The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1921-05-05
DAVID'S FIGHT WITH
GOLIATH

cast by sturdy trees, and breeze
from the west ruffled his thick dark
hair with little cooling fingers. Scat
tered over the hillside's noble swell,
his sheep we're grazing; but tho lad
strayed out beyond them = very far
away. Now he was in the city Of the
king, where he had stayed few short
wondrous weeks and played upon the
harp to soothe King Saul, when devils
seemed to claw the tall kings heart.
All too soon it had ended and the
shepherd boy, when Saul went out to
war with the Philistines, had come
back to his hills of Bethlehem and to
his father, old white-bearded Jesse.
David's two brothers, Eliab and
Abinadab, were with King Saul; but
he, the youngest, needs stay at home.
Heigho, his day would come, perhaps.
Had not that white old patriarch,
Samuel, said as much when he anoint-
ed him with oil and blessed the boy
and gazed at him with deep, clear
seeing eyes?
His opportunity came quicker than
he knew; that very night old Jesse
babe him make ready; in the morning
he should take new baked loaves and
soft fresh cheese and parched corn
and carry them to his brothers who
fought with Saul. So when the first
gray light was breaking in the east
the youngest son Of Jesse went away,
joy in his steps, breathing adventul e
and a fresh new world. And before
the sun was half way in the heavens
he came to where the troops Of Saul
lay camped upon a mountain side.
Across the valley, on the farther hill,
the Philistines were moving.
Quickly he ran and sought his
brothers out. Even now men were
making ready for a day of fight
Thrilling and wonderful it all was to
the rudy shepherd boy; yet it seemed
strange that these men were not more
joyful, more eager for the fight--al-
most it seemed that they hung back,
with tired lips and doubtful eyes.
And what was this-out Of the val
ley now, between the camps a lone
Philistine, huge, a-gleam in brass, was
strdiing up and down and shouting
loud:
"Come outI Come out, we dogs of
Israeli" But David, staring with a
throbbing heart, saw none 60 out and
heard soldier say:
"The man in brass, thou sayest, |
boy? o, tits their champion, Goliath
of Gath, crying for one to come and
fight him, so doth he every day these |
seven days"
"And none go forth - who is this |
Philistine then that he defes the ar
mics of the living God?"
Then Eliab, his brother, looked |
down at the boy, flushing and wide
eyed, and his lips curled under his |
black beard, and he said:
"Why earnest thou down hither and |
with whom hast thou left those few
sheep in the wilderness ?"
And the boy flushed the more, told |
how his father had sent him. But |
others, not his brethren, told him how
the king sought a champion to fight /
against Goliath of Gath, and how he
who slew the Philistine should have
the kings daughter in marriage.
The tale ran through the camp
men talked of the ruddy boy whose
eyes somewhat checked men from
jeers. Could it be-Israel had known
such things-that God mad sent
champion to Saul? So the story was
sent to the king, and Saul had David
brought into his tent and questioned
him, speaking with kindness half
ready to believe-yet-such a strip
ling, standing there, saying quietly
as any warrior:
"Let no mans heart fail because of
him; thy servant will go and fight
with this Philistine."
And now he was telling, not boast
fully, but as an instance of the Lord
Gods care, how. he had slain a lion
and bear that came out both togeth-
er to Stay his fathers sheep. Then
Saul agreed, and put upon him his
own armor, a coat of mail, helmet
and a sword; but the lad moved stiff
y, awkwardly, and at the last, his
-uddy face smiling ruefully, he said:
81 cannot go with these; have not
proved them" il
So he laid aside the armor and
,reathed relief, shaking his straight
young shoulders, and he took five
smooth stones from the brook that
an close to the camp, and his leather
ling in his hand, and went out to
meet the Philistine.
Huge doomed the brass-clad man:
lis shield bearer who went before him.
10 short man could well have stood
Inder his arm pit. And when he saw
linn David, the bearded giant laugh
d angrily, and said:
"Ho, contest thou out with pebbles
S against dog? Come hither, and
will give thy body to the beasts of
he field, and the fowls of the air shall
luck out thy eyes when l am done
nth thee" A.,
But David answered:
"Thou CONTEST to me with sword 9
nd with a spear and with . shield; Z
ut come to thee in the name Of the 9
ord of hosts, the God Of the armies
f Israel whom thou hast defied.
his day will the Lord deliver thee
ito my hand, and l will smite thee
nd take thy head from thee, that all
ne earth may know there is a God c
Israel"