering. one of these girls Zpporah.
her name meaning little bird was fasci-
mated by this heroic behavior of Moses;
for however timid woman herself may be,
she always admires courage in a man.
Zipporah became the bride of Moses, one
of the mightiest men of all the centuries.
ZippOrah little thought that that morning
TO the we'll, she was splendidly deciding
her own destiny. Had she stayed in the
tent or house while the other six daugh-
ters of the sheik tended to their herds,
her life would probably have been tame
aud uneventful life in the solitudes. But
her industry, her fidelity to her father s
interest. her spirit of helpfulnesS brought
her into league with one of the grandest
characters of all history. They met az
that famous well, and while she admired
the courage of Moses. he admired the
filial behavior Of Zipporah.
The fact that it took the seven daugh-
tiers to drive the flocks to the well implies
that they were immense tlocks and thai
her father was a man of wealth. Whai
was the use of Zipporah's bemeaning fer-
self with work when she might have re
clined on the hillside near her fathers
tent and plucked buttercups. and dream
ed out romances, and sighed idly to the
winds, and wept over imaginary songs t,
the brooks. No, she knew that work wa
honorable, and that every girl ought u
have something to do, and SO she start
with the beating and lowing and below
inc and neighing drOVeS TO the We'll 70