The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-19

dying ana Ll 90 ne wished % see MIN, d
there swept over him a realization Of (
what the nation would lose with the I
passing away of this man Of God, He !
had had a contempt for his religion.
but not for the stirring part he had /
played IN the history OF tie nation I
from before his grandfather Jehu's
time down to the present The story /
Of how the prophet Elisha had sent /
the word and the amounting oil which /
had encouraged Jehu to seize the king
dom from the house Of Ahab had been /
told him over and over again by his
grandfather as he had stood at his knee
when a boy, and now as word came
that the prophet was dying there
swept ever him a sense of loss to the
nation which almost made him trem-
bic. Thus moved, he had gone.
What scene and experience that
had been. With the memory Of the
death of his own father fresh in his
mind he. had gone to the death cham
Der Of the prophet expecting to find
again that gloom, that despair that
hopelessness which he had somehow
come to think was always part Of the
death scene, but instead he had found
cheer instead Of gloom, expectancy
and hopefulness instead Of despair and
hopelessness. Physical weakness there
was, and it was plain to see that the
sands Of life were running out fast,
but there was a moral strength there
which told only too plainly that that
heeting life was conscious Of being
linked with the eternal and that
though earth was passing the things
which the life had stood for would &c
on after he hGd passed away.
King Joash had run over in his mind
the comforting things he would try
10 say, but as he had entered the
room where the old prophet lay and
had felt those quiet, earnest, search
ing eyes fixed upon his face, he had
forgotten everything except that here
was man who rose above physical
weakness, and in that instant there
came to his mind a faint realization
that 1t was the character behind a
man after all, and not physical
strength or worldly position, which
counted.
Intuitively he felt that the true
man stood revealed in the presence
of death, and in that first moment
in the prophets chamber there swept
over him the contrast between his own
father, fearful and helpless, and in ter
ror Of death, and this man OF God
who, just on the borderland Of eter-
nifty, gave no sign that he feared for
himself, but rather that he was not
only master of himself brt of others
There was that quiet serenity and con.
idence which betokened mysterious
source Of power, and instead Of the
king commiserating with a dying sub
iect and speaking words of comfort
he rather felt like a child in the pres
ence Of its teacher receiving instruc
tion.
To relieve the tenseness Of that mo
ment, be burst out with the cry:
20, my father my father, the char
lot Of Israel and the horsemer
Z thereof"
And throwing himself by the sid'
OF the couch he gave way to weeping
He wept, but not for the prophet
as he had expected, but for himself
There came to his heart a sense O
4 personal weakness and need which h,
had never felt before, but which tn,
! morally weak, stripped Of superficial
Z self-confldence, always feel in tn,
! presence Of goodness and mora
Z strength. He remembered afterward
3 thinking that if the coming into tn
Z presence Of the prophet of God coul,
: affect him so, what would it be Il
{ come into the very presence Of God
: But that it was not time for idl
4 tears was evident for in commandin
y voice the prophet bade him rise, ant
Z pointing to the corner Of the chamber
= said, sternly:
! Take the bow and arrows"
Z Submissive as a child obeying It
= parent. the king reached forth an
took the bow and arrows in his hands
and turned and looked at the prophe
e with wondering eyes
h Put thine hand upon the bow"
" He did so, and the prophet raisin
As himself upon his elbow, laid his gri
le zled old hand upon that Of the youn.
p er man, and then with a sudden earl
es est intensity he exclaimed:
tn "Open the window eastward an
I'd shoot"
he In a mechanical sort Of way II
ce king shot, little sensing the signi
h cance OF the act until the proph,
ly cried, eagerly:
The arrow Of the Lords delive
ed ance. and the arrow of deliveran,
ad from Syria; for thou shalt smite Il
id. syrians in Aphek till thou hast co
*, sumed them"
he The prophet eyed him with
et searching look and seemed disappoir
in ed that the king did not manifest 1
n enthusiastic spirit for almost imp
as tienlly he exclaimed.
nd Take the arrows and smite upS
ID. the ground
all Never did King Joash forget Il
i. 4 .t..Ha - A