St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-05-04

God hath done great things for his
people!" And as they stood there in
the doorway in each others embrace,
the las. they would ever enjoy on
earth, II seemed to Jephthah as
though the battle must all be fought
over again, and as though all the pow
ers OF his strong nature were concen-
trating in effort to turn him from the
fulfllment of his VOW.
With an ineffable sweetness and
tenderness the girl put up both hands
until they rested one on either griz-
lied cheek Of her father. With
gentle pressure which he did not
seek to resist she turned his averted
race until she could look into his
eyes. How that dear face had aged
during that night of fierce conflict.
For an instant the sharp pain which
pierced her heart as she realized
what he had suffered swept across
her line sensitive face, but with
mighty effort she controlled herself,
and again hid the anguish of her own
heart behind the sweet almost heav-
emily, look which had rested there
since first her father had told her of
his VOW.
See father she said, as she
pointed towards the sun which was
now bathing them both in it's glorious
light, "see, the sun which God has set
in the heavens comes with it's bene-
diction even as we say good-by.
Again say: Think not of me. Think
of the victory God hath given thee
in token of thy pledge! Should l
have been withheld if it was to have
brought peace and success to our
land?"
She spoke this last with spirit, al
most of resentment, which appealed
instantly to the fathers sense of the
heroic and patriotic, and he respond
ed with something like his own bold
ness:
Spoken like a true daughter Of
Jephthtah, little girl. If l had no
sons to give, have given a daughter
worth many sons.'
Again they stood in silence. The
precious moments, how sweet they
seemed. Soon she would be vending
her way to the mountain retreat
where companions awaited her COM
ing and where she was to pass in
meditation and prayer the time which
yet remained to her. Soon her IA
Their would be sitting alone, thinking
of her; yes, thinking of her, and
what last message, what last word
could she speak that would help him
to bear the loss and inspire him to
the work of ruling the people who
had chosen him as their leader? It
| should not be of herself. 1t should
not be of the present victory and de-
liverance from their strong enemy.
No, it should be of the future, toward
which every true son of Israel looked
with expectant hope, because of the
promises which God in times past
| had spoken to Abraham, Isaac and
| Jacob.
Father" she said at last, God
| hath spoken good concerning Israel"
yes, my daughter"
"And he hath not failed us even
! now in that he hath given us the de-
sire of our hearts in the deliverance
which he has wrought"
YES"
"And God hath given US this land
and established us as a nation for
ever"
HE hath, indeed, my daughter
"How great a privilege and honor
| then that we SHOULD have a part in
carrying out the purposes of God.
We serve not time but eternity; we
give ourselves that we may continue
to live in the life and memory of our
nation forever. Let us see the bright
ness as we behold it streaming out
of the glorious promise of the fu-
ture."
While she was speaking she was
gently disengaging herself from her
fathers arms. She stood for a mo-
ment pointing down the golden path
way of light that came streaming
from the sun, and then quickly turn
ing she threw her arms about her ia
theirs neck and drawing his face
down to hers pressed one lingering
kiss upon his bearded cheek and then
was gone. Down the pathway of
light he saw the white-clad form
glide as though even then she was
bound from earth to heaven and
would step therein through the re-
splendent gateway Of the sun.
During the two months which fol-
lowed while his daughter kept her
vigil in the mountains with her COM
panfons, that vision never left him,
and when at times through the
months and years which followed it |
seemed as though the anguish of his
heart would crush him, he would hear
her words again:
Let us see the brightness as we
behold it streaming out of the glori- |
Gus promise of the future"
And he would exclaim, fervidly and |
reverently:
amen, and Amen!"