The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-12-23

was drinking out of the golden vessels
which had been brought from the He
brews' temple at Jerusalem, that a
mysterious hand did appear and write
on the wall of the banquet hall over
against the king. And great terror
fell upon the king and he called for all
his wise men to tell him what the
hand wrote, but there was none that
could do SO. Then it was that the
queen remembered and reminded Bel
shazzar of Daniel, who years before
had told the dreams of Nebuchadnez-
Ear. And in haste was this man Daniel
sent for, and the king promised him
great hOnOrs and riches If he would
but tell him the meaning of that which
the mysterious hand had written upon
the wall. And behold he did, and
scarcely had this Daniel departed from
the banquet hall wearing the scarlet
robes and the gold chain which the
king had placed upon him when thou
and thy army descended upon the pal
ace. and the rest thou dOst know, how
that Belshazzar and many of his lords
who attempted to escape were slain.
and now the city is in thy hands, even
as this Daniel said should come to
pass
Darius was silent for many minutes
after the man had ceased speaking,
deep in thought.
"A hand writing on the wall" he re-
peated, as though to himself. The
gods of the Modes were never known
to do this"
Then. looking up, Darius asked:
Did this Daniel claim that 1t was
his God who had put forth his hand
and written upon the wall?"
Yea, he did charge King Belshazzar
with wickedly and willfully dishonor-
ing the true God of heaven and de-
clared that the handwriting on the
wall was Gods judgment upon him,
telling him plainly that God had
weighed him in his balances and had
found him wanting and that the k :
dom had been given to the Modes and
the Persians."
''Wonderful!" calculated King Dari-
us, in amazement And why did not
Belshazzar keep such man as one of
the ccunsellOrs of his kiIgdom?"
With deprecating shrug Of the
shoulders the man made reply as fol-
lows:
While Belshazzar was a mere strip
ling Daniel was serving in the court of
his father, and in the prophets solicit
tude for the affairs of the kingdom he
sought to exert a right influence over
the young prince and to shield him
from the corrupting influences with
which the court life was surrounded.
This the young prince resented, for he
was stroIg-willed boy. and when he
came to the throne he forced this man
Daniel into retirement and had quite:
forgotten his existence until the Incl
dents of last night called him forth"
Il would know this man Daniel" ex-
claimed the king. Let him be
brought hither.'
With an intensity which marked the
inner movings of his Utmost heart.
Darius watched the tall, stately figure
as it entered the room and advanced
toward him in response to his beckon-
ing hand. He never could forget that
face. Those deep-set eyes, that high
forehead, the firm lines about the
mouth. Jew it was plain to see he
was and. despite the natural prejudice
which he held against that race, there
was an expression in that face and
depth of meaning in those eyes which
held him and won him. This was the
man who could tell dreams and read
mysterious writings, he thought to
himself And then aloud he asked:
Thou art Daniel?"
Thou hast said"
Thy robes speak of regal authori-
ty?" Darius next said, as he let his
eyes move from the face of the man
before him to the scarlet robe he still
wore
"Belshazzar caused it to be put upon
me-" was the quiet response.
A thing which would not commend
thee to me-" calculated Darius, had l
not heard of the handwriting on the
wall, and of thy Interpretation thereof
in the name of thy God. Now the au-
thOrity and honor with which BelshaZ-
shall in truth be thine if thou will but
serve me-"
Il WILL was the quiet response of
Daniel.