Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-06
THE VEIL OF MODESTY.
DR.. TALNAGB'S TABERNACLE SERMON IC
WOMEN LAST SUNDAY.
In the Palace Of Shushan-How all Women are
Qusens-Thsir Highest and NOblsSt Work
The Queen Of the HONS and
the School.
Special Ttlegrum TO tie Register.

that no one can truthfully say that he can
not attend church here for lack of means.
If this immense structure were twice as
large it would not contain all who desire
to worship here. By the time the service
begins the streets are blocked with people
going away.
The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, D D.,
the pastor, preached this morning the
fifth in the Series of Sermons to the Wo.
men of America, with Important Hints TO
Men" His subject was: The Veil of
Modesty," and his text: Esther l., II:
The Queen Vashti refused to come"
We stand amid the palaces of Shushan.
The pinnaeles are ahsme with the morning
light. The columns rise festooned and
wreathed, the wealth of empires flashing
from the grooves; the ceilings adorned
with images of birds and beasts, and scenes
of prowess and conquest. The walls are
hung with shields and emblazoned until
it seems that the whole round of splendors
is exhausted. Each arch is mighty leap
of architectural achievements. Golden
stare, shining down on glowing arabesque.
AHASUERUsI Is ENTERTAINING HIS MOBILES.
In another part Of the palace, Queen
Vashti is entertaining the pIincesses Of
Persia at banquet. Drunken Ahssuerus
says TO his servants: "Gou 20 out and
fetch Vashti from that banquet with the
women, and bring her to this banquet with
the men, and let me display her beauty
The servants Immediately start to obey the
kings command; but there was rule in
Oriental society that no woman might ap-
pear in public without having her face
yelled. Yet here was a mandate that no
one dare dispute, demanding that Nashti
come unveiled before the multitude. How
ever, there was in Vashtis soul princi-
pie more regal than Ahasuerus, more bril-
liant than the gold OF Shushan. Of more
wealth than the realm of Persia, which
commanded her TO disobey this order Of
the king; and so all the righteousness and
holiness, and mOdesty of her nature rises
up into one sublime refusal She says: 81
will not go into the banquet unveiled. I"
OF course Ahasuerus was iDfuriated; and
yashti, robbed Of her position and her es.
tates, is driven forth in poverty and ruin
to suffer the scorn of nation, and yet to
receive the applause of after generations
who shall rise up to admire this martyr to
kingly insolence.
In the first place, want you TO look
upon Vashti the queen. A blue ribbon,
rayed with white, drawn around her fore
head, indicated her queenly position. 1t
was no small honor to he queen in such q
realm as that. Hark to the rustic of her
rohes! See the blaze of her Jewels, And
vet, nv friends, it is not necessary TO have
palace and regal robe III order to be queen
ly What glory was there on the brow Of
Mary of Scotland, or Elizabeth Of England
or Margaret of France, or Catbarine of
Russia, compared with the worth OF aome
of our Christian mothers, many Of them
gone into gl0ry?-or of that woman men
toned in the Scriptures, who put her all
in the Lords treasury?-Or Of Jephthath's
daughter, who made demonstration of
unselfsh patriotism'-or of Abigail, who
rescued the herds and f1ocks of her hus-
band?-or of Ruth, who toiled under a
tropical sun for poor, old, helpless Naomi?
Queens are oil such, and whether the
world acknowledges them or not, heaven
acknowledges them. When Scarron, the
wit and ecclesiastic, as poor as he was bril-
liant, was about TO marry Madame de
Maintenon, he was asked by the notary
what he proposed to settle upon Made
moiselle. The reply was: Immortality
The names of the wives Of kings die with
them; the name of the wife of Scarron will
live always" In higher and better sense,
upon all women who do their duty God
will settle Immortality! Not the immor-
tality OF earthly fame, which is but mortal,
but the Immortality celestial. And they
shall reign forever and ever
wOMAS's OPPORTUNITY.
Oh, women of America rise to your op-
portunity. Be no slave to pride, or world
illness, or sin. Why ever crawl in the dust
when you can mount throne? Be queens
unto God forever. Hail Vsshti!
Again: ! want you To consider Vsshti
the veiled Had she appeared before
Abasuerus and his court on that day, with
her face uncovered, she would have shock.
ed all the delicscies OF Oriental society, and
the very men who in their intoXicatiOn de-
manded that she come, in their sober mo-
Inents would have despised her. As some
flowers seem TO thrive best i'll the dark
lane and in the shadow, and where the
sun does not seem to reach them, so God
appoints to most womanly natures retir-
ing and unobtrusive spirit. God once in a
| Toa hnll la IN a fhrnnn nF a ri m
TO strike the timbrel at the front OF host,
or Marie Antoinetts to quell French
mob, or a Deborah to stand at the
: front of an armed battalion, cry
ing out: up Up! This is the
day in which the Lord will deliver Sisers
into thy hands" And when women are
called to such outdoor work, and to such
heroic positions, God prepares them for il;
and they have iron in their soul, and light
nings in their eye, and whirlwinds in their
breath, and the borrowed strength Of the
Lord Omnipotent to their right arm. They
walk through furnaces as though they
were hedges Of wild.howers, and cross
seas as though they were shimmering cap
phires, and all the, e,harpies Of hell sink
down TO their dungeon at the stamp OF
their womanly indignation. But these
are exceptions Generally, Dorcas would
rather make garment for the poor boy
Rebecca would rather I'll the trough for
the camels; Hannah would rather make a
} cost for Samuel; the Hebrew maid would
rather give prescription for Naaman's
leprosy; the woman Of Sarepts would
rather gather few sticks to cook a meal
for famished Elijah; Phebe would
rather carry q letter for the inspired
Apostle; Mother Lois would rather
educate Timothy in the Scriptures. When
see q woman going about her daily duty,
with cheerful dignity presiding at the Ia
BILE; with kind and gentle, but firm disci-
pline presiding in the nursery, going out
into the world without any blast of trum.
pets, following in the footsteps Of Him
who went about doing good-Isay: ''Thi;
s yashti with veil on" But when ]
. see woman of unblushing boldness, loud
voiced, with q tongue Of infinite Glitter.
clatter, with arrogant look, pushing
through the streets with q masculine
swing, gayly arrayed in very hurricane o
millinery, cry out: "Vashti has lost bel