The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-20
IA MN YOUTH GOES UP AGAINST
GIANTS.
|r,c International Sunday School Les
,on for April 25 is ''David and Co
Gath."-I Sam. 1851.
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
As always, when unfamiliar war |
bursts upon it's gaze. civilization cries |
an aghast, "Why. these soldiers are |
,rIv hoys!" 1t has never been other |
wise. all the great wars have been
bc,s1n by armies of youth. Youth is
tnr hghting time. The hot blood Of
,ar!v manhood is heroic: it dreams
and il dares. If the supply of young
hearts should fail. there would be no
Sars waged against heavy odds of Op
preS,ion, injustice and poverty. Was
there ever great retormer who did
rot become such in the days Of youth?
Mon and women past middle life are
not enlisted anew in any of the mighty
battles for God and humanity.
No: il needs boy David to run
iauntily-actually to run-toward the
heavily-armed giant who approaches.
Thrh heart Of veteran soldiers turn to
water before the taunts of Goliath;
but David is but quickened for the
struggle; and he gives word Of faith
for every heathen taunt. With the
story of David and Jonathan before
MS. and with all history supporting it,
the marvel is that so many Of the
causes which call for heroism do not
make their appeal TO the colleges. the
young peoples societies. the Sunday
gchools, instead of wasting time culti-
VitiNI the IaNOT OF the oSIdOllSncC anu
the great President Wilson recently
said, with characteristic courage.
when pleading for the education Of
southern mountaineerS. 1T is very
amusing sometimes to see the airs that
high society gives itself. The world
could dispense with high society and
never miss it. High society is for
those who have stopped working and
no longer have anything important
10 do
Before we go into the days lesson
upon David and Goliath. let us get q
real grip upon this underlying truth
that youth is the time of heroisms
Then IL is that courage is greatest
patriotism is purest. ideals are knight
Hest and religion is most genuine and
natural Every person Of advancing
years needs to fear, even more thar
he fears the hardening Of his arteries
what Longfellow calls,
THE hardening Of the heart tina
brings.
lrreverence from the dreams o
youth"
Enter The Giant.
The combat between Goliath an
David has passed into proverb. N
Old Testament incident is bette
known. II is one Of the hero tales o
religious history that has fired tn
faith and fortitude of generations.
In accord with the anOasnt usag
OF trial by champion, the Philistine:
who had been routed by the drawer
OF Jonathan and his armor-beare
and had marched against the Israel
ties. offered to stake their case o
the prowess Of the giant Goliath,
heavily armed warrior more tha
nine feet tall. Day after day tn
clustering fellow came out into tt
valley between the two armies, whic
were encamped about sixteen mile
southwest of Jerusalem, and uttere
his defiances. The Israelites had r
champion to put forward. Day aft
DAY this huge Philistine made the
eat dirt. The shame Of cowardice w;
eating into their souls as actual d
teat could not do.
Then appeared from Bethlehe1
bearing food to his big brothers
the army. the shepherd boy Davi
son of Jesse Simple, unsophisticate
thinking in the clear, broad lines
those dwelling in the open, he w
aStounded by the spectacle of t
humiliation Of Israel by the giant
mad not learned to condition tru
or bravery or patriotism: he could u
uerstand risking ones life in pursl
~ duty-had done it, in fact-but
could not comprehend how child
@oh could be a coward.
'ndiscreet remarks to that eff
earned him a severe rebuke from
big brothers, who did not relish ha
ing heroism talked in the presence
thelr cowardice. Persons who ma
compromised with evil resent t
rash audacity of reformers. The pei
ience Of stand patters" who shot
be counted upon for righteousness,
sometimes harder for a progress
person to bear than the open aSsau
OF those whom he expects to find
rayed i'll clear-cut opposition. Davi
brothers wounded him more dee
than il was in the power OF Goh;
to do.
Persisting in his purpose (for
courage OF perseverance IS usually
greatly needed by q hero as sh
audacity in the face of danger, Da
won q chance to go up against I