so departed from earth--her
people are defeated in battle, and worse than all, the ark of God is
fallen into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines--who doubtless
glory as if Dagon had conquered the invincible Jehovah. What to her are
the pangs and throes under which her tortured body labors? She heeds
them not. Pitying friends endeavor to rouse her from her dying lethargy,
by the most glad tidings a Hebrew woman could learn, "Fear not; for thou
hast borne a son!" But she answers not. Shorter and shorter grows her
breath--nearer and nearer she approaches the eternal shore. But she is a
mother, and though every other tie is sundered, and she is dying of the
wounds which the cruel breaking of those heart strings has caused, she
feels one cord drawing her to her new-born child, and asks that he may
be brought. It is too much! Why was he born? No cheering thought comes
with his presence. Nor joy nor honor are in store for him. Call him
Ichabod, (without glory) she gasps with feeble accents, "for the glory
is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken." A moment more and
her freed spirit is in His open presence, who she deemed was forever
departed from her people.

* * * * *

Christian friend, you who are walking through desert places, and perhaps
fainting under the heavy hand of God, let not your heart fail you.
Shrink not back from the path, though it seem beset with thorns. Some
good is in store for you. Affliction, indeed, is not for the present
joyous but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruits of righteousness. If, like the mother of Ichabod, you learn to
forsake the turbid waters of earth for the Fountain of eternal love--if
you make the Lord your portion, you will not in the end be the loser,
though wave on wave roll over you and strip you of every other joy. No,
not even if at length your sun shall set in clouds impenetrable to
mortal vision. A glorious cloudless morning lies beyond, and you shall
be forever satisfied with Him who has chosen you in the furnace of
affliction.

"Then rouse thee from desponding sleep,
Nor by the wayside lingering weep,
Nor fear to seek Him farther in the wild,
Whose love can turn earth's worst and least
Into a conqueror's royal feast;
Thou will not be untrue, thou shall not be beguiled."

* * * * *

Original.

FEMALE EDUCATION--PHYSICAL TRAINING.