Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1907-09-04
srrfy. selfish side Of the man began

srrfy. selfish side Of the man began
to assert itself. and Abigail lad her
! first glimpse OF the real man within.
How her pure, unselfish soul recoiled
| from the m,anness, the selfishness,
the hard-hear ,edness Of his warped
and shriveled nature. She had re-
joiced in the thought that as the wife
OF the rich Nabal she would be able
&c do much to help her less fortunate
ncighbors. When at home before her
marriage she had always been seek
ing out some home where she fright
bestow the word OF comfort or the
| trifie 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 a case of speLial need
| lying at the far side OF the little vii.
| lage adjacent to Nabal's estate. With
out any thought of mourning NaDars
displeasure. or of bestowing that TO
which she did not have q perfect
right. she had selected one OF the best
OF grain. had sent them to the home
where the father had just died and
the poor widow had been left with a
family of little ones to care for. Filled
with the thought of the Joy and com
| fort which she had thus been able &c
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 l 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."
Put 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 tile
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, contempt for
the man rising within her And from
| t1at In.y ~
asserted itself, and Abigail had left
him much to himself, and he, busy
| with the affairs of his estate, paid
little heed to her, save to watch with
apprehensive eye to see that she did
not give away his substance
So it had gone on for several years,
and the substance of Nabal increased.
| IL had been an unusually prosperous
year. The shepherds had returned
from distance with larger and more
thrifty fiocks than ever before, and
the shearing had begun and promised
to be the most bountiful yield OF wool
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
of the shepherds. How certain
brave captain named David and his
men had protected them and their
focks not only from the depredatine
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 wer,
the tales of Davids prowess which
the shepherds brought back Abigail
listened to the stories with growins
interest. and she exclaimed to herself:
Here. indeed. is man in whom the
spirit of God abides"
So the days went by and the busy
season OF shearing was almost over
and the shepherds were preparing tc
return to the fields with their sheep.
The next day Nabal had arranged for
a great feast in celebration of the
splendid harvest OF wool and Abigail
was deep In the work of the prepare.
tons, when one of the servants came
to her in much excitement.
"Nabal and his household are az
good as dead men," he exclaimed. and
then went on to explain how a com.
| pany of David's men had come asking
for an Offering from Nabal which he
had savagely refused. and the men
had departed with dire threats as to
what would follow.
And David and his men will return
and none will be left alive against
the morning light" the man conclud