"And the king said, Divide the living child in two."-I. Kings, 3, 25.

ERE again is shown one of the celebrated

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biblical conceptions of the masters of the great days of painting, pictures to be studied, not for the costuming, which is incorrect, but for the spirit which is essentially true to humanity, and for the beauty and strength of the artist's thought.

Solomon being offered by God the grace of any one gift he might desire, asked for wisdom, that he might judge justly among his subjects. The first test of this wondrous gift was shown in the incident of the two women both of whom claimed the same child. Solomon bade one of his soldiers cut the child in half, and give a piece to each woman, foreseeing well that the real mother would yield everything rather than have her son thus slain. The result justified his wisdom, and when the true mother proved her devotion by offering to surrender the boy, Solomon bade her keep the little one herself. "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment."