The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-02-16
THE VEIL OF MODESTY.
Or. TALMAGE'S FIFTH SERMON TO
THE WOMEN OF AMERICA.

The Great Preacher Says That a Mans
Character Is Determined by His APP
prcciation of Woman-Mishtiest Inhu-
enccs Are Ever the Most Silent.
BRoOLKTN. Feb. 5.-Thc annual pew
letting in Brooklyn tabernacle has just
taken place, and the rental exceeds all
previous years. For the best pews five,
six, seven and eight hundred dollar; were
paid. But parts of the house arc kept
free. 80 that 10 one can truthfuIly say
that he cannot attend church here for
lack Of means.
If this immense structure were twice
rs large it would not contain all who de-
sire to worship here. BY the time the
service begins the streets are blocked
with people going away.
The Rev. r. De Witt Talmage, d. D.,
the pastor, preached this morning the
fifth in the Series Of Sermons to the
Women Of America. with Important
Hints to Men" His subject was The
Veil of Modesty,' and his text: Esther
j, IL: The Queen Vashti refused to
come.
If YOU will accept my arm I will escort
YOU into throne room. In this fifth
sermon of the series Of sermons there are
certain womanlv excellcncies which |
wish to commend, but instead of putting
them in dry abstraction. | present YOU
their impersOnatiOn i'll one who seldom,
if ever, gets sermonic recognition.
We stand amid the palaces of Shushan.
The pinnacles are aflaEle with the morn
ing light. The columns rise fGstoonCd and
wrCatho1. the wealth of empires flashing
from the grooves; the ceilings adorned
with images of bird and beast, and scenes
of prowcss and conquest. The walls are
hung with shields. and cmblaZoncd until
it seems that the whole round of splen-
dcr5 is exhausted. Each arch is a mighty
leap of architectural achievement. Golden
stars. shining down on glowing arabesque.
Iangings of embroidered work III
which minGlc the blucnCsS Of the sky,
the grcenne,s of the grass and the white
ness of the sca foam. Tapestries hung
on silver RINGS, wedding together the pill
lars of marble. Pavilions reaching out
III every dircction These for rcpose
filled with luxIriant conches, in which
weary limbs sink until all fatigue is sub
merged. These for carousal, whcr" kings
drink down Il kingdom at one swallow.
Amazing spectacle! Light of silver
dripping down over stairs Of ivory ON
! shields of gold. Floors Of stained marble
sunset red and night black. and inlaid
with cleaning pearl. Why. it seems as
if heavenly vision of amethyst, and
jacinth, and topaz, and cilrysoprasu~ had
descended and alghttI upon Shuslan.
1t seems as if Il billow Of celestial glory
| had dashed clear over heavens battle
ncnts upon this metropolis of Persia. In
connection with this palace there IS a
garden, where the mighty mon of foreign
lands are seated at banquet. Under
/ the spread of oak, and linden, and
acacia the tables are arranged. The
! breath of honey8uckle and frank
| incense fills the air. Fountains leap
| up into the light, the spray struck
through with rainbows falling in crystal
| line baptism upon Towering ahrubs-thell
| rolling down through channels of marble,
! and widening ont here and there into
/ pools swirling with the finny tribes of
foreign aquariums. hordercd with scarlet
/ ancmones, hypericmns, and many col
Orcd ranunCulus. Meats Of rarcst bird
and beast smoking up amid wreaths of
aromaticS. The vases filed with apricots
and almonds. The baskets piled up with
/ aprcots. and dates. and figs. and oranges
and remcgranates. Melons tastefully
twincd with leaves of acacia. Tho
bright waters of Eulaeus filling tho
urns. and sweating outside The
rim in flashing beads amid The
traccries. Wine from the royal vat,
of Ispahan and Shiraz, in bottles O
tinGcd shell, and lily shaped cups of sil
vcr. and ilagons and tankards of sole
gold. The music rises higher. and III,
rcvclrv breaks out into wilder transport
and the wine has flushed the check ali,
touched the brain. and louder than al
other voices are the hicCouGh Of the Inc
briatcs, the gabble of fools and the song
of the drunkards.
In another part Of the palace Queer
Fashti Is entertaining the princesscs 0
Persia at a banquet. Drunken Ahasuerl
says To- his servants: You 60 out unt
i fetch Eashti from that banquet with tn
women, and bring her to this hanQue
with the men, and let me display lie
beauty. The servants immediately star
to obey the kings command; but ther
was I rule III oriental society that II,
woman might appear in public withou
having her face veiled. Yet here was
mandate that no one dare dispute, dc
mandmg that Nashti come in unveils
before the multitude. However, ther
was in Nashti's soul principle NOR
regal than AhaSuerus. more brilliant tina
the gold of Shusian, of more wealt
than the realm Of Persia, which com
manded her TO disohey tIis order Of III
king; and SO all the Righteousness
and holiness and modesty Of he
nature rises up into one suhlim
I refusal. She SAYS: Il will not go int
the banquet unveiled" OF cours
AhaSrI2rllS was iHfuriate; and WASN'T
robbed Of her position and her estate,
driven forth IN poverty and ruin to Sill
fer the scorn Of Il nation, and Yet to II
ceiye the applause Of after generation
who shall rise up TO admire this marty
TO kinglv inSolence. Well, the last We.
tge Of that feast is gone: the last earlan
has faded; the last arch has fallen: IL
; last tankard has been DESTROYED, an
Shusnan is a ruin; but as long as ii
world stands there Will be mullitudes
men and women, familiar with II
Bible, who viii come into this pictu,
gallery of God, and admire the diyir
portrait of EasiIti the queen, Vashti Il
: ! yelled, Eashti the sacrifice, Nashti Il