Odd Fellows' LITERARY CASKET. VOL. II. "FRIENDSHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH JULY, 1854. Summer. The merry Spring-time is now over, Our hearts became weary and sad; Oh! bright are the buds she unfolds us, The sweet, balmy breath of her evening, When resting at twilight's lone hours; We love thee, sweet Summer, we love thee, NO. 1. The True Brotherhood. CHAPTER VII. In the desert wilds of Engedi, stretching out in rugged mountain ranges, filled with dangerous defiles and gloomy caverns, extending from the south-west to the very borders of the Dead Sea, David and his men sought a more secure retreat from the rage of Saul and his numerous army. While the king was engaged in the pursuit and defeat of the Philistines, who had invaded the kingdom, an opportunity was afforded David for making every preparation for defense. He knew that the implacable monarch was only diverted from his purpose for a short time, and that after he had expelled the invaders, he would return and attack him. The fortresses which nature had reared in the mountain crags, and excavated in the deep, dark caverns, as places of refuge for the wild beasts of the wilderness, constituted the strong holds of David and his army. He felt confident that here he could maintain his position, and his well trained band could resist a siege from the powerful hosts of Israel. It was not long until the Philistines being routed by the army of Israel, Saul started in pursuit of David with three thousand picked men of his army. As they drew near the wild, rocky region, Jonathan dispatched a messenger privately to David, to give him timely warning of his father's approach. No sooner was the intelligence received, than David withdrew all his sentinels from the passes, and collecting his men together, he marched them into a vast cavern, which from a narrow entrance, spread out into the darkness and gloom of the mountain, one side of which was of sufficient magnitude to accommodate all his army. At the entrance, which was formed by a gorge of the mountain, there was a rough pass formed by huge masses of jagged rocks, lying about in the wild confusion in which nature had left them. From either of these rocks a spy could readily and unobserved command a view of the entire pass. At length the noise and shout of the advancing army is heard in the distance, the echo of which murmurs through the vaulted cavern. Commanding his men to rest in, silence upon their arms, David alone takes a position near the mouth of the cavern. It was mid-day, and the enemy being fatigued and weary, had called a halt for refreshment prior to an at ́ack. Who should David see approach through the narrow defile, attended by his armor bearer, but the gigantic form of Saul? As he drew near, David retreated into the cavern, and took a position near to his men, but where he could have a view of the entrance of the rocky fortress. Pass ing within, Saul turned a little to the left, and laid himself down in the shadow of a rock, while his armor-bearer stopped without, and walked leisurely back and forth to guard the entrance. The monarch, fatigued and weary, was soon lost in sleep. At sight of him, David was scarcely able to restrain his men from killing him on the spot. They said, "The day has now come which the Lord promised that thine enemy should be delivered into thy hand; we will put an end to this troubler of Israel, this foe of God and man." "Be still," said the son of Jesse. "The Lord forbid that we should slay our sovereign. We must not stretch forth our hands against the Lord's anointed." Quiet being restored, David advanced cautiously to the place where he lay, and taking his sword, he cut off the skirt of the king's robe and returned to his men. "If thus thou hadst smitten off the head of the monster, thou hadst done well," said the elder brother of David as he returned. "Nay, my brother, hath not the Lord commanded that we touch not his anointed, and my heart smites for even cutting off the skirt of his royal robe." "But hast thou not a right, as his successor, divinely appointed and divinely anointed, to rid the kingdom of the Lord's accursed? I myself will go and smite him." "Hold, my brother. Vengeance belongeth unto the Lord, and he will repay." While this conversation was going on between the brothers in the hearing of the army, Saul rose from his resting place, and entered the pass leading back to the encampment. David, however, with the skirt of his robe in his hand, started after him. When he got within hailing distance, and seeing no one, he exclaimed, "My lord, the King!" before At this Saul turned round instantly and beheld David behind him, who, as soon as he was recognized, bowed himself lowly to the earth. "Wherefore, O king!" said David, "dost thou hearken to the voice of those who say, David is Saul's enemy, and seeketh his hurt? Now, your eyes, you have evidence to the contrary. Did not the Lord deliver thee into my hand to-day while thou didst sleep in the cavern? My soldiers urged me to kill you, and I was scarcely able to restrain them from taking vengeance. But I said, I will not put forth my hand against the king, for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, behold, my Lord, the skirt of thy robe which I hold in my hand; and as I cut it off and killed thee not, know thou forever, that I have not malice in my heart nor murder in my hand. Why, then, dost thou seek my destruction? The Lord shall judge between us, and the Lord only shall avenge, hand shall touch thee not. As saith the proverb, wickedness but my proceedeth from the wicked,' but I will not lift my hand against thee; God will deliver." "Is it the voice of my son David?" exclaimed the monarch, with as much astonishment as if the ghost of David had risen among the rocks. Overcome with the kindness and compassion of the son of Jesse, he burst into a flood of tears. Reckless and wicked as he was, and thirsting for revenge, there was a deep fountain in his nature, which only required the proper influence to unseal and bring out its gushing waters. The eye may shoot its wild and scathing fires from beneath a dark, frowning brow, indicating nothing but wrath and relentless fury, but there is a power that can quench and soften the one into a mellow light, and turn the dark frowning of the other into calmness and peace. That power is love; and much as Saul had injured David and sought his ruin, still his kind and generous heart was full of forgiveness and love. It is not to be wondered at, that under such circumstances the proud heart of the king should yield to its power, and prompt the spontaneous flow of gratitude in the expression: "O, my son! thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil, and thou hast showed this day how kindly thou hast dealt with me; for when the Lord delivered me into thy hand, thou didst not kill me. Never was it so before; for when a man found his enemy, he did not let him go, as thou hast me to-day. The Lord reward thee for what thou hast done, and now I know full well that thou shalt be king, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand. Swear unto me, thou son of Jesse, that when thou comest into thy kingdom, thou wilt not cut off my seed, and destroy my name out of my father's house." The penitence of Saul moved the heart of David, and he took an oath that he would do as he desired. At this they separated, the king going to his army, and David to his men. The relentings of Saul he had often witnessed before, and having but little confidence in their permanence this time, David would not disband his men upon such a treaty of peace, but still kept possession of the strong holds of Engedi. About this time intelligence came to David that Samuel, the aged and venerable prophet and judge of Israel, had died in his own house at Ramah. It was a melancholy day to Israel, for though the reins of government were in the hands of Saul, still Samuel was recognized as the judge of the people. He had also the superintendence of the sacerdotal college and school of the prophets, and when he was called away, not only had a great man in Israel fallen, but the cause of religion suffered a loss which time could not well repair. Jehovah, however, had ordered, in his providence, that the spirit of the venerable seer should pass away in a time of peace, and that his last hours should not be disturbed by the rude alarms of war. His had been an eventful life, and from it he had gathered rich stores of experience and practical wisdom, which not only fitted him, in an eminent degree, to sit as a judge of the people, and to guide the youthful mind in all things pertaining to religion, but as an inspired seer, he could speak with infallible certainty in relation to the future destiny of his land and nation. But his work was done, and Jehovah had sent the summons which was to bring him into the possession of the long sought rest and blessedness of heaven. Ramah's sun had gone down and the light of day was gradually fading away into the soft twilight of a beautiful summer evening, as the spirit of the venerable saint floated gently away to the land of the blest. Then again, as in the days of Rachel, was there heard in Ramah lamentation and mourning, for the inhabitants wept for the loss of Samuel, and would not be comforted, because he was not. Then also were all the tents of Israel in affliction. Gloom and sorrow overspread all the thousands of Israel. Among the vast assembly congregated from all parts of the land on the occasion of his funeral, were to be seen, as chief mourners, Saul and David and Jonathan, with the officers of the court and the priests and prophets of the land. Weeping thousands gathered around his remains as they were deposited in the family sepulcher in the large garden which surrounded his mansion. The obdurate heart of Saul was touched, but deeper far was the grief, because stronger was the love of David and Jonathan, as they joined their hands above his grave. The funeral solemnities being over, and the days of mourning for Samuel having ended, during which time David and Jonathan had uninterrupted communion with each other, the former returned to the strong holds of Engedi. He did not, however, remain long in these mountain fastnesses, but for some cause or other not given by the sacred historian, he removed with his army to the wilderness of Paran. The probability is, that in his interviews with Jonathan at Ramah, he was let into the secrets of Saul's movements, as the sequel will show, that although he had declared peace, yet war was in his heart, and all that was wanting to develop the tiger fierceness of the monarch was an opportunity favorable thereto. Scarcely had he become intrenched in his new position, until spies from the enemy communicated to Saul the place of his encampment. Nor was it long till the numerous army of Israel was on its march towards the wilderness. Spies were accordingly dispatched, and after being absent for a short time, they returned with the intelligence that the army was encamped but a few miles distant on a mountain which rises up from Jeshimon. Alone and unattended, David sallied forth as he had done before when he met the giant in the valley. When he came in sight of the encampment, as he proceeded cautiously he discovered in ascending the moun |