The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-04-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Especially Prepared for The Republi-
can by DIR. U. S. Wright.

SUNDAY, APRIL 25.
Ruth's Wise Choice. Read entire
book.
Thy people shall be my people. and
thy God my God. Ruth 1:l6.
FAMILY HISTORY.
EIimelech and Naomi lived in Bethle-
hem happy and content. Two boys
came to bless the home and joy over
flowed while prosperity added bit to
their store against rainy day. And it
came. Famne-msklng drought left
the rainless fields bare and harvestless.
Hunger began to pinch the cheeks of
each while far away across the Jordan
could be seen the green rim of Moab.
Why had Jehovah deserted them? They
had sought to serve Him and in return
was only an empty board. Still the
green rim beckoned and they talked of
going into the heather land. At last
with set faces and determined step they
left the land of Jehovah for hunger
sake and set foot upon the soil of
Chemosh. But they did not prosper
Elimelech could not recover his spirits
for he felt that he had deserted Jehov-
sh. Presently sickness Slapped his re-
manning strength and he rested in a
foreign grave. The boys did as boys
will and set up housekeeping for them
selves. Orpah comes from root mean
ing to break the neck while Mahlon
means sadness or perhaps we would say,
"Old Crouch, so that it is very prob
able that that side of the house saw
some lively times. Chilion means con-
sumption so infer the names were not
personal but representative ones for no
mother would ever christen boys by
such terms. In that case it seems that
he dragged along under dominion of the
white plague until he too found grave
in Moab. Thus there we're three wild
ows under one roof with no income and
no prospect of one. All the days Ma
omi had hungered for home, faces of
old friends and the worship of Jehovah
for she had felt that their religious de-
sertion was the beginning of their sor-
rows. Certainly 1t had broken the
spirit of them ALL Now she deter
mined to return to her own people and
the little company begins its gathering
together what small reminders there
were of the loved dead and faces the
future. One is broken, disipated, fret
full old woman who feels as tho her lot
was the bitterest possible. Too broken
to carry any belongings even if they ex-
listed she starts her plod toward home.
Orpah and Ruth go with her until they
reach the rim of hill that begins the
slope into the Jordan Valley Appar-
emily Naomi had made no other friends
who would even wish her good luck up
on her journey. Sacrificing ones own
religious convictions is poor basis for
successful missionary work. Only three
lone widows looked over the green val
ley and shimmering sea to the hills be-
yond.
THE GREAT DECISION.
The old lady had no illusions as to the
feeling of the Jew toward an alien.
Frankly she turned from the contem-
plation of the far line of hills toward
which she had set her face and feet and
told the girls to go back home and seek
for husbands among their acquaint-
ances. 1t was sound sense as both knew
and Orpah proceeded to act upon it at
once for she kissed her mother-in- law
and faced toward Moab leaving Ruth
who evidently wantek to spead to her
alone. There had grown up a close
bond between the old broken woman
and the vigorous girl in those days when
they cared together for the dying son
and husband and there seems to be new
tenderness in the affectionate word
with which she urged her to follow the
example of Orpah. But youth had made
up its mind and from it there was to be
no appeal. Without anything other
than what she wore she would go with
the other into a foreign land, among
foreign people and to foreign worship.