Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-11-04

match for the rival found in the per-
son of the chiyalric David, the warrior
poet, the king minstrel, the man of
many crimes, yet redeeming all by the
fervency of his penitence, and his un-
faltering faith in the Highest. Yet
the noble and the heroic did never
quite desertthee, even when thou didst
implore the holy prophet to honor
thee in the presence "of the elders of
the people," and he turned and wor-
shipped with thee. A kingly pageant
when the sceptre was departing from
thee.
Disheartened by intense troubles,
appalled, by foreigninvasion, the spirit
ofthe unhappy king forsook him, and
it is said "his heart trembled." Sam
uel, the stern and nncompromising re-
vealer Of truth, was no more. Unsus-
tanned by hearty reliance upon divine
things, Saul was like reed cast upon
the waters, in this his hour of trial and
perplexity.
"When Saul inquired of the Lord,
the Lord answered him not, neither by
dreams nor by prophets" Unhappy
man, thy prayers were those of doubt,
not of faith, and how could they enter
that which is within the veil!
Inthe bitterness ofhis despair, he con-
suited the Woman of Endor. She
might not control events, but she could
reveal them. Perilous and appalling
as his destiny threatened, he would
yet know the worst.
There was majesty in thee, O Saul,
even in thy disguise and agony as thou
didst confront thy stern counsellor,
brought from the land of shadows
"the old man covered with MANTLE"
When Samuel demands, "Why hast
thou disquieted me?' we share in the
desolateness and sorrow which thy an
swer implies.
"God is departed from me, and an
swereth me no more, neitherby proph-
cts nor by dreams: therefore have
called thee, that thou mayest make
known unto me what shall do"
The Woman of Endor! That is
strange perversion of taste that would
represent her hideous in aspect To
me she seemeth all that is genial and
lovely in womanhood.
So great had been the mental suffer-
ing Of Saul, that he had tasted all that
day and night, and at the terrible doom
announced by the seer, his strength ut
terly forsook him and he fell all along
upon the earth.
Now come:h the gentle ministry Of
the Woman OF Endor. "Behold thou
hast prevailed with me to harken I'M
to thy voice, even at the peril of my
life; now, also, | pray thee harken unto
the voice of thy handmade, and let me
set morsel of bread before thee, and
eat, that thou mayest have strength"
Can aught be more beautiful, more
, touching or womanly in its appeal1--
Aught more foreign from cruel or
treacherous nature, aloof from human
sympathies, and dealing with forbid
den or unholy knowledge
To the Jew, trained to seek counsel
only from Jehovah, the Woman of En-
t dor was a dealer with spirits of evil
With us who imbibe truth through a
thousand channels made turbid by
prejudice and error, she is distorted
being, allied to the hags of a wild and
fatal delusion. We confound her with
the witches of Macbeth, the victims of
Salem, and the Moll Pitchers Of mod
, ern days.
Such is not the Woman Of Endor-
/ we have adopted the superstition OF
monk and priest through the long era
of darkness and bigotry, and every
age has lent shadow to the picture.
"Harken to the voice OF thy hand
maid, and let me set morsel Of bread
before thee" Beautiful picture of
primitive and genial hospitality
The Woman of Endor riseth before
me in the very attitude OF her kind,
, correct entreaty. The brads Of her
dark hair mingle with the folds of her
turban: her oriental robes spread from
beneath her rich girdle, and her bust
sweIIs with her imprisoned appeal
|. behold the proud contour oil features,
the deep, spiritual eye, the chi'eied
nostril, and the lip shaming the ruby :.
The cold, naughty grace, becoming
the daughter Of Msgi, he'd now yield
cd IN the Tenderness Of her woman's