The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-04-12

Hebrews" Jephthah noted the lool
and hastily stepping out before hi,
men, he CALCULATED enthusiastically.
Yea, was the god Chemosh able t.
restrain the God Of the Hebrews wher
he would give us the land, and vii
ne now, think you, be able to take il
again! If so, then let him possess it
but let us not forget that our Coo
Will be with u.s.
Jephthah paused to note the effect
OF his speech upGn his men. and en-
couraged by the look of confidence
upon their faces, he continued with in
creasing fervor, lifting his eyes tc
heaven as he spoke:
If thou, Lord, will without fail de
liver the children Of Ammon into mine
hands, then it shall be, that whatso
ever cometh forth of the doors of nv
house to meet me, when | return in
peace from the children of Ammon,
snail surely be the Lords, and | will
o1er 1t up for burnt Offering"
Inc battle Is over and the triumph.
ant army Of Jephthah has turned its
lace homewards. The fatigue and the
wounds of the men are forgotten in
the thrill Of Joy that comes with the
consciousness of duty well done and
victory won and of the rest and com.
Tort OF home which will soon be theirs
! 10 t2Joy. There are wives and chill.
dren and sWeethearts awaiting their
return, and everywhere as they pass
through the country they are greeted
with the most joyful welcome.
And now that the eXaCting response.
bilities of the campaign are over.
Jephthah has time with the rest to
think Of home, and like the rest there
IS one object of special love and ten.
derness with whom he anticipates re-
union. His one thought is of again
| folding his beloved daughter in his
arms. He can see her eager face now
as 1t will look up into his proud eyes:
he can hear her impatient query to tell
her all about the battle. She is all
that he has left, his only child. When
the mother had died years before he
had taken the young girl into his
great heart as never before, and when
he was at home they we're insepara.
Bile, and it was then that he would re.
hearSe in her eager ears every detail
OF the adventure which had kept him
from her side. And now he was on his
way h0meWard once more, and he
knew that she would be far on the
road to meet him. She knew the road
by which he would come, and she
would surely be at her favorite tryst.
Ing place there to greet him and bid
him welcome, as she had done before.
'Ah what stories | will have to tell
her this time" he exclaimed half
aloud, as he pressed eagerly forward,
the thought giving new yigor to his
steps. Il am glad of the victory, and
of the place it has won for me among
! my fathers people for her sake" he
continued to himself. There will no
longer be any reproaChes cast upon
her; she will no longer feel the sting
of criticism, for Jephthah has proved
| that though the son of harlot, he is
still a true son of Gilead," and he
drew himself up proudly as the
thought thrilled him. BY this time the
| outskirts Of Mizpah where he had his
home had been reached and he
scanned the pathway before him Gag
erly, expecting to see his daughters
familiar form in the foremost ranks
of the people who came streaming
forth from the city to meet him and
his men. But she was nowhere to be
seen. What cared he for the glad
shouts of welcome of the multitudes
when his beloved daughter was not
there to share in the rejoicing and to
bid him welcome?
Eagerly, anXiOusly he pressed for
ward, all else forgotten save the
thought of again greeting her and
claSrlng her III his arms.
There was the house now just visi-
bic through the waving grove Of tr>es
which surrounded it, but still there
was no sign of his daughter.
That morning when the glad tidings
had reached the city that Jephthah
and his victorious army were nearing
the city, his daughter could scarcely
contain herself for JOY and her first
impulse had been to rush forth with
the others and meet him far down
the road outside the city And then
had come the thought that it was more
BETTING great general that he
should be received into his own home
with formal dignity and splendor. So
hastily arranging for the music and
dancing, she awaited his coming, plan
ming that she herself should lead the
gay and festive company. And while
she thus prepared for his coming
Jephthah eagerly pressed on and came