the fowling which was carried on here to a great extent.* Barak assembled an army of 100,000 men on Tabor from Zebulon and Naphthali, before he engaged with Sisera ;† and indeed a fitter position for a camp can scarcely be imagined. Helon and Myron were astonished at the extent of the view. The snowy peak of Hermon and the dark exhalations of the Dead Sea can both be discerned from it. "And there," exclaimed Helon, transported with delight, "are the towers of Jericho!" The sea of Galilee, the Jordan and the Peræa, spread themselves on the east; on the west the prospect reached to the Mediterranean and to Carmel; near which the Kishon, which rises in Tabor, falls into the sea; a small branch of it discharges itself into the lake of Galilee. Near Tabor, to the northwest, was Nazareth, situated on the slope of a hill and extending into a little valley, shut in on every side. To the south lay Endor, famed in the history of Saul; and near to each other Shunam, the scene of Elisha's miracle, and Jezreel, fifteen sabbath-day's journeys from Samaria, on which was the vineyard of Naboth.§ From this place the whole plain derives the name of Jezreel, or Esdraelon. Further in the distance, a dark shade lowered on the hills of Gilboa. Helon called to mind the lamentation of David for Jonathan and Saul, who had been slain in battle here against the Philistines; and he repeated it to Myron, assuring him that he had never heard a more pathetic elegy. And David spoke this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son ; "Is the pride of Israel fallen on thy high places? So are the mighty fallen. O tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Askelon, Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph! Ye mountains of Gilboa, No dew, no rain be on your field of slaughter! For there has the shield of the mighty been thrown away, The shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. * Hos, v. 1. † Judg. iv. 12. + 2 Kings iv. § 1 Kings xxi. From the blood of the slain, from the marrow of the mighty, The sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided. They were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep for Saul! He clothes you no more in purple, Nor puts ornaments of gold on your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O! Jonathan, thou wast slain on thine high places; I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan ; Very dear wast thou to me: Thy love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. How are the weapons of war cast away!" Myron did justice to this pathetic elegy; and they descended Tabor together. Their journey was now directed to Bethshan or Scythopolis, the place at which the Galilean pilgrims were wont to cross the Jordan, in order to avoid the Samaritans, by keeping on the other side as low down as Bethabara, where they crossed it again. The line from Dor on the Mediterranean to Bethshan formed the boundary between Samaria and Galileę. Galilee contained two hundred larger and smaller towns, some of the latter having as many as 15,000 inhabitants. Agriculture, fishing, and pasturage, the culture of the vine and the olive, all were carried on with success in this country, which is diversified with hills and plains, both of them abounding in water. The inhabitants were characterised by their love of freedom, though both their language and their manners were corrupted by their great intercourse with foreign nations. They quitted Galilee at Bethshan, and crossing the Jordan pursued their journey along the numerous windings of the stream, which from Bethsaida to the Dead Sea has a course * of seventytwo sabbath-day's journeys. Succoth, where Jacob built huts, near Mahanaim, a town on the Jabbok, (so named by him from the vision which was granted to him there) Debirt and Bethabara, were hastily passed. At length the Jordan opened into the plain of Jericho; they passed through the city gate and soon reached the hospitable mansion of Selumiel. The gate, with its pious inscriptions,§ opened to receive them; Myron was astonished at the splendor of the house; while Helon thought only that this was his happy home. CHAPTER XXIII. THE NUPTIALS. HELON found no one in the front court, and hastily entered the inner court, followed by Myron. The slaves came to tell them, that there was no one in the house. "Where are they, then ?" "In Helon's house," said the slave with a smile; and informed him that Selumiel, Elisama, Iddo, the wife of Selumiel, Sulamith, and Abisuab with his wife, had gone out a few hours before, in order to receive him in the newly-purchased house. They had justly calculated that he would return this evening. Helon heard this intelligence with joyful surprise, and easily divined the fact, that out of his affection for Sulamith, who wished not to be separated from her parents, Elisama had purchased a house for him in Jericho; and if not in Jerusalem, where could he be better pleased to dwell than in the City of Palms? The splendid mansion was to be a nuptial present to his beloved nephew. It is true that the *Gen. xxxiii. 17. + Gen. xxxii. 2. Josh. xiii. 26. § Deut. xi. 29. property must return to its owner in the year of Jubilee, and the contract for it was therefore rather a lease than a purchase; but a considerable price had nevertheless been set upon it, which Elisama's wealth enabled him easily to pay. The slave showed them the way to the house which stood near the opposite gate, so that they had to traverse the whole length of the city. A slave had been waiting for some hours before the gate, and upon a signal given by him to those within, all the males of the company were in waiting to bid him welcome. "See," said Selumiel, "the rewards of self-denial !" "Welcome, my brother, and henceforth fellow-citizen of Jericho," said Abisuab. Helon, with moistened eyes, threw himself into the arms of Elisama. All stood around, pouring out congratulations and blessings. "What more do we want," said Elisama, "but that thy mother from Alexandria were here ?" Helon looked around with inquiring eye. Selumiel took him by the hand, and led him through to the richly furnished inner-court. Her mother and sister-in-law came with Sulamith from the Armon. After their greetings had been exchanged, Helon at the command of Elisama, as now the master of the house, re-conducted them to their apartments. Bewildered with joy, he could hardly speak. After a short interval they all returned to the house of Selumiel, to the evening meal, and at night Elisama, Helon, and the Greek, returned to the house of Helon, where they henceforth resided. Myron was in astonishment at all he saw, and began to form a very different idea of Israel from that which he had entertained before. On the following morning Helon arose early, and traversed the house which was to be the scene of his future happiness and duties. No other feeling in life resembles that with which the youth, on the point of emerging into manhood, wanders in solemn musing through the house in which he is to sustain the duties of husband and father. As he explored its courts, its porticoes, and chambers, by turns he admired the commodious arrangement and tasteful architecture, and the costly furniture, or blessed the generous Elisama; or raised his thoughts in pious gratitude to Jehovah, and implored the continuance of his mercies. He ascended the roof, and looked westward towards the hills of Judah, and eastward to Nebo and Abarim. Entering the Alijah, he consecrated it as the future scene of his devotions by prayer to Jehovah. As he arose from his knees, turning involuntarily towards Jerusalem, he broke out in the words of the psalm: Unless Jehovah build the house, He giveth it to his beloved in sleep. Lo! children are a heritage from Jehovah, The fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth: Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them! They shall not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psal. cxxvii. As he turned round, Elisama was behind him at the door, and was wiping the tears from his eyes. "May Jehovah bless thee," said he. "His counsel is wonderful, and he will bring it to pass." "God grant me," said Helon, "that I may keep his law with a perfect mind." "May he give thee what thy psalm says," replied Elisama. "Now that thou art a priest and a husband in the promised land, I doubt no longer. Marriage is a divine ordinance, and the divine blessing rests upon it. This I myself experienced, alas, for too short a time! God said, it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a help-meet to be with |