The Grenada sentinel., 1907-03-09

out her grief in her ear. At 1uth
times the mother would say to her
that she could have beautiful heart
if she did not have a comely face.
That God looked on the heart rather
than the outward appearance. And
then she would go on to tell her OF
the Hebrew God and the wonderful
things he had done for his people,
and Deborah would listen eagerly and
forget her grief. More and more as
the years went by she lived in the
atmosphere of the stories her mother
told her. She withdrew f.om the
world without, and was never so
happy as when sitting at her moth
er's knee hearing the stories of God
and his dealings with the children of
Abraham.
And then as she would go abroad,
as her duties often required and she
would see the wickedness about her,
the worship Of the idols and the in
dulgences in the heather festivities,
she would rush back to the refuge of
her own home and question her
mother about it, asking, over and
over again:
"Oh, mamma, how can they forget
God so? How can they be so wicked?"
And then the mother would go over
the history of the children of Israel
again, and show her how repeatedly
they had wandered away from home,
how afflictiOn and trouble had come,
AID how at last they had been brought
back to him.
Thus the years passed and Deborah
grew into wOmanhood. Still there
were the distorted features, but with
the development of years and the
growing near to God there had come
4 subduing influence over the irregu-
lar, harsh lines of the face. No one
who looked into those deep, serious
eyes and saw them light up. as she
talked concerning the things of God,
no one who heard the wonderful
depth and fullness of her resonant
voice could have failed to realize that
behind that homely face there was
some hidden power and charm which
captivated and subdued The great
| hunger of her heart for knowledge OF
| God had during the early years drawn
from her mother every vestige and
scrap of history Of her people and
their God, and then she had grown
into the custom Of telling them over
to her mother In her own wonderful
way. And her mother would listen
with rapt attention and when she
was done she would lay her hand rev.
erently upon her head and eXclaim:
Surely, the spirit of God resteth
upon thee, my child"
One day Deborah returned home
after a specially trying ordeal in the
market place. For there had come
that day company of Canaanites to
the village and the people had given
themselves up to the festivities of the
occasion.
| "Oh, if some one would only tell the
people of their SIM" Deborah ex-
claimed, after she had related to her
mother the sad scene.
And why do not you?" asked her
mother, with sudden inspiration
me, mother?" Deborah exclaimed,
shrinking back at the thought. How
could II"
Nothing more was said but her
mothers words, why do not you?"
kept ringing in her ears, until at last |
she. exclaimed to herself:
Il will! l will just tell them of |
Gods leading in the past. Of the past |
sins Of the people and how God has |
punished them. OF the present wick |
edness and how surely God will visit |
affliction upon them if they do not |
turn from evil ways and serve the liv. |
ing God"
And Deborah kept her resolve and |
not many days after this her name |
was on every ones lips as the one |
who had fearlessly stood up in the |
market place and denounced the sins
of the people and pleaded with them |
to turn back to God.
Now one of those who had listened |
to Deborah's message in the market |
place was man of Mount Ephraim |
named Lapidoth. His spirit was |
stirred within him at the words he |
heard and when the king had refused |
to let Deborah speak further in the |
market place he offered her shelter |
among his people In the mountain |
Businesses. And hither 1t was that |
Deborah withdrew and she became |
the wife of Lapidoth, and the place |
where she dwelt became known as |
the place of the palm tree of Deborah, |
for there the beautiful great tree |
reared its tall head to the sky and |
was landmark by which the people |
were guided to her dwelling And |
hither the people resorted to her for |
instruction and judgment, and as the |
afflictiOn of the children of Israel |
grew, for Jabin the king increased his |
oppression more and more, the people |
came to cry unto their God and at last |
through Deborah and Barak, a brave |
and mighty man of war whom she |
called to her aid, she delivered Israel |
and judged them for many years.
Second Painting for Church Finished. |
T. oI