Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-04-25

his peopief Only a mere handful Of
men were gathered 70 him. and he
felt that Il we're worse than folly to
attempt the work Of dellverance with
such . force
Diseonsolate and weIl-nish discour-
aged. he wandered forth one day
alone. QuestiOningS hlled his heart
Had he after all been set for the de
liverance Of Israeli How was he TO
begin when the people were not with
him in spirit Ne. he did not even
have the 200 which Gideon had so ef.
sectlveiy used.
Thus occupied in thought he had
not noted whittier his footsteps we're
taking him until some voices at his
elbow caused him to look UP and he
noted that he was Just within the out
skirts OF Timnath. a town some three
miles distant from bis own home. Be
fore him he saw two men struggling
10 lift a heavy burden from the back
OF a small ass. that. oveFladen and
weary from a journey. had fallen and
was now crushed to the earth by the
weight Of the merchandise which he
had been carrying. The exhausted
animal had faller IN such a nanne-
as to make the fastenings by which
the burden was strapped to his back
inaccessible. and the men were ours
ing and swearing and pullisg at the
helpless beast in an unsuccessful ef.
fort to raise him and loosen the
thongs
Samson took in the situation at q
glance. and before the men fairly
realized what had happened be had
lifted the ass. burden and all. with one
hand. while with the other he quick.
ly unfastened the thongs. and lightly
throwing the burden across his own
shoulders. he Indicated to the mer
that he would finish carrying the load
IL they would lead the way.
Such was the odd procession which
passed up the one main street OF Tim
nath that day and more than one per
son came TO the door to see the nan
walking along with light quick step
carrying an ass's load. while the pa
iient beast trotted on by his side,
and the two men 1ed the way
The novelty of the situation for the
moment quite drove from the mind OF
Samson the thoughts which had been
troubling him. but when. he had de
posted his burden AZ the door OF the
house where the two men lived and
had turned 10 go. haviag refused the
hospitality which the men were urg
ing upon him. the whole unhappy
train of thought returned He re
ssnted those Philistines being In the
land; he despised their Overbearins
and supercilious airs: and he turned
impatiently from the door and has
tened down the street
But" he asked himself. fercely
how Is il TO be changed What can
do The men OF Israel will no,
stand with me against these PhiIis
tines
He was looking into the dOorways
he was passing as he spoke. for
the people who had thronged thfth,
er had not yet Withdrawn. and be
noted the expressions Of wonder and
admiration as their eyes followed him
His attention was especially directed
to one young woman who had eagerly
pushed herself TO the front OF group
OF people standing in one doorway
and as his eyes met hers a blush
3 h..r- F1a.n II
she retreated within
The incident started 4 new line o.
thought. and ere he had half retraced
his steps toward his home he had
made up his mind what he would
do.
If cannot raise an army TO fight
against the Philistines. viii force a
quarrel with them will take me a
wife Of the Philistines and will yet
have occasion against them
But when he had spoken to his par
ents concerning the matter, saying:
4 have seen a woman in Timnath Oh
the daughters OF the Philistines: now
therefore get her for me To wife. "
1
never a woman among the daughters
of thy brethren. or among all my peo-
pie. that thou goest to take a wife OF
the uncireumsized PhilistinesT'
But Samson was deaf to his fathers
entreaties and his mothers tears
making reply always to their repeat
ed appeals
Get her for me; for she seemeth
fight in my eyes"
And when they saw It was useless
any longer to try 10 restrain him in
his resolve, for they did not under
stand that il was of the Lord and that
he sought an occasion against the
Philistines. they did as he desired So
it came to pass that in time the young
woman OF Timnath became the wife
OF Samson. but ere the week OF festiv-
tiles had ended there had transpired
those events Of which tie Scripture
speaketh in detail. and which gave TO
Samson the occasion which he sought
OF infiicting upon the Philistines the
punishment they so richly deserved.
and of turning the hearts of his peo-
pie back to the service of the true
God
Corrnorarts Trained TO Fish