beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. And David sent out ten young men, and said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name, and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men and they will shew thee. Wherefore, let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal ac

cording to all those words in the name of David and ceased. And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and water, and flesh, that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? So David's young men turned their way and went again, and came and told him all those sayings, and David said unto his men, "Gird ye on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men and two hundred abode by the stuff."

David's wrath was kindled, and the mighty man of war arose in his anger to punish this insolence.

"But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute

our master and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now, therefore, know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial that a man cannot speak to him." Here is manifested the fidelity of a good servant, as well as the confidence her people felt in the wisdom and prudence of Abigail. The advice was salutary and to the point-"Consider what thou wilt do," for their position was truly critical, and required both sagacity to think and courage to act in what was necessary to be done for their protection. The counsel was heeded, and the faithful wife having decided on the line of duty, proceeded to

perform it.

"Then Abigail made haste

and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed,

and five measures of parched corn,

And

and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. she said unto her servants, Go on before me, behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. And it was so as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and behold David and his men came down against her; and she met them. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave any of all that pertain to him by the morning light."

It must have been a trying moment for Abigail, a WOMAN, coming in her native weakness to meet such a warrior as David,

C

and that warrior approaching her on such an errand; but she was not to be moved from "And when Abigail saw

her purpose. David, she hasted and lighted off the ass and fell down before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground and fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, thine handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord whom thou didst send. Now, therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies and they that seek evil to my lord be as Nabal. And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord,