Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-08-22

surly, selfish side OF the man began
to assert itself, and Abigail had her
first glimpse of the real man within.
How her pure, unselflsh soul recoiled
from the meanness, the selflshness.
the hard-heartedness of his warped
and shriveled nature. She had re-
joiced in the thought that as the wife
of the rich Nabal she wosld be able
to do much to help her less fortunate
neighbors. When at home before her
marriage she had always been seek
ing out some home where she might
bestow the word of comfort or the
trifle of food or raiment which her
scant means permitted, and now that
larger means were at her command
she found increasing delight and
comfort in this work OF ministry.
The day before there had come to
her attention case of special need
lying at the far side of the little vii
lage adjacent to Nabals estate. With
out any thought of mourning Nabars
displeasure, or Of bestowing that to
which she did not have perfect
right she had selecNed one of the best
of the lambs and, together with sack
of grain, had sent them to the home
where the father had just died and
the poor widow had been left with
family of little ones to care for. Filled
with the thought Of the Joy and COM
fort which she had thus been able to
bring to that home, she had related
the story to her husband in the even
ing after he had come In from the
field.
What" he had exclaimed, savage
ly, you giving away what work so
hard to get?"
But was giving out Of our abund-
ance," she had replied Surely you
would not see another suffer want?'
Let them work for their bread as
do l."
But the father has just died. and
the mother and little ones are desti-
tute' And Abigail had gone on to
relate the sad circumstances.
Let the relatives look after them,
then" Nabal had surlily calculated.
"The fellow was lazy, good-for-noth-
ing. Did / not have him working for
me-? and did not l have to send him
away because he would not do the
work assigned him?"
Perhaps he was sick and could
not"
Then what right had he to ask
for wages for work he did not do?"
Abigail had not replied, but turned
away sick at heart, a contempt for
| tIo al ho, A,l
that day his surly, greedy nature had
asserted itself, and Abigail had left
him much to himself, and he, busy
with the affairs of his estate, paid
t little heed to her, save to watch with
apprehensive eye to see that she did
not give away his substance.
, So 1t had gone on for several years,
and the substance of Nabal Increased.
1t had been an unusually prosperous
year. The shepherds had returned
) from a distance with larger and more
! thrifty flocks than ever before and
} the shearing had begun and promised
to be the most bountiful yield OF wool
I that Nabal had ever had. Nabal was
} too occupied with the thought of his
: prosperity to pay much heed to the
talk of the shepherds as they told the
stories of their experiences, but Abb
gail as she ministered the household
affairs and directed the servants In
! preparation for the feeding of the
workmen, heard the stories which
the maidens had heard from the lips
i of the shepherds. How certain
} brave captain named David and his
men had protected them and their
tlocks not only from the depredating
! bands of robbers which infested the
! country, but from the wild beasts as
} well, and had enabled them to occupy
: the most luXuriant pastures which
the country afforded. And many were
the tales of David's prowess which
a the shepherds brought back. Abigail
= listened to the stories with growing
e interest, and she exclaimed to herself:
:, Here, indeed, is a man in whom the
h spirit Of God abides."
y So the days went by and the busy
d season of shearing was almost over
r and the shepherds were preparing to
o return to the fields with their sheep.
e The next day Nabal had arranged for
S a great feast in celebration of the
s splendid harvest of wool, and Abigail
2. was deep in the work of the prepare.
It tions, when one of the servants came
e to her in much excitement.
"Nabal and his household are as
{ good as dead men," he exclaimed, and
then went on to explain how a com.
e pany of David's men had come asking
d for an Offering from Nabal, which he
8 had savagely refused, and the men
e had departed with dire threats as to
o what would follow
, "And David and his men will return
and none will be left alive against
u the morning light" the man concud.
d ed.
re