The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-07-22

Christian mothers, many Of them gone
into glory or of that woman men
toned in the Scriptures. who put all her
money into the Lords treasury-or OF
Jephthah's daughter, who made delA-
onstration of unseltish patrlotlsm-Cr
of Abigail, who rescued the herds ard
flocks of her husband-or of Ruth, who
toiled under a tropical sun for poor old,
HELPLESS Naomi-or of Florence Night
ingale, who went at midnight to stanch
the battle wounds of the Crlmea-or or
Mrs. Adoniram Judson, who klndlcd
the lights OF salvation amid tho dark
ness Of Burmah-or Of Mrs. Ecmans,
who poured out her holy soul III words
which will forever be associated with.
hunters horn and captive's cham and
bridal hour and lute's throb and cur
few's knell at the dying day and
scores and hundreds of women, unknown
ON earth, who nave given water to the
thirsty and bread to the hungry and
medicine to the sick and smiles to the
discouraged-thcir footsteps heard along
dark lane and in government hospital
and in almshouse corridor and by prison
gate? There may be no royal robe
there may be 10 palatial surroundings.
She does not need them, for all charlta-
bic men will unite with the cracking
lips of fever struck hospital and plague
blotched lazaretto in greeting her as she
passes: Hail! Hail! Queen Vashtl. y
Modest Merit.
Again, want you to consider WASN'T.
the yelled. Had she appeared before
Ahasuerus and his court Oh that day
with her face uncovered she would
have shocked all the dclicacics Of orr
entail society, and the very men who IN
their intoxication demanded that She
come in their sober moments would
have despised her. AS some flowers
seem to thrive best in the dark lane
ard in the shadow and where the sun
does not seem to reach them, so God ap-
points to most womanly natures a re-
firing and unobsvrusiye spirit. God
o.ce in awhile does call an Isabella to
q throne, or Miriam to strike the TIM
brel at the front Of host, or Marie
Antoinette to ouell French mob, OF a
Deborah to stand at the front OF an
armed battalion, crying cut: up, up!
This is the day in which the Lord Will
deliver Sisera into thine hand. And
when women are called to such outdoor
work and to such heroic positions God
prepares them for it, and they have
iron in their souls and lightning in
their eye, and whirlwirds i'll their
breath, and the borrowed strength OF
the Lord Omnipotent in their right
arm. They walk through furnaces as
though they were hedges CT wild flow
ers and cross seas as though they were
shimmering sapphire, and all tho har-
pies of hell down to their dungeon at
the stamp Of her womanly Indignation.
But these are the exceptions. Generally
Dorcas would rather make a garment
for the poor boy. Rebecca would rather
fill the trough for the caEels. Hannah
would rather make coat for Samuel.
The Hebrew maid would rather give
prescription for Naaman's leprosy. The
women of Sarepta would rather gather
q few sticks to cook meal for fam
ished Elijah. Phoebe would rather carry
letter for the inspired apostle. Mother
Lois would rather educate Timothy IN
the Scriptures.
When 1 see woman going about her
daily duty, with cheerful dignity pre-
siding at the table, with kind and gen
tie but firm discipline presiding IN the
nursery, going out into the world with
out any blast Of trumpets, following in
the footsteps OF him who went about
doing good, I say, This is Vashti
with a veil on" But when | see a
woman of unblushirg boldncss, loud
voiced, with tongue of infinite Glitter
clatter, with arrogant lock, passing
through the streets with the step CT
walking beam, gayly arrayed in very
hurricane OF millinery, | cry cut,
'Vashti has lest her veil!" When l sec
a woman of comely features, and OF
adroitress Of intellect, and endowed
with all that the schools can do for one,
and Of high social position, yet moving
in society with superciliousness and
hautcur, as though she would have pco-
pie know their place, and an underlined
combination Of giggle and strut and
rhodomontade, endowed with allopathic
quantities of talk, but only ho,neo-
pathic infnitesimals Of sense, the terror
of dry goods clerks and railroad con-
ductors, discoverers Of significant mean
ings i'll plain conversation, rrcdiglcs of
badinage AID innuendo, lsay: Look,
look! Vashti has lest her veil.
A Sacrificing Spirit.
Again, I want you toconsider Vashti
the sacrifice. Who is this | see coming
out of that palace gate Of Shushan: 1t
seems to me that have seen her before.
She comes homeless, houseless, friend
less, trudging along with a broken
heart. Who is she? 1t is Vashti the sac
rifce. Oh, what a change it was from
regal position to a wayfarer's crust! A
little while ago approved and sought
for; now none so poor as to acknowl-
edge her acquaintanceship. Vashti the
sacrifice! All, you and have seen it
many time!
Here is home empalaced with beau
ty. All that refinement and books and
wealth can do for that home has been
done, but Anasuerus, the husband and
the father, is taking hold on paths CT
sin. He is graa,:lly going down. After
awhile he will founder and struggle