And Samuel did so, and came to the house of Jesse, in the town of Bethlehem. Seven of Jesse's sons came in to greet Samuel, who looked at them, but felt in his heart that the Lord had chosen none of them to be king of Israel.

So he said to Jesse, Are all thy children here? Jesse answered that there was one, the youngest, in the field taking care

of the sheep.

down with us.

Samuel said, Send for him that he may sit
And Jesse did so.

Now David was about eighteen or twenty years of age; and he had a bright face and clear complexion, and was pleasant to look at. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him for this is he. Then Samuel anointed David in the midst of his brethren, and afterwards returned to Ramah.

:

From this time an evil spirit seemed to possess Saul, and

his mind was greatly distressed. Some of his servants told him to find out a skilful player on the harp, and the music would drive away the evil spirit, and Saul would be cured.

Saul told them to find a man who could play the harp well, and to bring him to his house.

. One of the servants said that a son of Jesse had great skill on the harp, and was brave, and wise, and of pleasant appearance.

Wherefore Saul sent for David, and he came and stood before the king. Saul became very fond of the young man, and liked to have him near him. And when the king's mind was troubled David would take his harp and play upon it until he was soothed and quiet. And when Saul no longer wanted him, David went back to his flocks as contented as ever.

CHAPTER XXIII.

DAVID.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle. And Saul and his men prepared to meet them. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel on a mountain on the other side; and the valley of Elah lay between them.

Among the Philistines was a powerful giant, over ten feet high, named Goliath of Gath. He had a helmet of brass on his head, and was armed with a heavy coat of mail. He carried a spear of great length, with an iron point of enormous weight; and one bearing a shield went before him.

And he came out and defied the armies of Israel, and told them to send out some one to fight with him. If he kill me, said Goliath, we will be your slaves; but if I kill him, you shall be our slaves, and in bondage to the Philistines. This he did every morning and evening for forty days, and when Saul and all Israel heard his words they were greatly afraid.

Now the three eldest sons of Jesse were in Saul's army, but David was kept at home to feed his father's sheep. One day Jesse told David to take some parched corn, ten loaves of bread, and ten cheeses, and go down to the camp and find out how his brothers were, and bring back some word from them. And David left his sheep, and did as his father commanded him. And he came to the camp as the two armies were about going to battle. He ran up and spoke to his brothers, and

they told him of the great giant, Goliath, who fought with the Philistines, and of whom the Israelites were sore afraid, and of the great reward the king had offered to those who should kill Goliath.

David said, Who is this Philistine that any Israelite should fear him? His brothers chided him, and said that he had only come down to see the battle, and not from any good feeling to them.

David said, What have I done? Is there not good reason for it? For he thought it strange that no Israelite had stepped forward, and given his life, if need be, to prove that there was one brave man in their midst, and to show that their trust was in God.

When Saul was told what David had said, he sent for him. Saul said, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine, for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth up. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock;

And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. And he put armor on David, and gave him his sword to use. David said to Saul, I cannot go with these; for I am not used to them, and have never tried them.

So he put off the armor, and went only in his shepherd's dress, and with his staff in his hand. And he chose five smooth stones that lay in his path, and put them in a bag that hung at his side, and his sling was in his hand. The sling was the favorite weapon of the Benjamites, who boasted that they could use it as well with the left hand as the right. It was made of plated strips of leather, somewhat broad in the middle where the stone was placed, and was twirled two or three times around the head before the stone or bullet was allowed to take flight. Stones could not be cast over

400 feet, but leaden bullets could be thrown as far as 600 feet.

When Goliath saw David he looked with contempt upon him, and said to him, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field. David did not trust in his own right arm, but looked to God for strength and help, and boldly marched out to meet the giant foeman.

And he took a stone from his bag and put it in his sling, and slung it so that the stone sank into the forehead of the Philistine, and he fell on his face to the ground.

Then David ran and stood upon the fallen giant, and took his sword, and drew it from its sheath, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their boastful champion was dead, they fled in great fear. And David was