The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-22

about doing good, say, This is Vashti with a
veil op.'' But when I see woman OF un-
blushing holiness, loud-voiced, with q
tongue OF infinite Glitter clatter. with AFRO
CANT look, passing through the streets with
the step OF walking beam, gayly arrayed III
very hurricane OF millinery, cry out,
"Vashti has lost her veil!" When see
woman of comely features, and OF adroltnsss
of intellect. and endowed will AL that Ihe
schools can do for one, and Of high social
position, yet moving in society with super,
ciliousness and hauteur. as though she,would
have people know their place, and an unoe,
fined com mbination Of Gggle and strut ana
rhodomontade, endowed with allopatnlc
quantities of talk. but only homeopathic IN
finitesimals Of sense, the terror OF dry Goods
clerks and railroad conductors, discoVerers
of significant meanings in plain conVersa-
ton, prodigies Of badinage and innuendo: =, l
say: "Look. look Vashti has lost her ven.
Again. want You to consider Vashtl tue
sacrifice. Who is this I see coming OUT OF
that palace gate Of Shushan? 1t seems 10 me
that I have seen her before. Sne cElhes
homeless, houseless, friendiess, trudglng
along with broken heart. Who Is sheI II
is Vashti the sacrifice. Oh, what change II
was from regal position to wayfarers
crust! A little while ago approved ana
sought for; now none so poor as to acKnoWl-
edge her mountaineering. Vashtt the sac
riflce! All, you and have seen 1t many
time!
Here is q home empalaced with beauty.
Ali that refinement and books and wealth.
can do for that home has been done: out
Ahasuerus, the husband and father, is taking
hold on paths Of sin. He Is gradually going
down. After awhile he will founder and
struggle like wild beast in the hunters net
farther away from God, farther away from
the right. Soon the bright apparel OF the
children will turn to rags; soon the house
hold song will become the sobbing OF
broken heart. The old story over again.
Brutal centaurs breaking up the mar
rage feast of Lapithae. The house full
OF outrage and cruelty and abomina-
tion, while trudging forth from the
palace gate are Vashti and her children:
There are homes that are in danger OF
such breaking up. Oh, Ahasue-us. that
you should stand in home, by dissipated
life destroy the peace and comfort OF that
home. God forbid that your children should
ever have to wiring their hands and have peo-
pie point their finger at them as they pass
down the street and say, "There goes a
drunkard's child" God forbid that the little
feet should ever have to trudge the path OF
poverty and wretchedness. God forbid that
any evil spirit born of the wine cup or the
brandy glass should come forth and uproot
that garden, and with lasting blistering, all
consuming curse shut forever the palace gate
against Vashti and the children.
During the war went to Hagerstown to
look at the army. and stood in the night on
hilltop and looked down upon them.
saw the campfres all through the valleys
and all over the hills. It was weird spec
tacle, those campfres, and I stood and
watched them, and the soldiers who were
gathering around them were, no doubt. talk
ing of their homes and of the long march
they had taken and OF the battles they were
to fight. But after awhile saw these camp
fires begin to lower, and they continued to
lower until they were all gone out and the
army slept. It was imposing when saw
the camphres; 1t was imposing in the dark.
ness when I thought OF that great host
asleep.
Well. God looks down from heaven. and
BE sees the flresides Of Christendom and the
loved ones gathered around these fresides.
These are the campflrss where We warm our
selves at the close of the day and talk over
the battles Of life we have fought and the
battles that are yet to come. God grant that
when at last these fires begin to 20 out and
continue to lower, until finally they are ex-
tinguished and the ashes Of consumed hopes
strew the hearth of the old homestead, 1t
may De because we nave
Gone to sleep that last long sleep
From which none ever wake to weep.
Now we are an army on the march OF lie.
Then we will be an army bivouacked IN the
tent OF the grave.
Once more I want you to look at Vashti
the silent. You do not hear any outcry from
this woman as she goes forth from the palace
gate. From the very dignity OF her nature,
you know there will be no voclferation.
Sometimes in life 1t Is necessary to make
retort; sometimes In life it is necessary to
resist, but there are cries when the most
triumphant thing to do is to keep silence.
The philosopher, confident in his newly dis.
covered principle, waiting for the coming OF
more intelligent generations, willing that
men should laugh at the lightning rod and
cotton gin and teamboat-waiting for long
years through the scoflng OF philosophical
schools, in grand and magnificent silence.
Gililei, condemned by mathematicianS and
scientists, carlcatured everywhere, yet wait
ing and watching with his telescope to see
the coming up OF stellar re-enforcements,
when the stars in their courses would fight
for the Copernican system. then sitting down
in complete blindness and deafness to wait
for the coming on OF the generations who
would build his monument and bow at his
grave
The reformer. e1ecrated by his contem
poraries. fastened In pillory. the slow fr
Of public contempt burning under him
ground under the cylinders Of the printing
press, yet calmly waiting for the day whel
purity OF soul and heroism Of character viii
get the sanction of earth and the plaud:ts o
heaven. Afliction, enduring without any
complaint the sharpness of the pang and th
violence OF the storm. and the heft OF thu
chain and Of the darkness of night. Wait
ing until divine hani shall be put forth t
soothe the panc and hush the storm and re
lease tie captive. A wife, abused, persecutet
and perpetual exile from every earthly
comfort-waiting, waiting, until the Lore
shall gather all His dear children in heaven
ly home. and no poor Vashti will ever bs
thrust out from the palace gate. Jesus. II
silence and answering not word, drinking
the gall, bearing the cross, In prospect OF the
raptuous cons1mmation when
Angels thronged His chariot wheel
And bore Him To His throne,
Ther swept their golden harps and sung
The glorious work is done.
Oh, womani Does not this story OF WASN'T
the queen, Vashti the yelled, Vastti the sac
rifce, Vasnti the silent, move your soul? My
sermon converges into the one absorbing
hope that none OF you may be shut out Of
the palace gate of heaven. You can endure
the hardships. and the privations, and the
cruelties, and the misfortunes Of this life II
you can only gain admission there. Through
the blood of the everlasting covenant you sc
through these gates or never 50 at oil. God
forbid that you should at last be banished
from the society of angels and hanished from
the companionship Of your glorifed kindred
and banished forever. Through the rich
grace Of our Lord. Jesus Christ, may you be
enabled to initiate the example OF Rachel
and Hannah. and Abigail, and Deborah, and
Mary, and Esther, and Vashti. Amen.
DEVASTATION BY ARMY WORMS.
Havoc Wrought in Iowa by Swarms OF
Greedy Insects.
ARMY worms have eaten up 8 pasture for