ollowed, and there
was a great battle. And the servants of David conquered in that fight;
and we know the fate of Absalom. But who shall tell the king of this?
He was lodged in a stronghold called Mahanaim not far from the field
of battle; and had taken his place in the chamber between the inner
and the outer gate. And a watchman on the roof of this chamber kept
watch.

Who shall tell the king of what has happened? Two messengers ran--one
following the other--the first the shorter way by the hills; the
second the longer way by the plain. But this one outran the other, and
the eye of the watchman on the roof of the chamber caught sight of
this single figure hastening over the plain, and then of the second in
the farther distance; and it did not need the sagacity of king David
to know that both of these brought tidings. And how would the tidings
be given in these days? "We have won the battle," or words like that.
And how were the tidings given in those days? "Blessed be the Lord thy
God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against
my lord the king." The difference is worth observing.

But we are looking upon the king and listening to his word. The
messengers have told the good tidings, and the king is speaking to
them very eagerly. "In what state is the army? Was the slaughter
great? Have any of the captains fallen?" He is not asking these
questions. The king of the people--the commander of the hosts--might
be expected to ask such questions. And David was both these. But David
was _the father of Absalom_, and all things besides gave way to the
yearning of the father's heart. "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The
first messenger cannot answer: or rather he evades the answer, for he
does know the fact. And then quickly comes up the second messenger.
And again the king is forgotten, and the interests of the nation are
forgotten, and everything else is forgotten, and the voice of the
_father_ speaks out again, "_Is the young man Absalom safe?_" We
remember the answer. It is gently said, but very finely, "The enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt,
be as that young man is."

We shall not need to follow the history further now. We are listening
to this same word from the lips of the fathers of the earth, and the
mothers of the earth, and all whom care for young men and young women
chiefly touches and most nearly concerns. Are they safe? We bring the
question down fr