The Tupelo journal., 1907-08-16

she found increasing delight and
comfort in this work of ministry.
The day before there had come to
her attention a case of special need
lying at the far side of the little viii
out any thought of mourning Nabal's
displeasure, or Of b~estowing that to
which she did not have a perfect
right, she had selected one of the best
of the lambs and, together with a sack
of grain, had sem them to the home
where the father had just died and
the poor widow had been left with a
family of little one 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 a lazy, good-for-noth-
ing. Did Ilnot have him working for
me? and did not / 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
the man rising within her. And from
chat day his surly, greedy nature had
asserted itself, and Abigail had left
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.
It 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
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,
gall, 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 a certain
brave captain named David and his
men had protected them and their
focks not only from the depredating
bands of robbers which infested the
country, but from the wild beasts as
we'll, and had enabled them to occupy
the most luxuriant pastures which
the country afforded. And many were
the tales of David's prowess which
the shepherds brought back. Abigail
listened to the stories with growing
interest, and she exclaimed to herself:
Here, indeed, is a 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 to
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 i'll h work of the prepare
lions, when one of the servant came
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
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 az to
what would follow.
And David and his men will return
and none will be left alive against
the morning light" the man conclud.
ed.
1t did not take Abigail long to
grasp the situation and to make her
preparations for the journey to meet
David. She would take an Offering
and see whether the wrath of David
could not be stayed.
eff he is a man in whom the spirit
Of God dwells he wi. listen to my ap-
peal and stay his hand from shedding
innocent blood" she said to herself,
reassuringly, as she pressed forward
in the wake of the laden asses bear
ing the provisions she had hastily COL
lected.
And it was so, as she rode on the
ass, that she came down by the GOV.
ert of the hill, and behold David and
his men came down against her: and
she met them.
That was an interview in which the
souls of both David and Abigail were
drawn together in sympathetic appre-
citation, so that under the unfolding of
the wonderful p~rovidences of God
eventually Abigail became the wife of