“On hearing this, the sheep remember the shepherd; they heed his voice; and, strange to tell, the poor, timid creatures, which were helpless with terror before, instantly rush with all their strength into a solid mass.  The pressure is irresistible; the wolf is overcome; frequently he is crushed to death, while the shepherd stands there on a rock crying, ‘Ooh! ooh!’ ’I will fear no evil:  for art with me.’”

He paused, looking questioningly at one and another.

“Yes,” I said at last, “’in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.’” He bowed his satisfaction in silence.

“’Thy rod and thy staff’—­this also is true to life; the double expression covers the whole round of protecting care.  For the shepherds carry a crook for guiding the sheep and a weapon suitable for defending them, the rod and the staff; one for aiding them in places of need along peaceful ways, the other for defense in perils of robbers and wild beasts.  This saying describes with the ease of mastery how much those words mean, ‘Thou art with me.’

“And what shall I say of the next words, ’Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me’?  Ah, madam, you should see the sheep cuddle near the shepherd to understand that word, ‘They comfort me.’  The shepherd’s call ‘Ta-a-a-a, ho-o-o,’ and the answering patter of feet as the sheep hurry to him, are fit sounds to be chosen out of the noisy world to show what comfort God gives to souls that heed his voice; and those sounds have been heard in my country this day as they were the day this shepherd psalm was written!”

He sat in silence a moment musing as if the sound were in his ear.

With quiet animation he lifted his thin hand and continued:  “Now here is where you drop the shepherd figure and put in a banquet and so lose the fine climax of completeness in the shepherd’s care.”

It need not be said that we were eager listeners now, for our guest was all aglow with memories of his far-off homeland and we felt that we were about to see new rays of light flash from this rarest gem in the song-treasury of the world.

“’Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.’” In the same hushed voice in which he quoted these words he added:  “Ah, to think that the shepherd’s highest skill and heroism should be lost from view as the psalm begins to sing of it, and only an indoor banquet thought of!” Again he sat a little time in quiet.  Then he said: 

“The word for table here means simply ‘something spread out’ and so a prepared meal, however it is set forth.  There is no higher task of the shepherd in my country than to go from time to time to study places and examine the grass and find a good and safe feeding-place for his sheep.  All his skill and often great heroism are called for.  There are many poisonous plants in the grass and the shepherd must find and avoid them.  The sheep will not eat certain poisonous things, but there are some which they will eat, one kind of poisonous grass in particular.  A cousin of mine once lost three hundred sheep by a mistake in this hard task.