The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-03
(BY WILLIAM II. ELIIS.)

x.
fulfilled by the great story that is
crowded into the nine chapters of the
Second Book of Samuel, which tell or
the experiences of David after the
Prophet Nathan had accusingly cried,
'sThou art the mani" All the elements
of a great romance are here, even to
the erotic aspects of the modern novel.
The tale is one of adventure and IN
trigue, crowded with plots and con-
spiracies, with Williams and with heroes
1t is a narrative as unlike usual dry
history as a novel is unlike prob
lem in geometry. Every line IS crowd
ed with human interest.
The study is one in royal retr1bu-
ton. We find the king who had sown
the wind of sin, reaping the wh1rlW1nd
of sorrow. The ominous words or the
man of God to David were terribly
fulfilled:
Wherefore has thou despised the
word of Jehovah, to do that which is
evil in His sight? Thou hast snitten
Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and
hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and
hast slain him with the sword of the
children of Ammon. Now therefore
the sword shall never depart from thy
house, because thou hast deSpiscd me,
and hast taken the wife of Uriah, the
Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith Je-
hovah, Behold, will raise up eVii
against thee out of thine own house.
The double distilled bitterness of
seeing his own sons share his traits
broken David. The sword remained
in the house until he ended his career
in sorrow. Verify There is way that
seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death"
4. Our Days Crop of Absaloms.
The classmate of certain motor
ious murderer, whose wealth has en-
abled him to make an international
scandal, once said in my hearing, He
was simply a selfish and spoiled boy.
He had his own way in all things. Any
body who is allowed to do as he
pleases throughout youth, is bound to
become menace to society" That
modern instance parallels the case OF
Absalom, King David's son, who was
a spoiled boy. His youth of self-in-
diligence bore its natural fruit of re-
bellion and anarchy.
Absalom is a timely character to
study. We have his prototypes with
us in abundance, Disdaining disct-
pline, flouting filial fidelity and spurn-
ing self-control, a class of pampered
young men are growing up as men
ace to the social order.
Some of US who are not old fogies
yet view in real alarm these products
of the manicure tables, the barber
shops and the tailors. Like Absalom,
they are giving more thought to their
hair than to their heads. Their per-
sonal appearance plays an Overlarge
part in their thinking and in their eX-
penditureS. Now in all Israel there
AbsalOm for his beauty: from the sole
of his foot even to the crown of his
head there was no blemish in him"
all his blemishes were within, and
they were abundant.
So simple as scarcely to need saying,
runs the profound truth that as the
youth is trained or unframed, the man
will behave. Our land has no greater
problem than that of disciplining its
boys and young men into noble man
q of 10
of modern athletics; they discipline
the mind as well as the body.
A Fop Without Principles.
There seem to have been none of
man in Absalom. He was
an over-sophisticated city chap. He
was too gifted in guile. Secretive,
scheming, subtle, he lacked all the
make for real manhood. When for
given by his father for the cowardly |
ASA ssination of his brother, and re-
stored to Jerusalem, he spent four
years in stealing the hearts of the !
men of Israel. If one wants a picture |
of the wiles of the modern politician, |
he has but to read the story of how |
Absalom undermined his fathers in
fluence, and prepared the way for his
own rebellion.
Lacking the elemental qualities of |
manhood, AbsalOm was yet shrewd |
beyond most men. When he decided |
I
rection, he chose Hebron as the spot |
where he would display his banner. |
Then, as now, Hebron was Il sacred |
shrine. The tombs of Abraham, |
Isaac and Jacob are there. Part of |
appeal was to the religious |
prejudice of the people, even as
Mecca today bulks large in Near East
err politics. TO Hebron the dis
loyal prince. rallied all the forces of |
unrest.
: The plot succeeded. David indulg- /
ing his private griefs and tastes in
the seclusion of the palace, out of /
touch with the life of the country,
was unaware of this ripening plot of |
the son who owed him only gratitude.
Evidently palace life had enervatcd
the hardy David who had outwitted /
Saul; for he fled from Jerusalem at
the first rumor of the instruction.
and the palace
The Great Kings Flight.
: One of the dramatic pasSag es in
literature is this story of David's flight
son has not been devoted 10 it in the
series is difficult to I'M
derstand. 1t is entirely too full and
suggestive for the mere allusion that
can be made to it in the present study.
We see King David wee ping on the
Mount of Olives, even as his Greater
Son wept on the same spot a thou
sand years later We find David ris-
ing to heights of magnanimity even in
his humiliation. He refused to let the
Ark of the Covenant be taken forth
with his fleeing party; Tor he would
not have the cause of the nations re-
ligion suffer with him.
& Heroes emerged at this hour, such
as Ittai the Philistine. who refused
TO accept Davids disnnission, but de-
voted his all to the kings support. AL
though deserted by his son, David was
supported by this alien. Hushai, too,
stood by like a hero, and remained be-
l,ind LON RI fi1h for Dauid