Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-10-13
Tho Captive Queen.

The Captive Queen.
I Ahasuorus know not that his wife was
Jewess. At tho instigntion OF the infa-
nous primo minister tho king decreed
that all tho Jews in tho land should be
slain. Hadassah pleads the cause OF her
people, breaking through the rules OF
the court and presenting herself In the
very face of death. crying, If perish,
II perishp' Oh, 1t was sad time among
that onslaved peoplel They had all heard
the decree concerning their death. Sor-
row, gaunt and CHASTITY, sat in thousands
of households, and mothers wildly
pressed their infants to their breasts as
tho DAYS of massacre hastened on, pray
ing that the same sword stroke which
slew the mother might also Stay the
child, rosebud and bud perishing in the
| Same blast.
But Hadassah Is busy at court. The
hard heart of the king IL touched by her
story, and although he could not re-
verse his decree for the Staying Of the
JOYS he sent forth an order that they
should arm themselves for defense On
horseback, on mules, on dromedaries,
messengers sped through the land bear
ing tho kings dispatches, and q shout
| of Joy won't up from that enslaved peo-
pie at the faint hope Of success. 1 doubt
not many rusty blade was taken down
and sharpened Unbearded youths grew
stout az giants at tho thought Of defend
ing mothers and sisters. Desperation
strung up towards into heroes, and
fragile women grasping their weapons
swung them about the cradles, impatient
for the time to strike the blow in behalf
OF household and country.
Triumph of the jews
The day Of execution dnwncd. Gov
ornment officials armed and drilled,
coved before the battle shout Of the OPP
pressed people. The cry Of defeat rang
back to the palaces, but above the moml-
tains Of dead, above 70, 900 crushed and
manglod corpses, sounded the triumph OF
tho delivered Jews, and their enthusiasm
was as when the highlanders came to
tho relief of Lucknow, and the English
army, which stood in tho very jaws OF
death, at the sudden hops of assistance
and rescue lifted tho shout above beloh-
ing cannon and the death groan OF
hosts, crying: 1--WE arc sayedl We ore
savcd"
My subject affords me opportunity OF
Illustrating what Christian character
may DO under the gsssest disadvantage
There is no Christi Cow exactly what
he wants to be Your standard is much
higher than anything you have attained
unto. II there be any man go pulled up
as to be thoroughly satisfied with the
amount of oxcellenoy ne has already at
tanned, 1 havo nothing to say to such
one, but to those who are dissatisfied
! with past attninments, who IRE toiling
under disadvantages which are keep
ing them from being what they ought
to be, have message from God. You
each of you labor under difficulties.
There is something in your Temporal
mcnt, in your worldly circumstances,
in your calling, that acts powerfully
against you. Admitting all this, in
troduce to you Hadassah of the text, o
noble Christian Notwithstanding the
most gigantic difficulties. She whom
you might have expected to be one OF
the worst of women is one Of the best.
The PIous Orphan
In the first place, our subject Is an
illustration of what Christian characte,
may be under orphanage. This Bible
line tells long story about Hadas'
sab. "She had neither father nor moth.
er." A nobleman had become her guard
ian, but there is no one who can take
the place of q parent Who SO able at
night to hear child S prayer, or at twi'
light to chide youthful wanderings, OF
to soothe youthful sorrowsf An indi.
vidual will go through life bearing the
marks Of orphanage. 1t will require
more strength, more persistence, more
grace to make such one the right
Kind of O Christian. He who at 40
years loses parent must reel under the
blow. Even down to old age men are
accustomed to rely upon the counsel OF
be powerfully influenced by the advice
of parents, If they are still alive. But
how rnnch greater the bereavement