Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-07-17
sutv with cheerful dignity presiding at the


veil on.' But when I see woman OF I'M
blushinR holiness, loud-voiced, with
tongue Of infinite Glitter clatter, with AFRO
CANT look, passing through the streets with
the step OF walking beam. gayly arrayed 10
q very hurricane Of millinery, L cry OUT
''Vashti has lost her veilp' When see
woman OF comely features, and OF adroitness
of intellect, and endowed Will all that the
schools can do for one, and OF high social
position, yet moving In society with super.
ciliousness and hauteur. rs though shewoulo
have people know their place, and an unde-
fined combination Of giggle and strut and
rhodomontade, endowed with allopathic
quantities OF talk, but only homeopathic In
fnitesimas of sense, the terror OF dry goods
clerks and railroad conductors, discoveries
of significant meanings In plain converse
ton. prodigies OF badinage and innuendo.
saw: "Look, lookl vashti has lost her veil!
Again, want you to consider Vashti the
sacrifice. Who is this I see coming out oil
that palace gate OF Shushan2 1t seems to me
that l have seen her before. She comes
homeless, houseless, friendless, truaging
along with broken heart. Who Is she2 1t
is vashti the sacrifice. Oh, what change i
was from regal position to wayiarer
crustl A little while ago approved and
sought for; now none so poor as to aeknowl-
edge her acquaintanceship. Vashtl the sac
rfice! All, you and I have seen it many q
time!
Here is a home empalaced with beauty
Ali that refinement and books and wealth
can do for that homo has been done, but
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 tho hunters net
farther away from God, farther away from
tho right. Soon tho bright apparel OF the
children will turn to rags; soon the house
hold song will become the sobblng OF
broken heart. The old story over again.
Brutal centaurs breaking up the mar
rage feast of Lapithao. 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, Ahasuerus, that
you should staud in home, by disspated
life destroy the peace and comfort OF that
home. God forbid that your children should
ever have to wiring their hands and have peo-
ole point their finger at them as they pass
down the street and say, "There goes
drunkari'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 a lasting blistering, all
consuming curse shut forever the palace gate
against Vashti and the children.
During the war went to Hagerstown to
look Mt the army. and l stood in the night ON
a hilltop and looked down upon them. l
saw the camphres all through the valleys
and all over the hills. 1t was weird spec
tacle, those camp1res and L stooo and
watched them, and the soldiers who were
gathering around them wore, 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. 1t was imposing when saw
the camphres; it was imposing In the dark.
ness when I thought OF that great most
asleep.
Well, God looks down from heaven, and
He sees the flresides OF Christendom and the
loved ones gathered around these fresides.
These are the campfres 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
whom at last these fires begin to go 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 be because we have
Gone to sleep that last long sleep
From which none ever wake to weep.
Now we are an army on the march of life.
Then we will be an army bivouacked In the
tent OF the grave.
Once more l 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 tho very dignity OF her nature,
you know there will be no vociferation.
To- 10 L. RI nm a n
retort sometimes In life 1t 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 Misunderstanding for long
years through the soothing of philosophical
schools, In grand and magnificent silence.
Galilei, condemned by mathematician and
scientists, cancatured everywhere, yet wait
ing and watching with his telescope to see
the coming up of stellar endorsements,
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, execrated by his contem-
poraries. fastened In pillory, the slow fire
of public contempt burning under him,
ground under the cylinders of the printing
press yet calmly waiting for tho day when
purity of soul and heroism of character will
get the sanction of earth and the plaudits OF
heaven. Affection, enduring without any
complaint the sharpness of the pang and the
violence Of the storm. and the heft OF the
chain and Df the darkness OF night. Wait
ing until divine hand shall be put forth to
soothe the pang and hush the storm and re-
lease the captive. A wife, abused, prosecuted
and perpetual exile from every earthly
comfort-waiting, waiting, until the Lord
shall gather all His dear childreniHa heaven
ly home, and no poor Vashti VIII ever be
thrust out from the palace gate. Jesus, In
silence and answering not word, drinking
the gall, bearing the cross, in prospect OF the
raptuous contamination when
Angels thronged His chariot wheel
And bore Him to His throne,
TheL swept their golden harps and sung
The glorious work is done.
Oh, womanl Does not this story OF Vashti
the queen, Vashti the yelled, Vashti the sac.
riAce, Vasnti the silent, move your soul? My
sermon converges. into the one absorbing
hope that none of you may be shut out oil
the palace gate Of heaven. You can endure
the hardships. and the privations, and the
crueltes, and the misiortunes Of this life II
you can only gain admission there. Through
the blood of the everlasting covenant you go
through these gates or never go ut all. God
forbid that you should ut last be banished
from the society of angels and banished from
the companionship of your glorifled kindred
and banished forever. Through the rich
ryrono IF o11r I. ord Jaoua Christ NAV Won ha