The Tupelo journal., 1909-06-18

no doubt true. and 1t is therein that
we must hope that God will send de-
| l~iverance. For the baseness of the
man proves his very weakness and
gives me the cause / seek against
him."
And may the Lord keep thee in the
midst of such peril" responded the
maid. Come she added, 1T is well
that we return"
In the fourth day Holofernes made
a feast to his own servants only and
| called none of the officers to the ban
quet, saying to Bagoas, the eunuch,
who had charge over all that he had:
Go now. and persuade this Hebrew
woman which is here with us in the
camp that she come unto us, and eat
and drink with lis. For if we win her
not to ourselves, she will laugh us to
scorn."
Then Bagoas went from the pres
ence of Holofernes and came to
| Judith and said:
Let not this fair damsel fear to
come to my Lord, and to be honored
in his presence and drink wine, and
be merry with us at the feast"
Judith sat silent for a moment, but
(! thought within her heart: rs this
not the fourth day, and was not the
| %deliverance which / was to work to
come ere the fifth had gone. Yet, the
Lord is with me to deliver, and this
now is the opportunity I seek" Thus
| Judith unused, and then lifting her
face. upon which a beautiful light
glowed the very reflection of the hope
| which burned within her breast, she
said to the eunuch:
Who am | now, that I should gain
say my Lord? Surely whatsoever
| pleaseth him | will do speedily, and it
shall be my joy unto the day of my
DEATH"
So she arose, and decked herself
with her apparel, and all her rare
jewels, and her maid went and laid
soft skins on the ground for her over
against where Holofernes sat at the
festive board. Now when Judith came
in and sat down the heart of Holofer-
mes was ravished with her.
Drink now" he besought her, land
be merry with us at this feast in thy
honor"
81 will drink now, my lord, because
my life is magnified in me this day
more than all the days since 1 was
BORN responded Judith, with a gra-
cious bow, as she sank upon the soft
skins at her feet.
Then she took and ate and drank
before him what her maid had pre-
pared, and Holofernes' heart was mer-
ry and he drank much more wine
than he had drunk at any time in one
day since he was born. So it con-
tinued until evening was come, and
his servants made haste to depart,
and Bagoas shut his tent without, and
dismissed the walters from the pres
ence of his lord. And they went to
their tent, for they were all weary
because the feast had been long. And
Judith was left alone in the tent, but
Holofernes was sunken upon his
couch in a drunken sleep.
Now Judith had commanded her
maid to stand without her bedcham-
Der and to wait for her coming forth,
as she had done every night since
coming into the camp of the Assyri-
ans, and with which nightly excursion
without the camp the sentinels of the
army had become familiar. And to
Bagoas also she spake concerning the
matter. telling him that this night az
upon other occasions she would want
to go out and seek her God in prayer.
And Bagoas marveled, but said moth
ing.
So it was before the appointed time
for her setting forth, and all was still
in the tent of Holofernes. And Judith
came softly and stood by the place
where Holofernes lay in his drunken
sleep, and lifting her eyes to heaven
she breathed this prayer:
20 Lord God of all power, look at
this present upon the work of mine
hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem;
for O is the time to help thine in
h~eritance, and to execute mine enter
prises to the destruction of the enc
mics which are risen against u.s."
Then reaching up she took from the
wall of the tent the great sword of
Holofernes, and then again lifting her
heart in prayer she cried:
Strengthen me, o Lord God OF
Israel, this day"
And with the words she smote
nightly, being strengthened by God,
and she took away the head of Holef.
ernes, and going forth she gave it to
her maid, who was in waiting, and
she put it in a bag. Thus they set
forth through the camp as had been
their wont IN other nights, and no
thought was given concerning the
matter by the guards.
So they passed on their journey and
encompassed the valley and went on
UP the mountain to the gates of Beth.
ulia.
... rho Attn~ Cntr;k