The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-07-27


house q messenger had come announc-
Ing the coming Of Samuel. the proph-
ct Of Israel. 10 hold sacrifice and
feast at Bethlehem. His mother had
wanted him to remain 70 the feast,
but his older brothers had objected,
declaring that 1t was more important
that the sheep be put out to pasture,
and that anyway hA was not old
enough to share IN such occasions.
The first tinge Of disappointment
which he had felt had given place to
a feeling Of light-hearted gladness, a.
he remembered that he was more at
home with the Lord in the fields and
amidst his sheep than he was upon
the formal occasion OF worship.
AS he led his sheep, choosing the
smoothest and easiest paths. and
watching for the coolest, greenest
spots for the sheep to pasture, he
thought Of the Lord az his great shep-
herd leading him, and caring for him,
and with the thought had come as We
have said. an inexpressible sense OF
Joy and gladness which he did not
understand himself He knew that
the nature about him spoke familiar
language to his heart and told him OF
the God which Israel worshiped. He
knew that he loved his sheep and that
as he cared for them he found de-
light in thinking of Gods care for him.
He wondered now, as he walked along,
whether he was as willing to trust
God as his sheep were wiling to trust
him, and whether he was as willing to
be obedient to the Divine will as they
were to obey his voice.
mo" he said, suddenly rousing
himself as his watchful eye noted
that one Of the young sheep had reck.
lessly wandered far up the hillside,
and was even then disappearing into
the dense growth Of underbrush. mo,
am just like that straying sheep.
l wander 30 often In forbidden paths.
But" he added, cheerfully, as he hur-
ried of after the truant, "the Lord
goes out after me and brings me
back, even as I must go and bring
him back"
But David had covered scarcely half
of the distance to the point where he
had seen the lamb disappear when he
heard the most piteous bleating AZ
though he had fallen into some snare
| or had been seized by some wild
beast. Without thought of danger
to himself, David broke into run and
plunged into the thick jungle-like
growth. from which came the sound
Of the bleating.
Il
In the semi-darkness OF the densely
shaded place David could not see
clearly, but with no other thought
than that Of reaching his precious
sheep he continued his rapid flight
towards the place from which the
sounds of distress came, and before
he realized 1t he suddenly stumbled
and almost fell over a soft-yielding
something, which turned and faced
him with fierce, mufiied growl.
David took in the situation at o
glance, and with quickness which
took the beast by surprise, he dealt
1t stunning blow between the eyes
with his heavy sta6, at the same time
selling the lamb and placing It behind
him. Then with prayer that God
/ Wouiu uCiP hiAus hO W6AtCu tn0 0IIdCA
Of the creature, which was now infu-
rated at the loss of its meal. AS the
creature sprang into the air at his
throat, he bent his 1.-the body to one
side and then with the quickness OF
a cat he was upon the beast almost
before 1t had touched the ground. For
tunately 1t landed between two tut
ting pieces of rock in such way az
to pinion its body so that with the
weight Of David's body upon, 1t, 1t was
unable to extricate itself, Sand the
more desperately It struggled. the
| more tightly did It become wedgac
between the edges of the unyielding
rock. It was the work Of but mo-
ment for David to unfasten the sling
OF strong thongs which he carried at
his side, and to bring 1t taut about
the neck Of the animal beneath him.
Then with ever tightening coils he
slowly choked the animal to death.
1.-THE Lord, my shepherd, did help
me to save my sheep" he exclaimed,
| gratefully, as he lifted the lamb he
had just rescued from the ground
where 1t had lain in abject fear, and
examined 1t to see II It had been in
1ured. II am glad now that did not
stay to the feast and sacrifice. Il
was better that should be here Sure
ly, have been of more service here
than could have been there and
guess the Lord was nearer to me here
than he could have been had I re-
NAMED to see the prophet. But I
wonder what mission he had to the
house OF Jesse, my father Perhaps"
he continued musingly. a. he hurried
back to the rest Of his sheep which
he found grazing quietly, perhaps It
was to call Eliab, the eldest to some
special work. Surely he IL q fine rel
low and deserving of such good for
tune" And seating himself again In
the shade Of the tree he took up his
harp and began to play softly, while
his thoughts busied themselves with
picturing the future for his brother.
And then he got to wondering what
he was going to do when he got to bs
| a man UpoRn VI vi ~ tst M 4