We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
ATHALIA, QUEEN OF JUDAH.
23
father fell in battle that same day, so thou wert left to my care. I have told thy father's name, Ahaziah, but I have never told thee the name of his mother, thy grandmother."
She waited, and the child, sobered by her serious manner, placed a small hand against her cheek, saying, "Go on, what was her name? Does she live?".
"She lives," replied the woman, holding the child closer, "and her name is Athalia."
"Not the wicked queen !" cried the lad, his cheeks scarlet with excitement, "she is not my grandmother, my father's mother?"
"Yes, little one," answered Jehoshabeath, "it is, indeed, the queen. At last I must tell thee, and thou must be my brave lad, for thou art indeed a king, and kings are brave."
The lad's shoulders straightened, the dark head lifted proudly. It was as if an invisible mantle from generations of kingly ancestors had fallen about him. The clear eyes looked courageously, understandingly, into the woman's.
"Go on," he said, quietly.
"Thy father, after his father's death, was greatly influenced by Athalia. She it was who drove him forth into the wars, where lie fell by the sword of his enemies. Thy mother was my sister. When she knew that she was dying, she called me to her, saying, 'Hide this child away, until his father comes. I fear Athalia.' She called her other children, three noble boys and two fair girls, kist them, and died. An hour later, news came of thy father's fall. One hour more, and thy brothers and sisters all lay dead, murdered by the monstrous Athalia, that she might reign as queen. We told her thou wert born dead, and, tho sh^ doubted us, we had hidden thee securely and no one knew our secret. Xow the time has come "
She broke off, looking appealingly at her husband, who took up the story, gazing earnestly at the boy.
"Now the time has come for thee to go into the temple and be anointed and take thy kingdom. On some day, not far distant, the temple shall be filled with armed Levites, pledged to serve
m
— . — . — _ — r,„„,,,„,v, *A f
f '
<
nil ir,^
4
tZL^g
*
s
MEANWHILE, ATHALIA SAT IN COUNCIL WITH THE PRIESTS OF BAAL.