The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-20
FOR THE CHILDREN

year old and the especial pet OF his
aunt. The elder boys used to walk on
the city walls and wonder when their
rather would return. Often they told
each other how they would rush to
meet him when they saw his standards
returning in triumph through the
DAMASCUS gate, and then they spoke in
whispers when they mentioned their
grim grandmother.
One day there came q. courier, COW
cred with dust and weary with hard
riding. He demanded to be taken at
once into the presence of Alfalfa, the
grandmother, who was governing the
country while her son was away to the
wars.
Anxiously the boys stood outside the
door of the audience chamber while
the courier was telling his story to
Queen Alfalfa 1t was news from the
army and their father, they knew
but was it good or bad?
The news brought by the courier
/ was that King Ahazfah had been killed
and that all Of Athalia's own family
/ had been slain.
Now, she was born a princess Of the
House OF Ahab. but her husband and
/ his descendants represented the royal
| mouse of David, and that house was
mated by the fierce queen. When she
heard that her son the king and also
/ her own relatives were dead, she
rushed from the room and declared
/ that the line of David should be ex-
/ terminated and that she, Alfalfa,
would rule over Juda.
Calling ruffians whom she had in
! her pay, she ordered them to kill all
/ the princes while she gathered her
troops about her and proclaimed her
self ruler of Juda.
The princes had fed when they saw
their grandmother come forth in fury
from her talk with the courier, but the
assassins hunted them out and killed
them in the reeesses of the royal PAL
1.nE nr.A WTt
| they could not find, but they did not
| dare to tell Alfalfa so, for she would
| have put them to death If she had any
| idea they had not killed all of the
/ princes of the house Of David
It happened that Joashs aunt was
with the child in the nursery when she
heard great tumult in the palace and
a servant came rushing in and told her
Snatching the baby, the good woman
concealed it until she could carry it to
a lumber room in the temple.
Alfalfa, thinking that all her grand
children were dead, reigned for six
years over Juda and tried to establish
idol worship instead of the worship of
jehovah She let the temple go to
ruin and was rapidly heathenizing
Juda, where she made the worship of
Baal the fashion.
Meantime in the lumber room of the
temple. his aunt had fitted up a place
Tor Joash. and he grew in body and
mind until, when he was seven years
old, ne was as far advanced as most
boys at twice that age.
Seeing what a bright boy he was,
his aunt's husband, the high priest
considered that the time had come for
him to take his place as king. So he
gathered together all the soldiers upon
whom he could rely, and told them
that Joash was still alive. Then he
asked them If they would help to place
him on the throne of his father.
IF nv coll 7 s-..~r,
posted inside the temple, and at the
gates, and with great pomp and
ceremony Joash was brought forth and
crowned king Of Juda.
Near him when he stood forth.
young and strong and beautiful was a
chosen band bearing the sacred arms
/ taken from the armory of David. The
trumpets sounded and the soldiers and
priests shouted, Long live the kihg!H
Just then Alfalfa, hearing the noise
forced her way into the temple and
saw Joash standing there with the
crown on his head Alfalfa was furf-
Gus and began shouting treason"
| Then she rushed forth to gather her
partisans, and in the tumult which en-
sued she was killed. But the people
all shouted for joy and clasped their
hands when the heard that Joash was
alive and a king of Davids lfne sat
| once more on the throne.
/ The boy, young as he was, made a
! good king and did much fo~ his peo-
pie. He restored the temple and put
down the idol worship which his
grandmother had established in Jeru-
/ salem.
As a boy king and as a young man
he was one Of the best and wisest
kings Juda had.
It was a great change from the
/ lumber room Of the temple to the
/ royal palace of the kings of Juda, but
| Joash had been carefully trained and
/ bore his new honors meekly. But sad
to say, in his latter days he fell awav
from the true faith, began sacrificing
to BaaI and brought trouble to his
people and destruction upon himself