, 1876-03-18
Hcak ntItl yeRry"

Absatom then worry wisely corsn!ted IInsliat
privately. and nata "Ahithophel has given the
in ttosasl. '.Nox," said Ahsslona, ;" what do you
think Of :" linahai replied, II greatly regrot
TINT cannot indorao tho views OF your wise
counselor. Undoubtedly 10 Is = very haEseloGa
caso Ia not safe 10 follow. In my humble opfn-
ion, this Is mol the limo 10 mako snch an attack
~ my hEghly.reHpoctod brolLor Ahithop!'ei pro-
pones. You must be fully awAre Of tho VA.
enco OF your father. Ho is ! veteran
II, tho martial sorvlco OF 11raet Ifo has novor
boon boaton. lilo never aurrenders. 11c PLACES
entire confidence nc IN ~ unseen rowor nnd a,I1
aid. Your father IL foarel through tho whole
land aud among all The nelghbosins peoplo ho
has tho heart Of q lion. All Ipraol know full
Tol! That your father , ta mighty 7 man. and al
advice that most humt1y aubplt is, that your
soderh 10 collected from all parts of tho country
aud that you yourself teke command o. them.
oaa upon T Dav s on am suSden 'o W.
will light upon t'lom a. tho dow fails upon the
ground, and We wilt slay every eoui OF thou."
liuAhai was eYtdoutly man Of great ability, for
Absalom and MI Israel indorsod hs Yiows. iIo
gavo hts opinions 10 10 plausible way and In
80 dazzling language that ali tue council and all
sho poop,o applauded him for hfs wisdom and
lila e1oquonco.
At once. measures werc taken for sending to
David tho glorious resuls Of the council. A
woman lent l.er aid. 4. sam., xvii. Ahi.hophel
Ills tll.succeas, Ills vanity wAa wounded,
bis pride mortified. eni bis ehsgrin hounf!css:
the cauae OF tho young King was lost. IIe be-
chmo depressed In spirits and yo1ed Iii soul,
hurried homo, put lila house in order, and, lest
q Btotm OF retributive Justice should como pour
Ing down upon his dcvotcd head, he hung him
Bolf.
David, by adv,co Of uuslai, hasloned to
MahauAim, some 10 milos away whore Lila
friends, knowing that no and hsa peoplo wese
wosry hungry, aud thirty brought beds.
choose, butter, wheat, barley, beans, otc. Al
aa'om In due time led his men across tho Jordan
md pitched bis tent In tho land
Of dI'ead, somo miles from hahan-
David vas not idlo ixviii.) Iie drilled anSi Si
trained hta tfoops in hts woutod way. 1Ie had
great Joy whom lle saH hardy mon OF G!lead
coming 10 his MD. They had livod upon tho
Inountaina too long to DO ahortsighted. They
days, aud thoy could not 10 led nstray by the
cnjoiing Absaiou,. They came to express their
heartfelt gratitude, their strong obligations, so
.s aasEor 1a RnE Thsy siras answ has DSya hsa
tho air Of thor Hills. and flowed frcoly.
nor could tnso!h Of gold widen II.
As nsua, IL those day, friends supplied ths
them Of thoir liarl-carned hire. no Cabinet OIL
cers 8tolo the food from tllor children'B MONTHS
or clotl!ng from their backs. +.
Dnyld's army constantly Increased. Ha soon
men, formed into companies Of 100 and into
regiments OF 1,OO0. 1Io coniirmod or appointed
trus.y md ablo officers. 1Io did not mista1o his
1nen. Ills friends objected to his exposing him
llfo was Or the groatest ysluo to tho army md
nation IN its proseut condition. Ills woll-earncd
reputation aA = Roldior In many wars WAS
M inspiration. Tho soldlors and the peo-
What . Pity IT wns not true! He divided Bis
forcos into throo grand divisions,-tho frat under
tho veteran General, Joab, TIM second under
Abashhi. brother Of Joal aud both aons Of hg
ti'clr uncle David, Abielai WAS man Of un-
doubted ralor, aud Dayila oomra,lion iii hls
midnight visit TO saul'a camp. Il. Baul. xvi,
G,) Tie third vaa undor tttai, tho Gittitc, .
nntivo Of Gath, noblo soldier ana puro patriot.
He had brought COO ho1oes. equalcd In uobte-
ness only by the 800 Crooks who gavo tho'r
liyes for their country. David said to him,
WHOM ho offorcd his military services, "Why do
you. stranger, cast your lot With us? Our
truth 20 with thee" But 1ttai replied: II
Nc No '1 wondor David ''' considered s ''7iii him
worthy Of trust and = high Official position.
slored A!mHolf bound 10 the old King by tue
strongest tics. IIe waB Cabinet officer, but ho
Was honest, and M honest nani,-tho nob1cst
work Of God-Was not 80 raro III Israel Al lcro
aul now.
vaB very joyful lilo fot proud OF thoM. Ho
was inspired by their prosence with the martial
spirit Of la early manhood, and felt that (lod
had not loft hi1n-thnt llo was got on Ais right
from the deadly shafts Of all his foes. Ile was
full OF tlro, and said: III Will 70 With YOU 10 tho
comlng bastioa."
As the bands struck up thoir tribal a!rs ho fell
et onss 0 hs 1ans ssy ssP saa 5 s,ensd @ os 4
but ~ tito people ropI!ed as II With enc voice,
"DaYid, our King, our rrdo. our Glory, our in
SEPARATION, you shall not go. You nro wo.th to
our country In tho present crisis TO- 900 OF us-
for. whether We fly Or do It is Of little conse-
quence. But yunr dealt, will min our cat1se. Do
you re1Daiu at homo. Our knowledge that you
are safe will Inspire us with courage anu oulnr-
anco. We go to 1ght for our aItarea and
rho King waa oycrjoyod on hearing from his
people 30 warm aud enthusiastic expression Of
confidence ln him, md satd, "Blosn tho Lord, o
ny soul, 10 vii! got take care Or Hla own poo
ple Gladly Will follow your advice, my
foro tho 0roat Dlaposer OF evonts,"
Nearly all tho towns in tho East, IN former
hgea wore ene1c!od by stroug walls, "a In ltome
nf tho present day, Around tho gatewayp tho
was largo spaco, In which wero hold courta OF
Justice. aud tioro tho people collected 10 loarn
the nova Of tho day and to hold public diHcuH-
alous. Above these large rooms on the walls,
wero snlAtlor rooms for various puI-
poeos. Above tlieuo wM a tower III which
WIS kept y wAtchtnan. whose duty II was
to ba sislant, and ready to give Instant notice
OF anything llo saw, good or bad. David Ind
boon drilling h!a army for sovorAl weehs. Tho
day for narching was rapidly approaching.
MauanMn mas ail Rytir. banda, loading tho
different regiments about the city. fillod tho air
with their music. Tie curnets we're scudlng
out their clarion tonos. II ynt, Ind boon thcro,
you would hayo boon doliEhtod e wltnoaa with
what wonderful ptecis:on tho aoldicra marchod
Joabwas tie Major General. Iio was aalow With
military lire. Con. AbishaI and ueu. lttai wore
fully anaAe to the importance Of tho hour,
and they drove about among thoir aol-
klers as II inspired fsosn on high.
| Banners then ns now, GcFo carried by the or
mites. On thorn uoro inscribed In largo letters
var,ous mottoes, stcll u.s." In Thee NO truss ~
"The Lord IL our rock "-"God Ia our Duektor :"
-"In the nhmo Of our God. VIC ralso cur ban
nora -" Our King tr1lsteth In the Lord -