The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-06-03

DY PATTI YARXuAn,

twas time Of feastins at the court,
OF King Ahasuerus, and the days,
Filled with the merry sound Of revelry,
The harp, the dance, the cong, sped lightly on:
The palace walls were gorgeous In their robes
OF royal splcndor-hanGings rich and rare
Brought from the looms Of Tyre-swseping down
Their floods Of purple on the marble floors,
And held BY rings Of silver and Of gold
To stately columns Odors filed the air
OF coftly spices brought from India's shores.
And the sweetest music hoatcd on the breeze
To greet the senses OF the Persian King.
All, a. they drank the wine from golden urns.
Sang to the honor Of their royal host,
The majesty and glory Of h!s reign
His mighty Kingdoms stretched from shore to shore
From Ethiopia's junglcs to the fair,
And sea-kisscd India, with ito boundless wealth,
Until Ahasuerus's heart grew proud
And longed to show his courticrs somewhat more
To feed the fire Of their tumultuous praise.
And then he thought him Of his beauteous Queen,
For she was young, and fair to look upor."
Bring in the Queen " he cried, land by the gods!
Ill show you beauty, bright beyond the etas,
Such as has lived not in your widest dreams.
Ny fair Queen, vashti! 10! re chamberlains!
See that she be arrayed in splendid lobes,
And place the royal crown upon her head"
hush fell on the noisy jewellers
OF waiting expectation, and all eyes
Were turned with eager interest to the door.
But when they look to see TIL proud young Queen,
Only her minions stood before the King,
And told her answer to the breath!css throng:
'Qncen yashti viii not heed the Kings command |;
She will not come before the idle host
turuo
In fearful silence on the humbled King,
And in his flashing eyes and darkenod brow
They read the doom OF Vashti.
To al lands
In hts dominions went the mandate forth
''From hcnceforth shall the husbands all bear rule,
And wives shall henceforth honor and obey,
Queen Vashti shall be called no longer Queen,
And she shall come before the King no more"
Thus, BY the stern, fixed law, which altersth not,
OF Modes and Persmns, man decreed his right
To power absolute, and Persian men
Der Persian women held supreme command.
Honor to Vashti! who. whom question came
Which she should keep, her high and royal state
A honored Queen, Or her pure womsnhood,
Held to the latter. Tins her story ends,
But echoes down through memory haunted years
Through oil the yesterdays, until to-day,
With honor to the noble Persian Queen.
And now, today, another questio comes.
O. women of the nineteenth century,
Which will yc have-a place among shc men,
In courts. in Congress halls, and noisy crowds
Where even womans name should never come
voice above the tossing, restless tide
Which surges toward the polls, and all the homes
Made darker by your abscnce7
Or, will yc keep
Your ever pure and precious womanhood,
The tender love Of husband and Of child,
The Godappointed right to mould and train
The future men and heroes Of the land!
women of the nation! Pause, and think!
Why babbs yc Of wrongs and injured rights7
God pity women who have wrongs indeed,
And we may pity and may help them, too;
Fut giving them the ballot, aud the work
Which men should do will never clip their wrongs
Or ut . cost too fearful and too great:
Yes, trials are the lot Of all mankind,
And men a. well a. women. have their wrongs,
Which oil their right to vote can never help.
Then thro' the lights and shades Of future years,
Let woman work with high and noble aim;
Not to be Presidents, and Priests, and Kings,
But truer women. Then the day will come
When men shall cease to scoff and ridieule,
And hnN H.