Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-10-12
THE GIRL HADASSAH.
DR.. TALMAGE PRESENTS THE MORAL
OF ESTHE3'5 STORY.

OF ESTHEaS STORY.
Ahasuerus, or Xerxcs, Probably Had a IL
centious and Incorporate Court, but
One Good Woman In 1t Was Able to
Save Her People.
BROOKLYN, Oct. REV. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his round
the world tour, has selected as the sub
ject of today's sermon through the
press Hadassah, " the text chosen be-
ing Esther ii, 7, "And he brought up
Hadassah.
A beautiful child was born in the cap
ital of Persia. She was an orphan and
captive, her parents having been stolen
from their Israelitish home and carried
to Shushan and had died, leaving their
daughter poor and in strange land.
But an Israclite who had been carried
into the same captivity was attracted
by the case of the orphan. he educated
her in his holy religion, and under the
roof of that good man this adoptetchlld
began to develop a sweetness and excel
lency of character, if ever equaled, GER
tsinlv never surpassed. Beautiful Ha-
dassahl Could that adopted father ever
snare her from his household? Her art
lessness. her girlish sports, her limo
cence, her orphanage, had wound them
selves thoroughly around his heart, just
as around each parents heart among us
there are tendrils climbing and fasten'
ing and poisoning and growing stron'
ger.
I expect he was like others who have
loved ones at home-wondering some
times if sickness will come and death
and bereavement. Alas, worse than any
thing that the father expects happens &c
his adopted child Ahasuerus, prince
" scoundrel. demands that Hadassah,
the fairest one in all the kingdom, be-
come his wife. Worse than death was
marriage to such monster OF lnlqulty
How great the change when this young
woman left the home where God was
worshiped and religion honored to entel
a palace devoted to pride, idolatry anc
sensualityl "As a lamb to the slaush
teri"
The Captive Queen.
Ahasuerus knew not that his wife wa:
a Jewess. At the instigatiOn of the lnfa
mons primo minister the king decreeC
that all the Jews in the land should b(
slain. Hadassah pleads the cause OF bel
people. breaking through the rules o.
the court and presenting herself III inc
very face Of death, crying, II l PERISH
I perish!" Oh, it was a sad time among
that enslaved peoplel They had all hearC
the decree concerning their death. Sor
row. gaunt and CHASTITY, sat in thousands
of households, and mothers wildly
pressed their infants to their breasts al
the DAYS Of massacre fastened on, pray
ing that the same sword stroke which
slew the mother might also STAY thu
child. rosebud and bud perishing in the
same blast.
But Hadassah is busy at court. The
hard heart of the king is touched by hel
story, and although he could not re
verse his decree for the Staying Of tn
Jews he sent forth an order that they
should arm themselves for defense O1
horseback, on mules, on dromedaries
messengers sped through the land bear
ing the kings dispatches, and shou
Of Joy went up from that enslayed PEG
pie at the faint hope of success. doubl
not many a rusty blade was taken dowI
and sharpened. Unbearded youths grew
stout as giants at the thought of defend
ing mothers and sisters Desperation
strung up towards into heroes, anC
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.