The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-02-17


and daughter of no Importance, and try
ing to force her way on up into conspicu-
ity, / say: "Ah, what picyt
Vashti has lost her vail" When I see q
woman of comely features, and of adroit-
ness OF intellect and endowed with
all that the schools can do for her, and Of
high social position, yet moving in So
ciety with superciliousness and hauteurp
as though she would have people know
their placs. and an underlined combination
of giggle, and strut, and rodomontade, en-
dowed with allopRthlc quantities Of self,
but only homeopathic infinitesimals OF
sense, the terror OF dry goods clerks and
railroad conductors, discoverers of sig
nificant meanings Of plain conversation.
prOdigies in badness and innuendoes--I
say: 'Vashti has lost her vail"
Again. want you this morning to con-
slider Vashti the sacrifice. Who Is this
that see coming out of that palace gate
of ShushanP 1t seems to me that / have
seen her before. She comes homeless
hOuseless, friendless, trudging aloug with
a brokon heart, Who Is shef II is Vashti
the sacrifice. o, what q change lt was
from regal position to wayfarer's crust
A little while ago approved and sought
for; now none so poor as 60 acknowledge
her acquaintanceship. Vashti the sacrifice.
All, you and 1 have seen it many q
beauty. All that refinement, and books,
and wealth can do for that home has been
done; but Ahasuerus, the husband and
the father, is taking hold on paths OF sin.
He Is gradually going down. After a time
he will founder and struggle like a wild
beast in the hunters net-further away
from God, further away from the
right. Soon the bright apparel of the
children will turn to rags; soon the house
L. - he nnIhf
of a broken heart. The old story over
again. Brutal Centaurs breaking mp the
marriage feast of LapithB. The house
full of outrage, and cruelty and abomina-
tion, while trudging forth from the palace
gate are Vashti and her children. There
are homes represented in this house this
morning that are in danger of such
breaking up. o, Ahasuerus, that you
should stand I'm a home, by dissipated
life destroying tho peace and comfort of
that home.
Oh the women and the men OF sacrifice
are going to take the brightest coronals
of Heaven. This woman Of the text gave
up palatial residence, gave up all for
what she considered right. Sacrificed Is
there anything more sublimef
A steamer called the Prairie Belle, burn
ing on the Mississippi river, Bludso, the
engineer, declared he would keep the bow
of the boat to the shore till all were of,
and he kept his promise. At his post,
scorched and blackened, he pershed, but
he saved all the passengers. Two verses
of pathetic poe try describe the scene, but
the verses are a little rough, and 50 /
changed word or two:
Through the hot, black brea tn OF the burning
Jim Bludso's voice was heard,
And they all had trust in his stubbornness,
And knew he would keep his word.
And sure's you're born, they all got on
Afore the smoke-stacks fell;
And Bludso's ghost went up above
In the smoke OF the Prairie Belle.
He weren't no saint, but at Judgment
I'd run my chance with Jim
'Longside Of some pious gentlemen
That wouldn't shake hands with him.
He'd seen his duty q dead sure thing,
And went for 1t there and then,
And Christ is not g ing TO be too hard
On man that died for men.
Once more. I want you to look at
Vasht the silen You do not hear any
outcry from this woman as she goes forth
from the palace gate. From tho very
dignity OF her nature you know there will
be no vociferation. Sometimes I'm life it is
necessary to make a retort; sometimes u
life it is necessary to resist; but there are
crises when the most triumphant thing
to do is TO keep silence. The philosopher,
confident I'm his newly discovered priB
cple, waited for the coming of more In.
telligent generations. willing tina
men should laugh at the light.
ming rod and cotton gin and
Misunderstanding for long year
through the scofiing and philosophica'
schools, in grand and magnificent silence
Galileo, condemned by mathematician.
and monks, and cardinals; cnricatured
everywhere, yet waiting and watching
with his telescope TO see the coming up OF
stellar rein forcements. when the stars in
their courses would fight for the Copper
nican system; then sitting down In COM
plete blindness and deafness 20 wait for
the coming on of the generations who
would build his monument and bow at
his grave. Tho reformer, execrated by
his cotempoTaries, fastened in pillory,
the slow fires Of public contempt burning
under him, ground under the cylinders Of
the printing press, yet calmly waiting
for the day when purity Of soul and hero.
is m of character will get the sanction OF
Of earth and the plaudits Of Heaven. AT
fl ction, enduring without any complaint
the sharpness Of the pang, and the
violence Of the torn, and the heft Of the
chain, and the darkness OF the night
waiting until divine hand shall
be put forth to soothe the
pang and hush the storm, and re-
lease the captive. wife abused, perge-
cuted, and perpetual exile from every
earthly comfort-waiting, waiting until
the Lord shall gather up his dear chil4
dren in a heavenly home, and no poor
Vashtf will ever b3 thrust out from tho
palace gate. Jesus, I'm silence. and an
swering not a word. drinking the gall,
bearing the cross, in prospect Of the rapt-
urous contamination when
Angels thronged His chariot wheel
And bore Him 10 His throne;
Then swept their golden harps and sung
The glorious work is done.
o, woman does not this story OF Vashti
the Queen, Vashti the vailed, Vashti the
sacrifice, Vashti the silent, move your
soulY Ny sermon convergas into tho one
absorbing hope that none Of you may DO
shut out Of the palace gate Of Heaven.
You can endure the hardshi pa, and the
privations, and the cruolties, and
the misfortunes OF this life, IL you
can only gain admission there.
Through the blood OF tho everlasting
covenant, you go through those gates, OF
never 60 at all"
When Rome was besieqed. tn daughter
Of it's ruler saw the golden brace ots On
the left arms of the enemy, and she sent
word to them that she would botray her
city and surrender IL to them if they
would only give her those bracelets on
their left arms They accepted the proRer
and by night this daughter Of the ruler Of
the city opened one Of the gates. The army
entered, and, keeping their promise, threw
upon her their bracelets, and also their
shields, until under their weight she died.
Alas, that all through the ages the same
folly has been repeated, and for the trink-
cts and glittering treasures OF this world
men and women swing open the portals
Of their immortal soul Tor an everlasting
surrender, and die under the shining sub
mergement.
Through the rich gracs of our Lord
Jesus Chris may you be Enabled 20 imi-
tate the example OF Rachel, and Hannah,
and Abigail, and Deborah, aud Mary, and
Vashti. Amen