Part 85 (1/2)

Then David marched up and drew the giant's great sword out of its sheath and cut off his head.

What a shout arose from the army of Israel when they saw that the great giant whom they so much feared, was dead! And this is the way a brave boy killed a great boastful giant, with all his bragging words and his bra.s.s armor.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE ”TOMB OF RACHEL” WITH BETHLEHEM IN THE DISTANCE

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her kind permission.

This picture is chiefly interesting for the beautiful view it gives of Bethlehem, lying white against the hillside in the distance.

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{151}

DAVID AND KING SAUL

After David had killed the giant Goliath, King Saul would not let him go back to his father's house at Bethlehem, but made him stay at the court, and gave him a high command in the army. King Saul was not well. He had a disease of the mind which made him at times almost, if not quite, insane. At such times he was very sad and gloomy. David could play very sweetly on the harp. When the king felt this trouble in his mind, he would send for David, who would play on the harp and the playing would soothe and calm the king so that he would be himself again.

David was a poet; he not only played upon the harp but he wrote some of the beautiful songs or psalms which he sang. In some of these songs he told about the love of G.o.d, who cares for his children as the shepherd cares for his flock.

The poet Browning wrote a beautiful poem about Saul and David and how the skillful playing of the shepherd had helped the king. Here {152} is a stanza of the poem. David is supposed to be telling someone about his playing to the king.

”Then I tuned my harp,--took off the lilies we twine round its chords Lest they snap 'neath the stress of the noontide --those sunbeams like swords!

And I first played the tune all our sheep know, as, one after one, So docile they come to the pen-door till folding be done.

They are white and untorn by the bushes, for lo, they have fed Where the long gra.s.ses stifle the water within the stream's bed; And now one after one seeks its lodging, as star follows star Into eve and the blue far above us, --so blue and so far!”

But in spite of David's playing the king's health grew worse. He became very jealous of David. David was young and strong and handsome, and a favorite with everyone. Saul at last came to hate him. Once he threw his spear at David, but missed his aim and David escaped. David was afraid that the king would kill him, so he gathered a few bold men about him, and became an outlaw. Day after day Saul and his soldiers pursued David but he always managed to escape, hiding in caves by day and marching by night.

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THE CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

It was in this wild and desolate country on the eastern edge of Palestine that David hid in caves and ravines when pursued by his enemy, King Saul.

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{155}

More than once David had Saul in his power and might have put him to death, but he was too brave and generous to take advantage of his weakness, and besides he felt that it was wrong to harm the nation's king. One night Saul and his soldiers had encamped near the place where David and his men were hiding. The night was dark. All the sentries were asleep. Quietly, David and one of his men stole into the camp, and came to the spot where Saul lay asleep with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. The soldier wanted David to kill his enemy, but he would not do it. He took Saul's spear and the water skin which was beside him and crept safely past the sentries and out of the camp again.

When he had gone to a safe distance, he stood on a hill and shouted and awakened the men in the camp, and told them to look for the spear and the water skin. So they knew that David had truly been in the camp and had spared the king's life.

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DAVID AND JONATHAN

While David was living at the king's court his dearest friend was Jonathan, Saul's son. These two young men loved each other as soon as they met, which was after David had killed the giant. They went everywhere together. They hunted and played their games together. They were like two brothers. Jonathan was never jealous of David. He wanted him to be liked by others. He gave him the best that he had himself.

He was a very kind hearted and generous young man. It made him very sad because his father was so cruel to David. He could not believe that his father really wished to kill his friend.