The news & observer., 1898-05-08
aDAv1p. THE SHEPHERD BOY.
Historical Sketch of the Beautifu
Cantata.

Historical Sketch of the Beautifm
Cantata.
The lovers of the historical will have.
Il splendid opportunity of seeing one or
he most charming historical and instruc-.
| tive productions ever seen iii our city.
Mt the Academy of Music, Thursday.
evening May l., David the Shepherd
| Boy" The charming cantata viii be pro-
| duced under the direction Of the mem.
! bers of the Young Peoples Guild of the.
| Church of the Good Shepherd, for the
benefit of the Building Fund of the
church.
The cantata will be All able prOduc-
| tion by the leading amateur artists of
our State. under the personal manage
ment of Mrs. Sherwood Higgs. The
costumes viii be beautiful and the char
acters ably portrayed. This play has
most interesting part for the Odd Eel
| owS and members Of secret organizations
and efforts are being made to have the
visiting Odd Fellows who will be in the
! city on the night of the production to
attend the performance in Il body The
| following is the synopsis of the play.
DAVID THE SHEPHERD BOY"
The events that occurred at the close
| of Saul's brief reign in the year 1868.
| b. c., are as instructive and impressive
as can be found in the whole range
of Bible history.
| There never was king, possibly, who
commenced his reign with brighter pros
poets, than did Saul. King of Israel.
| Saul was a Benjamite of the smallest
of the tribes of Israel, and his family
the least Of all the families of Benjamin.
On account of the disObedience of Saul,
| the Lord repented that He had set tp
| Saul to be King.
| Now we come to the story of this re-
markable man, David. In the days of
| King Saul there dwelt at Bethlehem, III
| the land of Judah, a certain man whose
name was Jesse He was the grandson
of Ruth the Moabitess and Boaz. Jesse
had eight sons and David was the young
| est.
| The Lord, being displeased with Saul,
said 10 Samuel. ''F'ill thine horn with oil,
and go TO the house Of Jesse in BCthle-
| hem. for | have provided me king
among his sons. Jesse having called
all seven of his sons before Samuel, and
all being refused Samuel asked if that
was all. Jesse replied that the Youngest
| yet remained in the field keeping the
sheep. Samuel commando that he should
| ne uFOuHHl IOFlH. w iicli 1pdNlu was
| brought before Samuel he at once saw
| that he it was, the Lord had chosen to
| be King over Israel.
| After these things Saul was troubled
with Il spirit Of madness, and his SER
wants prayed that they might be permit
| ted to seek out a man who was skill
ful player on the harp.
| So Saul commanded them to go, and one
of his servants answered Il have seen
son Of Jesse the Bethlehemite. that is
skilful in playing, a valiant youth and
| prudent i'm speech, and a cOmcy person.
| This servant knew not that David had
| been anOinted king over Israel. David
came and soothed Saul in his hours OF
gloom and abode at his home for som,
| time. After Il while Saul was healed of
his madness. David returned to his
father at Bethlehem to feed his flocks.
| When David presented himself to Saul
again it was to go out to fight the Ihllis
tines. Out Of this Philistine army came
a giant Goliath of Gath over eight feet
! high, well protected with armor.
/ This gian deiied the whole army or
/ Israel, so David, a mere shepherd lad,
went forth in the name Of the Lord ana
slew him taking the head Of the giant,
| together with his armor. David was
| 'iNhSid ~ bodui 34 2ADIlcI, tliN N''b''ti''
of the hosts, and asked whose son he
was and David replied that he was the
son Of Jesse the Bethehemite; and as to
his occupation he answered that he was
David the Shepherd Boy" Saul would
not let him go back any more to ms
father and Jonathan, the son of Saul
loved him as his own soul. Once when
David returned from battle, after having
made great slaughter of the Philistnes'
| the women came out singing and dancing
and playing on instruments of music 10
meet him and the king. One company
would sing. Saul hath slain his thous'
ands, and the other would say, ana "a
yid his tens Of thousands. Now tlls
made Saul angry and began to SET
snare for David. The love when Jon
athan had for David in the most De'.u-
tiful ms well as the most ancient eNah, exam
pie of earthly friendship ever eXhlpi'g,e ~
and it has received the plaudits q '"e
world for many generations. o,,I
Now Michal. the daughter o. So, oI
who was given to David was 1'@, ftor
from him and given to another' ,hiaaiI /
the death of Nabal of Carmel ~ tbn
became the wife Of Dayid-Ai''snnn nnboi5 'iiI
Carmelitish Queen, beautiful 10 peNO'''