The Russellville Democrat., 1888-02-16


not, and transfers 10 them, singly or coll
iectively. the estate Of the deceased hus-
band and living widow.
Now, that is a specimen Of unjust laws
in all the States concerning womanhood.
instead Of flying or to the discussion as
to whether or not the giving Of the right
Of voting to women will correct these
laws, let me say to mon, be gallant enough.
and fair enough, and honest enough, and
righteous enough, and Godloving enough
to correct these wrongs against women
by your own masculine vote. Do not
wait for woman suffrage to come, II i
ever does come, but so far as you can
touch ballot boxes and Legislatures, and
congresses, begin the reformation; but
until Justice is done TO your sex by the
laws OF all the States, women OF
America, take the platforms and the pull
pits, and no honorable man will charge
Vashti with having lost her vail.
Again. | want you this morning to con-
slider Vashti the sacrifice. Who is tn Is
that see coming ont Of that palace gate
OF Shushan? It seems to me that have
seen her before. She comes homeless,
houseless, friendless, trudging along with
a brokon heart, Who Is shey Ii is Vashti
the sacrifice. O, what a change it was
from regal position to wayfarer's crust
A title while ago approved and sought
for; now none so poor as to acknowledge
her acquaintanceship Vashti the sacrifice.
All, you and / have seen it many
time Here is a home empalaced with
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 time
he will founder and struggle like 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.
hold song will become the sobbing
of broken heart. The old story over
again. Brutal Centaurs breaking up the
marriage feast of Lapith@ The house
full Of outrage, and cruelty and abomina'
ton. 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 a
breaking up. O, Ahasuerus, that you
should stand In home, by o dissipated
life destroying the peace and comfort OF
that home God forbid that your chill
dreu should ever have to ring their hands,
and have people point their finger at
them as they pass down tn. street
and say: "There goes a drtnkard's
childo God forbid that the lit
tie feet should ever have to trudge the
path of poverty and wretchednesc- God
forbid that any evil spirit, borr Of the
wine cup or the brandy flask, ehoald
come forth and uproot that garden. and,
with a blasting, blistering, all-consuming
curse, shut forever the palace gate against
Vashti and the children.
Oh the women and the men of sacrifice
are going to take the brightest coronals
of Heaven. This woman of the textgave
up a 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 off,
and he kept his promise. At his post,
scorched and blackened, he perished, but
he saved all the passengers. Two verses
of pathetic poe try describe the scene, but
the verses are little rough, and SO ]
changed word or two:
Through the hot, black breat tn of the burning
Jim Bludso's voice was heard,
And Iy3e,v he would lreor his word
And snre,s vou,re horn. they all eoton
Afore the smoke-stacks fell;
And Bludso's ghost went up above
In the smoke OF the Prairie Belle.
IT,. $3.50. 49,, =. y,,,7,.,,o,,
I'd run my chance with Jim
,r,ongside NJ some mons gentlemen
That wouldn't shake hands with him.
He'd seen his duty, dead sure thing,
And went for it there and then,
And Christ is not g ing to DC TOO hard
On man that uieo Tor men
Once more / want You to look a,
Vashti the silent. You do not hear any
cutlery from this woman as she goes forth
from the palace gate. From the very
dignity OF her nature you know there will
be no vociferation. Sometimes in life il Is
necessary TO make a retort; sometimes ip
life it is necessary to resist; but there are
crises when the most triumphant thing
to do is to keep silence. The philosopher,
confident in his newly d discovered prin.
cple, waited for the coming of more in.
telligent generations, will ng that
men should laugh ut the light.
ming rod and cotton gin and
Misunderstanding for long years
through the scofing and philosophical
schools, in grand and magnificent silence.
Calico, condemned by mathematicians,
and monks, and cardinals; caricatured
everywhere, yet waiting and watching
with his telescope to see the coming up OF
stellar reinforcements, when the stars in
their courses would hght Tor tho copper
nican system; then sitting down in com
plete blindness and deafness to wait for
the coming on of the generations who
would ouild ms monument ana DOW h'
ms grave. Ihe reiormer' execratea oy
ms cotempofaries, fastened IN piilofy'
the SLOW hres OF pnoilc contempt burning
under nm, GROUND under tue cyhnaers OF
the printing press, YEP caimiy waitihS
Tor the day when purity OF soui ana nero.
IS m OF character VIII get the sanction oil
OF earth ana the plaudits OF heaven AZ
melton, enduring without any complaint
the sharpness OF the pang. and inc
violence oil the Storm and the nett oil Tue
chain, and we darkness OF the night