The Meeker herald., 1907-11-02

SVAseAAs 80
pride in the young man. keeping him
near him and In many ways showing /
him favors. 30 matters stood when |
an important expedition was sent out |
against the Philistines. and David was
given important command and in a
brilliant engagement again demon |
strated his military prowess and won
new victories for Israel. 20 that ON the |
return of the victorious army the peo- |
pie came out to meet them with |
shouts Of praise. and what was the
chagrin and disgust Of King Saul to |
hear the women singing war couplet |
which had been composed for the &C.
casion. the theme of which was that
Saul had slain his thousands but
David his tens Of thousands.
Tho enemies of David were not long |
in discovering the mood Of the king |
and by sly inuendos served to inflame |
his mind, yet more, So that the i'm |
preston grew up In Saurs mind that
David was plotting against him. But
the climax came few days later when |
one OF the kings attendants returned
from journey which had taken him
through Bethlehem. and brought to |
Saul's ears for the hrst time the story |
of Davids amounting by Samuel. the |
prophet. Like an angry flood there |
swept over Saul the memory Of his
last interview with the prophet and
of how the latter had declared that
God had rejected him from being king
over Israel. He saw 1t all now. David
n
he not won his way into the palace for
this express purpose? Had he not
thrown around his son and heir. iona
than. an influence which he had noted
Of late seemed to hold him In COM
plete control. And had he not heard
Just the other day how David had won
from him a pledge of support. All the
rage and violence of Saul's strong ma
ture surged within his soul, SO that
he could scarce contain himself. But
with cunning forethought he planned
that when next David appeared before
him he would slay him.
That night he made request that
David bring his harp and play In his
presence. and even while he was thus
engaged. with never thought Of dan
ger, King Saul suddenly arose In his
seat and laying his hand on q javelin
which had been standing In the cor
ner. he hurled 1t with all his might At
David. 30 that the latter avoided be-
ing pinned to the wall only by the
quickest Of moves.
When the king saw that he had not
Killed David, he sought to laugh the
matter OF as joke, declaring that
he only wanted to give David a good
scare. and asking him to continue his
playing. This he did but with watch
full eye. and he was thus able again to
avoid the javelin which Saul threw at
him. Then 1t was that David knew
that Saul desired his life.
And when Saul found that he had
failed he thought to bring the young
man into disfavor by removing him
from his place at court. This he did
but David behaved himself wisely and
Saul grew to be even more afraid OF
the young man.
1t was not long after this that King
Saul called all his servants before
him together with his son, Jonathan.
and told them that they should kill
David. promising special favors to the
one who should succeed. But Jona-
than warned David of the charge his
father had given to his servants and
David was able to escape the traps
which were set for him. Thus mat
tiers stood until Jonathan was able by
dint of much effort to wiring from his
Rotk hot hn null Mt
kill David, but would restore him to
his old place Of favor.
One night when David was playing
on his harp before the king. as on
former occasions, one Of the violent
tempers which were growing upon the
king seized him, and like mad man
he sprang toward David and drove
his jayelin into the wall at the point
where second before David had
been sitting. And now all the blood
thirsty hatred against David returned
upon Saul with redoubled fury and he
sent messengers unto David's house
whittier he had been traced to watch
him and to slay him in the morning.
But Michal. David's wife. the daughter
Of King Saul. learning Of the plans
warned her husband and let him down
from the window, and he fed that
night and escaped.
1t was then that for the first time
there swept over the heart Of David
consciousness Of his condition. The
king determined upon his death. and
the plotting against him had grown to
such extent that he was no longer
safe anywhere in the kingdom. He
was fugitive. Had God forgotten
| him! Were all his visions of the fu-
| ture to be blasted? What had meant
| his amounting years before II this was
| to be the ending? What had he done
| that such hardship and peril should
have hofolIop hip,o An tho hitfor