n named Achsah, but that is enough
to show us that she possessed the prevailing and prominent
characteristic of all the other "holy women."--she wanted something.

After she had married her warrior lover, who conquered Kirpathsepher
for her sweet sake, the very first thing we find is that "she moved
him to ask of her father a field." Now naturally a young man would
dislike to approach his father-in-law upon such a delicate subject,
and so soon too, but _she_ asked him and he obeyed--like all the men
of the Old Testament.

And even then she was not satisfied; but of course she embraced her
father and kissed him, and told him he was the most indulgent father
in the whole wide world.

Now Caleb no doubt had had dozens of love affairs, and experience had
made him a connoisseur of female character, and understanding all
their little scheming ways and little designing tricks, without
beating around the bush at all he came to business at once and asked,

"What would'st thou?"

[Illustration: (What would'st thou?)]

"Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land, give me also
springs of water," she said.

Springs of water were a bonanza in those days--something like a gold
or silver mine to us moderns--but she had requested it and of course
he could not refuse, "and he gave her the upper springs and the nether
springs."

And it came to pass that Joshua sent two men, two spies, saying, "Go
view the land, even Jericho," and I suppose they disguised themselves
and went by secret ways; anyway they eluded the vigilance of their
enemies and entered the city, even Jericho, and let me whisper it in
your ear, they went to see a woman named Rahab--and she wasn't a very
nice woman either--and "lodged there."

But their visit leaked out, as such things always do and always will,
though the stars should pale their fires to shield them, the moon
withdraw behind the clouds to hide their shadows, the rain pour and
the thunder crash to drown their footsteps. Perhaps the children told
the neighbors, perhaps the hired girl whispered to her friend, perhaps
some jealous watching lover told of it, but at any rate we read:

"And it was told to the King of Jericho, saying: Behold there came two
men in hither to-night of the children of Israel, to search out the
country."

"And the King of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying: Bring forth the men
that are come to thee, which are entered into thy house: for they be
come to search all