Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-15

eye, and whlrlwinds in their breath, an
the borrowed strength of the Lord Omnipt
tent in their right arm. They walk throug
furnaces as though they were hedges o
wild flowers, and cross seas as though the
were shimmering sapphire, and all th'
harpies of hell sink down to their dungeo
at the stamp of their womanly indignation
But these are exceptions. Generally, Dorca
would rather make garment for the poo
boy; Rebecca would rather fill the troug
for the camels; Hannah would rather max
a coat for Samuel; the Hebrew maid woul'
rather give prescription for Naaman'
leprosy; the woman of Sarepta would rathe
gather few sticks to cook meal for famish
ed Elijah; ;Phebe would rather carry a lette
for the inspired Apostle; Mother Lois woul'
rather educate Timothy in the scriptures
| When l see woman going about her dali.
duty-with cheerful dignity presiding a
the table; with kind and gentle, but firm
discipline presiding in the nursery, goiuI
out into the world without any blast Of
trumpets, following in the footsteps of Hin
who went about doing good say: "Thi'
is Vashti with a veil on" But when I Sc,
voiced, with tongue of infinite Glitter
clatter, with arrogant look, pasS
| ing through the streets with masculinek
swing, gayly arrayed in very hurricane
of millinery. cry out: "Vashti has los
her VEIL" When see woman struggling
for political preferment, and rejecting thu
duties of home as insignificant, and think
ing the offices of wife, mother, and daugh
ter of no Importance, and trying to forct
her way on up into conspicuity,I I say: ''Ah
what pity; Vashti has lost her veil. y
When I see a woman of comely features
and of adroitness of intellect and endowed
with all that the schools can do for one, an6
of high social position, yet moving in socie
ty with superciliousness and hauteur, as
though she would have people know theil
place, and an underlined combination oi
giggle, and strut, and rodomontade, endow-
ed with allopathic quantities of talk bul
only homo pathic infinitesimals of sense, the
terror of dry goods clerks and railroad con
ductors, discovereTs of significant meanings
in plain conversation, prodigies of badness
and innuendo-I say: "Vashti has lost heI
VEIL"
But do not misinterpret what l say into
a depreciation of the work of those glori
GUS and divinely called women who will not
be understood till after they are dead, wo
men like Susan B. Anthony, who are Civ
ing their life for the betterment of the con
dition of their sex. Those of you who
think that women have under the laws OF
this country an equal chance with men are
ignorant of the laws. A gentleman writes
me from Maryland saying: "Take the laws
of this State A man aud wife start out in
life full of hope in every respect; by theiI
joint efforts, and as is frequently the case,
through the economic ideas of the wife,
succeed in accumulating fortune, but they
have no children; they reach old age to.
gether, and then the husband dies. What
does the law of this State do then? It says
to the widow, hands off your late husbands
property, do not touch it, the State will
find others to whom it will give that, but
you (the widow must not touch it, only SO
much as will keep life within your aged
body, that you may live to see those others
enjoy what rightfully should be your OWE" P"
And the State seeks the relatives of the de.
ceased husband, whether thev be near Oh
far, whether they were ever heard of before
or not, and transfers to them, singly or col
lectlvely, the estate of the deceased hus.
band and living widow.
Now, that is specimen of unjust laws
in all the States concerning womanhood.
Instead of flying off to the discussion as to
whether or not the giving of the right oi
voting to woman will correct these laws
let me say to men, be gallant enough, an6
fair enough, and honest enough, anG
righteous enough, and God-loving enough
to correct these wrongs against women by
your own masculine vote. Do not wait fol
woman suffrage to come, if it 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, and women of America take the
platforms and the pulpits, and no honor
able man will charge Vasti with having
lost her veil.
Again want you this morning to con-
slider Vashti the sacrifice. Who is this that
/ see coming out of that palace gate ot
Shushan? 1t seems to me that have seer
her before. She comes homeless, house
less, friendless, trudgiDg along with 6
broken heart. Who is she7 1t is WASN'T
the sacrifice. O, what change it wai
from regal position to a wayfarer's crust
A little while ago approved and sought for
now none so poor as to acknowledge hel
acquaintanceship. Vashti the sacrifice
All, you and have seen it many time
Here is home empalaced with Deauty.-
All that refinement, and books, and wealth
can do for that home has been done; bu
Ahasuerus, the husband and the father, il
taking hold on paths of sin. He is gradu
ally going down. After while he will
founder and struggle like wild beast il
the hunters net-further away from God
further away from the right, Soon thu
| I. ~ fkl, ,l, r.
rags soon the household song will become
the sobbing of broken heart. The ole
story over again. Brutal Centaurs break
ing up the marriage feast of Lapithae.-
The house full of outrage and cruelty, anC
abomination, 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 yor
should stand in home, and by dissipa
ted life destroy the peace and comfort O
that home. God forbid that your children
should ever have to ring their hands, ant
have people point their finger at them al
they pass down the street, and say, ether,
goes drunkard's child" God forbid tina
the little feet should ever have to trudg'
the path of poverty and wretchedness.-
God forbid that any evil spirit, born of thu
wine-cup or the brandy flask, should com'
forth and uproot that garden, and, with ;
blasting, blistering, all-consuming curse
shut forever the palace gate against WASN'T
and the children.
Oh. the women and the men of sacrific,
are going to take the brightest coronals o
heaven This woman of the text CAV,
palatial residence, gave up all for what sh'
considered right. Sacrifice! Is there any
thing more sublime? A steamer called th'
"Prairie Belle" burning on the Mississippi
river. Bludso, the engineer, declared h'
would keep the bow of the boat to the shor
till all were off, and he kept his PROMISE
At his post, scorched and blackened, h'
perished, but he saved all the passengers
Two verses of pathetic poetry describe th
scene, but the verses are little rough
and SO / changed word or two:
Through the hot black breath of the burning
| Jim Bludsos 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 off
| Afore the smokestacks 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.
4