girls "throughout all the coasts of Israel," a damsel "very fair" was found; and she "cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not." Let us reflect for a moment on what is recorded in the verses just quoted. Abishag, this beautiful young virgin, "cherished and ministered" to David. Now what do the narrators mean by that? What an elevating and inspiring scene this must have been. What a situation it presented! What a conundrum it must be to a clergyman to explain this event of David's life to his congregation. All the efforts of the beautiful young virgin seem to have been of no avail; even to that of "lying in his bosom." If David was unable to respond to the caresses of a beautiful young damsel, "that had not known man," as the Bible would say, then surely his poignancy must have been indeed great. Impotence to David was worse than death, and even the Lord offered no help to David in his plight. That Abishag "ministered" to David for a considerable time and that David made heroic efforts to "gat" heat that he may "know her," can be judged from the quotation of verses 15 and 16 of the same chapter. While Abishag was min istering to David, Nathan, the prophet, was entreating Bath-sheba to intervene with David before he died that Solomon should inherit the throne, for news had just been brought to them that another son by another wife had set up a throne and had proclaimed himself King of Israel. That Bath-sheba was aware that a young virgin was ministering to her husband seems quite evident also from the following. The First Book of Kings, Chapter 1, Verses 5-16. 5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. 7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: 11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. 13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? 14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. 15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. 16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? What a pitiful sight David must have been, with the beautiful Abishag "ministering unto the King", as Bath-sheba entered his presence. Bathsheba observed that the King was very old. "And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the King, and ministered to him: but the King knew her not." What a fitting epitaph is this for the gentleman whose acts we have just reviewed. CHAPTER X. THE RAPE OF TAMAR BY HER BROTHER AMNON. The love of brother and sister is one of the sweetest and most appealing of life's relationships. When this love is enhanced by the brother's chivalric attitude towards his sister, and he not only loves her tenderly, but seeks to act as her guardian and protector, we have a family relationship, the very embodiment of which "is a consummation devoutly to be wished." When you see a brother anxious about the welfare of his sister, you can very confidently conclude that they are members of a family with the very highest ideals and principles. The love of brother and sister is one of those human ties which we remember with so much tenderness and mention with so much pride. Were this affection between brother and sister instilled in us in our childhood, there would be no need for fearful moments in later years regarding our children's development. Their characters will reflect their training. They will become not only an honor to their parents, but a credit to the community which is fortunate enough to have them as citi zens. The finest impulses of life spring from this brotherly and sisterly devotion. And how many men, remembering their sisters, are deterred from committing some misdeed towards another man's sister? And how many times have you heard a man say to another who boasts of his conquests, "Would you want that to happen to your sister?" Morality's cornerstone is shaped within the circle of the family. Learn the attitude of one towards the other and you have the key to that family's moral worth. Morality's most perfect instrument in measuring the calibre of a man is in determining his attitude towards the weaker sex. To instill this cherished relationship into the minds of our chil dren should be our deep concern. If it is by example and illustration that moral lessons are best inculcated; then it naturally follows that the books we instruct our children to read should contain stories which impress such examples upon their mind. There are in circulation many books with such stories and examples, but the ministers of the church do not seem to be particularly interested in them. They are over-officious in their demand that the Bible be read in our public schools and |