loud acclamation, 'Long live King David!' while banners waved, trumpets sounded, and from window, door, house-top, and city wall, white scarfs and flags were thrown upon the breeze. Hands clapped, harps, tabrets, and timbrels played, and all the people shouted. for joy.

"All now in the city was tranquillity and gladness. The soldiers were not only satisfied, but delighted, and flattered with the attentions and commendations of the king. They were dismissed for the evening, to visit and interchange salutations with their friends. Sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands, returned to the families to which they belonged. Those, I mean, who resided in the neighborhood, and those, of whom there were many, whose families had followed them to Mahanaim.

"The loss in David's army had been so small that few causes of grief remained. There was that reaction of the mind, that buoyancy of spirit, that springing up of all the cheerful and glad emotions of the heart, that ensue when some dreaded and dreadful calamity is past and gone. The night had been dark, the clouds black, and the storm loud; flash succeeded flash, peal answered peal, and the crash of contending elements was frightful. But now the darkness had vanished. The clouds were fled, and the storm was over. The morning light was abroad. The sun had risen, and blessed the earth with clear shining after rain. The guardian angel of the season had passed over the face of nature, and had left her 'robe on the trees, and her breath on the gale.' Age leaned upon its staff, and blessed the Lord. Children clapped their little hands, and sung hosannas."

CHAPTER XXVI.

SCENES AT MAHANAIM.

"In the apartment assigned to Phinehas the Levite," continued Belial, "Jonathan, Ahimaaz, Tamar, and a few other friends were seated at a table, well covered with excellent food. They were in the midst of a lively conversation, when a servant at the door announced a stranger, who wished to speak to Ahimaaz. “Tell him to come in,' said Phinehas.

"He declines,' said the servant, and wishes to see Ahimaaz alone.'

"Who can he be?' said Ahimaaz, rising and going to the door; when, behold, his old acquaintance, the Kenite, stood before him.

"What, Ira, is it you?'

"Yes, I wanted to ask you a question.' "What is it?' said Ahimaaz.

"Would you hurt Ben Huppim now, if it were in your power?' asked Ira.

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"Why, you foolish boy,' said Ahimaaz, did you call me up from my dinner to ask me such a question as that?'

"But I want you to answer me: would you hurt him now, if he were in your power?'

"Why, no, certainly no,' said Ahimaaz; 'the war is over now; we would not hurt any one.'

"But you know,' said Ira, 'it was he that pursued you the other night from Enrogel to Bahurim, and would have killed you if he could.'

"That was in war time,' said Ahimaaz; 'but now we must forget and forgive.'

"I am glad of that,' said the Kenite, 'for he is now lying wounded on the battle-field.'

"Are you sure of that?' asked Ahimaaz.

And there was

"O, yes,' said the lad; 'for as soon as you started for the city, I thought I would go over the field where they had been fighting, and see if I should know any that were killed. I went to the place where Absalom commanded, and where they fought so long. There were many dead and many wounded. Ben Huppim, leaning against a log, severely injured. He wanted water very much. So I took his helmet and brought him some; and I told him I thought you would befriend him if you knew his condition. he requested me to come and ask you.'

And

"Come, Jonathan,' said Ahimaaz, entering the room, we must go to the assistance of an old friend.' "Who?' said Jonathan.

"Ben Huppim, the Danite captain, who escorted us in such style to Bahurim, the other night. He is out on the battle-field, wounded.'

"Badly?' asked Jonathan.

"He is crippled,' said Ahimaaz, 'and he wants our help.'

"He shall have it,' said Jonathan, 'without delay. Phinehas, will not you go along?'

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Willingly,' said Phinehas: 'to assist the distressed is one of the great duties of life.'

"A skilful physician was called, and a suitable litter provided, and the party set out under the guidance of Ira the Kenite, who, greatly pleased with the success of his mission, edified them with his observations and opinions, most of the way across the plain. 'I asked Ben Huppim,' said he, 'how he had the mishap to get crippled. He told me that he was in the thickest of the battle, fighting hand to hand with the strong and valiant Gittites. Absalom was with the Danites, encouraging them with all his might. Three times, he said, the Gittites in solid column had charged, and broken through the ranks of Dan; and three times, at the call of Absalom, they had rallied and renewed the fight. Then Absalom's mule began to rear and plunge, and throw down its head, and he was afraid the young king would be thrown to the ground. So he, with many others, ran to render him what assistance they could; when, in the struggle and confusion, he received a blow, he knows not from whom, by which he was disabled. And then the mule dashed off with uncontrolled fury, bearing Absalom along. Finding that he was badly disabled, the captain threw himself under the large trunk of a fallen tree that was there in the wood, and both armies, pursuers and pursued, passed by him and over him, but he received no further injury. But,' said Ira, 'Ben Huppim did not know that Absalom was dead, till I told him. He knew only that the battle was lost. But when I told him how Absalom was hanged in the oak, and run through with the darts of Joab, and was dead, he seemed much distressed, and sighed and moaned deeply.'

"The narrative of the Kenite had run on thus far

without interruption. But now the party had reached the fatal field, and before them were the sad memorials of the ravages of war. They first came to the point where Joab had routed the hosts of Judah. The ground was literally covered with shields and helmets cleft in twain, pierced breastplates, broken swords, spears shivered, or cut asunder, mingled with arms, legs, heads, and headless bodies, and other mangled remains of those who had fallen; while all the ground was red and slippery with blood and gore.

"Further on were seen the daughters of Judah, who had followed their friends to this dreadful field. There was seen the tender mother, holding up the head of her expiring son, and giving her last benediction. There was heard the wail of the desolate wife, by the cold body that was once her husband. Here was the dutiful daughter, bestirring herself to minister to the wants and soothe the sorrows of a wounded father. And there was the affectionate sister, searching and examining among the carved and bloody faces of the dead, laboring to identify the features of a brother, who had gone to the battle, but had not returned. The plaints, shrieks, and loud laments of these were mingled with the agonizing groan of the neglected stranger, in whose behalf no friend appeared, and the startling howl of the lone dog, whose master had been lost in the confusion of that frightful day, while wolves and vultures were seen gathering round.

"What a desolating scourge is war, and how manifold are its horrors!' exclaimed Jonathan, surveying the mournful scenes around him.

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