The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-22

gression, and had been washed thorough
~ IRON MS niquity, but, alas!
Sorrow tracketh wrong,
AS echo follows song"
However We may be impressed by the
sorrows which follow sin IN a particular
instance. We Will do well not to speak
with authority as To their significance,
and we may often do better not to speak
at all. In the case before US We may
safely leave the matter where we lind it
and waste no time trying to connect all
the sorrows of David's latter years with
the monumental crime which darkened
his life at the zenith OF his career.
IL is remarkable how often the sorrows
which follow a sin are brought on 10y
events which bear a striking resem-
blance TO that sin. II was not long after
David's crime became known before his
house was darkened By a crime like unto
his own, committed by his Oldest son,
the heir to the throne. That sorrow was
all the darker because the king felt that
his error had come home to roost. and
because this conviction made his hands
so weak that he could not punish the
Offender. TWO years later the shadow
over his home was deepened by another
crime which brought 10 him the same
conviction. The offending son was MUIR
dered by another son. a handsome youth
who had been fo0iishly pampered aud
spollt by a doting father. And now the
kings hands were weaker than before,
for he had wronged Absalom In not
avenging his sisters ruin. and he well
knew that his sons crime was not as
cold-blooded as his own.
The life Of Absalom is the most inter
esting story OF a fast young mar in his
tory. Utterly bad. with nothing 10 re-
commend him but his good looks. his
name never fails TO awaken emotions Of
pity not on account of his sad end alone,
but on account OF his misfortunes and
the wrongs which he suffered.
It was his misfortune TO be born OF a
heather woman in a ~pOlygamous family.
II was his misfortune to be handsome
enough 10 enslaye the heart Of his father.
who. poet that he was. was easily sus-
ceptible TO beauty. This resulted In his
having his own way. and having his own
way resulted in losing his regard for his
fathrr and for his fathers God. IL was
his misfortune 10 reach the hot. FESTIVE
age Of youth about the time OF his IA
theirs great transgressions. And IL was
hts misfortune that nearly, all the
wrongs which he suffer- came from the
IdNI hl If1 idtIFis AiAl4Nb W n IN
mother. pampered By a doting father.
raised amid the Injuries Of an Oriental
court and breathing the tainted atmos-
phere OF a ~polysamons home; a beautiful.
spoilt boy, moving about the royal palace
monarch Of all he surveyed. and crack
ing his little whip over the heads or
every courier. prince or potentate that
came In his way. we 10 not wonder al MS
subsequent career. And yet II must not
be forgotten that this boy had good as
well az bad set before him, that he had
the opportunity 10 gee the true religion
in contrast with the false. that the good
and noble and beautiful ia his fathers
life pledominated over the bad, and that
he had a shrewd mind capable OF seeing
the difference between good and evil, ana
making q deliberate choice.
II David wronged Ahssiom I'm falling 10
avenge his sisters Disgrace. thereby
tempting him 10 AXE the law i'm his own
hands. and causing him NJ lose conn
dence ia his fathers sense OF Justice. he
also vsrOnged him by not bringing him
to triai at the first opportunity. thrse
wars Of idle1lrss IN h's grandfather
court gave the youth abundant oppor-
tunity to nurse his wrongs. and the sue
ceeding- two years OF idlencss In Jerl-
salem gave him all the time he wanted
TO devise Ways and means for the future
in the devils workshop. IL was proba~
bly, during this period that tho probability
Of having a rival 20 the throne in TIA
person OF Pathsheba's young son sus-
gested TO his mind the desperate eNpedi-
ent Of Wrestling the throne from ms IA
Their before Solomon should become Or
age. And IL was during this period that
he doubtless settled upon those political
methods which will not suner by com
pari>on Win the methods of the most
consummate politician Of modern times.
The lesson story is little more than a
statement OF these methods which were
employed hy Ahsai0m To steal the hearts
OF the men OF Israel ,hat hs might steal
the throne o. his father. His first EFFORT
was 10 make an impression upon the
people by a magnificent display 81 prince
" ponlp. IN a gorgeous state carriage
drawn by richly cararisoned horses and
attended by an escort OF Fifty men he
went about fairly dazzling the people.
whose hearts were as easily won by dis
play,as the hearts OF simple people nova
DAYS are won by the politician who takes
the stump IN a jeans suit and a cow
bows hat. Having won attention and
admiration. he further sought to attach
the people TO him by affecting an inter
est in their personal welfare. This meant
personal hand work. and a great deal
Of II. and he arose early in the morning
TO do Il. Tho plan was 20 stand NJ the
gate. doubtless in p~rincely apparel. and
20 accost every man who came up TO the
city 10 press a suit at court. People who
are In trouble like TO have a stranger
show an interest In them and are great
ly fattered when the stranger wears the
clothes OF a prince; and it was easy for
Absalom 10 draw them ont with regard
10 the matter each had in hand. Hav-
ing done this. 1t was polite for him 10
tell each one that he had a perfectly
good case. and would no doubt win il he
could get a hearing. "But. alas he
would 20 on TO say. Everything here Is
out OF shape. and there is no one to hear
you" And his hearer. delighted To find n
prince so patriotic and so deeply con-
cerned Tor the welfare Ct The Peeps.
chimes IN readily with the Young princes
wish that he were made 'ndso IN the
land. SO that men might come to him and
get justice. And It wsr 30 that whsn
any man came nigh 10 him to do him