the kingdom, he was very anxious to show
kindness to any son of Jonathan whom he might find; and he heard of
Mephibosheth, who was lame in both his feet, and at once made over to
him all the landed property that had belonged to King Saul, his
grandfather. After seven years, Absalom, David's son, conspired
against his father, and David was obliged to fly from Jerusalem, with a
few friends. As David was escaping, there came to him Ziba, a servant
of Mephibosheth, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two
hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and an
hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. Then David asked Ziba
what these were for, and Ziba answered that he had brought them to the
king as a present, thinking he might need them in his flight. And the
king asked after Mephibosheth; then Ziba said, "O! he is at home in
Jerusalem, he said in my hearing, A good time is coming to me. To-day
shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father." Now
all this was a wicked lie. Mephibosheth had sent the present, and Ziba
had promised to tell David why his master could not come with him,
because he was crippled in both his feet, and could not get about. As
for any idea of recovering the throne of Saul, it had not once entered
his head. Now when David heard the slander of Ziba, he was very angry
with Mephibosheth, and at once he judged him, and condemned him,
without waiting to hear more, and said to Ziba, "Behold, I will give
thee all that belonged to Mephibosheth, if ever I get back to Jerusalem
and recover my power."

Not long after there was a great battle, and Absalom was slain, and the
enemies of David put to flight. Then David returned over Jordan from
the wilderness where he had taken refuge, and Mephibosheth met him.
This good man, full of love for David, "had neither dressed his feet,
nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes," all the time of David's
absence, to shew his great grief. David at once reproached him for his
disloyalty, and then only he heard how great a lie Ziba had told. Then
David answered, "Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have
said, Thou and Ziba divide the land." Mark the wicked injustice. The
lying, slanderous servant is rewarded with half the property of poor
Mephibosheth,--why?--because David had promised him the whole when
misinformed. David knows that Ziba has acted falsely, yet, because he
had said to him that he should be gi