  KING SAUL. FIRST READING.
THERE was a young man named Saul, who was very tall and strong. His father kept a number of asses; for, in the land of Israel, people rode on asses instead of horses. One day all the asses were lost, and Saul and one of the servants went out to look for them. They went a long, long way, and never found the asses; and at night they came to a city, and there they found Samuel. Samuel was an old man now, and grey-headed; and he ruled over Israel, and everyone honored and loved him, because he was so good and just. Saul was very much surprised when the great and good Samuel met him, and led him into the house, and put him in the chief place, and gave him a choice of meat that had been set apart for him. Saul could not think how Samuel knew anything about him. And he was still more surprised the next morning, for then Samuel came out of the city with him, and sent the servant on before. Then Samuel took some oil, and poured it on Saul's head, which was what was called anointing, and told him that God had chosen him to be king over all the people of Israel. Was not this wonderful news for him? And you see, God had led him to Samuel to be made king, though he so little guessed what was going to happen when he set out to look for the asses. And God still makes everything happen, even the least thing; it is all for our good, even though we do not quite see why. SAMUEL ANOINTING SAUL.—1 Sam. 10:1. So Saul was the first King of Israel; but he was only to be prosperous as long as he would take care to obey God. QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
SAUL was the first king of Israel. But just at first, when he was appointed king, the people were in great distress; for their enemies the Philistines had overrun the whole land, and held all the strong places, and were very hard to the Israelites. They would not even let a smith live among the Israelites, that they might not be able to have swords or spears made to use in fighting, and the Israelites had to go into the Philistines' country to get their axes and ploughshares made, and to sharpen the goads, or long sticks tipped with iron that they drove the oxen with. THE PEOPLE MUCH FRIGHTENED. Nobody had a sword or spear but Saul and his good son Jonathan; all the rest of the people had nothing better to fight with than axes and mattocks and goads, and they were very much frightened, and came trembling after their new king. But Jonathan trusted in God, and he and one young man set out creeping along a rugged steep path to see what the enemy were about, and by-and-by they came below the high rocky hill where the Philistines were encamped. One of the Philistines looked out and said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves;" and he called out to Jonathan, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." Now, Jonathan knew, as he said to his friend, that the Lord can save as easily by few men as by many, so he was not afraid; and he and the other young man climbed up on their hands and knees till they came out among all the Philistine soldiers. Then they began to fight at once, and the Philistines were so surprised at these two men beginning to fight with them, The people in Saul's camp heard all the noise, and went out to look, and saw the Philistines running away, so they went after them, and killed many, and drove them out of the land, and got free of them once more. So God blessed and helped the good Jonathan, because he trusted in Him; and Saul became a great king. QUESTIONS.
ANCIENT SHOES. THIRD READING.
ONE fine summer day, a good man named Boaz went out into his corn-fields where his reapers were cutting down the wheat. "The Lord be with you," he said. "The Lord bless thee," they answered. Then he saw a young woman gleaning, whom he had never seen before. He asked who she was. He heard that her name was Ruth, and she was a stranger and a widow. Then why had she come there? Because she could not bear to leave her husband's mother, Naomi, alone in her old age. She knew that if she kept with Naomi she must be poor and forlorn, and away from all her friends; but she loved her mother-in-law so much, that she said, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: * * * where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people RUTH AND NAOMI.—Ruth 1:16. When Boaz knew that Ruth was poor and a stranger, he told his reapers to drop some handfuls of corn in her way; and he told Ruth to keep among his young maidens, so that nobody might be rude to her, and that she might rest and eat among them when they rested in the heat of the day. RUTH GLEANING IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ.—Ruth 2:5. Ruth carried home plenty of corn to her mother-in-law. And soon it was found out that Boaz was their nearest friend; and he married Ruth, and Naomi lived with them; and Ruth was no longer poor and a stranger, but was happy as a wife and mother in her beautiful home. QUESTIONS.
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