Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-10-17

There was no other way he ex
claimed under his breath. Had he
not been so internally obstinate ali
would have been well. and now-all
! will be we'll. anyway. | hazard
That had been an awful night for
him so sleep had come to still the
I rage or quiet the fears which filled
I Us heart but amidst all the con.
[ fiicting emotions which surged like
Z the restless sea back and forth with
I in his heart there was the one settled
I purpose 10 cover up and hide the
sin which had come TO blacken and
scar his life.
To hide that sin rad seemed like
a simple and easy thing at first. but
as his every plan had been baf.
fed IL made him almost mad with
| impotence and a bitter hatred sprang
up against the man whom he had So
grieyously wronged. At first he had
only felt good-natured contempt for
him. and il was with rather a feeling
/ % coudescension on his part that he
had dealt with him at all But David
was too high-minded . man. and had
too clear a conception Of right and
wrong not to be conscious way down
deep in his heart that he had com
mitted gTievous sin. and yet there
vas present the stubborn purpose
to justify and palliate his orense. He
took refuge behind his kingly pre-
negatives and power. and found com
fort in the thought that the kings Of
other nations did even worse things
than he had done
And yet. notwithstanding this feel
ing which h. tried TO encourage
namely. that the king could do no
wrong he did rot want his sin TO BE-
come known. and determined from
the first that IL should not Thus he
was led TO send for Uriah. and when
his plans miscarried. as we have said.
IL threw him into a rage Of fear and
anger. The very loyalty and faith
fulness which Uriah displayed toward
him and the nation served to iutensi-
f. and aggrayate his vexation of
spirit and on that last night. a.
Ne have said. no sleep came 10 re-
lieve the stress OF mind and body.
And then had come a new fear TO
vex him. Could IL be that Uriah's
refusal 10 return home was due to the
fact that he had some suspicion as
10 the true state Of affairs? All night
long the question had ranked in his
bosom. and a dark resolve began TO
form itself within
Triah must be put out Of the way.
When the thought first flashed
across his mind like an evil message
from the king OF darkness. he trem.
BLEED as an aspen and turned from II
with sickening dread. but each time
as he came face to face with the al.
tentative OF exposure and disgrace.
he entertained more willingly the evil
thought, and at last found himself
planning how it might be carried out
At first David thought 20 pay big
money TO some base fellow who would
secretly fall upon Uriah and take his
life. but even in the fear and confu.
sion OF his mind he quickly saw the
dangers attending such course.
What then was he to do, How could
he accomplish his purpose? The
seeming impossibilities In the way
served to intensity the evil purpose
Of his heart.
All. how often the better impulses
came, How repeatedly the inner con
science spoke against doing such evil
thing. and each time there came back
the challenge from his fear-stricken
heart, but your sin and the exposure
which is certain to follow"
And then came the irrevocable de.
cision to take this other step in the
course OF sin. in order that the frs,
sin might be covered up. And was
there no thought or fear that the eye
of God saw and knew Yea, there
came the fieeting remembrance and
then the cloud OF sin in which the
heart was enveloped settled down
again. and David. steeling his heart
against God and the better prompt
ings. plunged on in his evil course.
No. Uriah must die
The decision had been made. the
message written and even now Uriah
was bearing his death warrant to
Joab Anxious days followed. but
David knew that Joab would not fail
him.
Il was not many days after this
that tidings came OF disastrous de
feat TO the army of Israel. The bat.
tie had been pressed to the very walls
OF the stronghold of Rabbah. and
many OF the Israelites had fallen. II
was sad news to the nation. and
there was mourning in many a house
hold. but David. who received the It'd
ings from the lips of Joab's messen-
ger. cared not for this thing. when
the messenger added:
And Uriah. the Hittite, is dead.
also