entwine itself in the warp and woof of their lives and form a pattern of
exceeding beauty whose colors will not fade. They shall hear the solemn
vow of the father to sacrifice unto the Lord the first living creature
that meets his gaze after the victory over his enemies. They shall see him
returning invested with the glory of the victor. Then the child will be
seen running forth to meet him, the first living creature his gaze has
fallen upon since the battle. They will note her gladness to see him and
to know that he is safe. They will see the dancing of her eyes and hear
her rippling, joyous laughter. They will become tense as the father is
telling her of his vow. But the climax is reached when they hear her
saying, "My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me
according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth." And, with bated
breath, they see her meeting death with a smile that her father may keep
his covenant with the Lord. Ever after this story will mark to them the
very zenith of loyalty, and the lesson in grammar can await another day.

Again, instead of the regular reading lesson the school may well
substitute the story of David, as given in the eleventh chapter of
Chronicles. "Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to
David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped
in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the hold, and the
Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. And David longed, and said,
'O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem that
is at the gate.' And the three 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."