ree brake through the host of the Philistines,
and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and
took it, and brought it to David; but David would not drink of it, but
poured it out to the Lord, and said, 'My God forbid it me, that I should
do this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their
lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought.'
Therefore he would not drink it."
Without any semblance of irreverence we may paraphrase this story slightly
and have our own General Pershing stand in the place of David asking for
water. Then we can see three of his soldiers going across No Man's Land in
quest of the water which he craves. When they return, bearing the water to
him from the spring in the enemy's territory, we can see him pouring the
water upon the ground and refusing to drink it because of the hazard of
the enterprise. No fulsome explanation will need to be given to impress
upon the pupils the loyalty of the soldiers to their general, nor yet the
loyalty of the general to his soldiers. Or again, in the oral English two
of the pupils may be asked to tell the stories of Ruth and Esther, and
certain it is, if these stories are told effectively, the pupils will
thrill with admiration for the loyalty of these two noble characters.
On his way home for vacation a college student was telling his companion
on the train of the trip ahead, relating that at such a time he would
reach the junction and at a certain hour he would walk into his home just
in time for supper; he concluded by paying a tribute to the noble
qualities of his mother. This man is now an attorney in a large city and
it is inconceivable that he can ever be guilty of apostasy from the ideals
and principles to which he reacted in his boyhood in that village home.
Whatever temptations may come to him, the mother's face and voice and the
memory of her high principles will forbid his yielding and hold him steady
and loyal to that mother and her teaching. He must feel that if he should
debase himself he would dishonor her, and that he cannot do. He can still
hear her voice echoing from the years long gone, and feel the kindly touch
of her hand upon his brow. When troubles came, mother knew just what to do
and soon the sun was shining again. It was her magic that made the rough
places smooth, her voice that exorcised all evil spirits. She it was who
drove the lions from his path and made it a place of
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