The Forrest City times., 1895-05-03

| L celebrated in Grecian story. Con- | demned to be victims on the altar of the goddess Diana, friendship rescues priestess and victims and the home of their childhood, beautiful vale among the heaven-kissing hills of green, se- cures them again. These, thus briefly told, are lovely stories; throwing a glory over fallen humanity, around which we delight to finger, as on those | flowers, rooted in some crevice and fed by dews and sun beams, that adorn the walls of some noble ruin.
 Odd-fellowship, desiring a more di- vinely human and humanly divine foundation stone, has builded upon truth and beauty of the story of JONATHAN AND DAVID.
 This is the brightest, sweetest, the most touching and tragic in the annals of the human race. Friendships are ! often traceable to some trivial circum- stance-may have lived in same neigh borhood, had a common play ground, attended the same school, or had an ac- cldental meeting somewhere, which may not only, by it's magic touch, have changed the life, butdestiny.
 This had its origin in very memor- able event, on one of the most notable days in all the history of Israel All Israel had rallied to the standard of the king to rescue their fatherland from an invading foe. David. the shepherd boy, with the sunshine of life upon his locks, the blushes of youth upon his cheeks, hastened to Israels tented fields, bear ing fatherly greetings to his soldier brothers. Hearing the taunts of Go Hath, the boy becomes a man; his gal lant soul burns within him, a patriotic heroism seizes his soul, his heart is armed with faith in God, his hand is directed by divine wisdom, the fatal stone speeds to the mark, and Israel is free; the valleys ring with his praise, the mountains echo the shouts of vic tory, and Jonathan's heart flows out to David in deep, deathless love.
 There are friendships as fragile as the flowers that the wintry frosts paint upon our windows; that a whispered breath may wreck forever. Here is friendship that is as lasting as tho hOary hills of Galilee. Heir-apparent to the throne of Israel, Jonathan re- joiced in another's honor and hailed with intense delight the rising of a sun that eclipsed forever his own star of destiny. The rawlings of distempered king, the malignity of cruel, jealous hatred but cement the closer the heart of Jonathan to David. The last meet ing they had on earth, amid times that try mems souls, they replighted their undying friendship saying, "The Lord be between me and thee and between my seed and thy seed forever"
 Tender as woman, and yet as true as steel, overfowing with generous kindness, utterly devoid Of selfishness, trusting as he was trusted, with heart retiecting Davids as water reflects our own image, Jonathan was the paragon and perfect pattern Of friend. David never forgets Jonathan. His memory was precious and like the mellow rays of the setting sun, it falls tenderly yet sadly on his heart. How touchingly beautiful is the literary monument, in words of epitaph that David, standing on the spot that had been crimsoned with the blood of his friend, erects on the pages of sacred story How through these words can we go into the very temple of David's soul and find friend ships altar draped with the gloom of death:
 ,'The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
 Tell 1t not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the dau ;hters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
 "Ye mountains of Gillboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vlely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with. oil
 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back and sword of Saul returned not empty.
 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleas ant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles they were stronger than lions.
 'Ye daughters Of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights: who put on ornaments of gold upon your ap- parel
 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan thou vast slain in thine high places.
 T am distressed for thee. my brother Jona- than: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: of women.
 How are the mighty fallen, and the wesp- ons of war perished"
 David ascends the throne, amid the plaudits of an admiring host. the idol of his country, the pleasant child of God. Seated, surrounded by royalty, he remem bers Jonathan and the first question propounded to his court is: ''Is there any yet left of the house of Saul that l may show him kindness for