The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-07-17

See the DlaZe OF ner JeWelS1 Anu yCS
my friends, it is not necessary to have
a palace and regal robe in order to be
queenly. When see woman with
strong faith in God, putting her foot
upon all meanness and selfishness and
goddess display, going right forward
to serve Christ and the race by q
grand and glorious service, say'
''That woman is queen" and the
ranks of Heaven look over the battle
ments upon the coronation, and
whether she come up from the shanty
on the commons or the mansion OF
the fashionable square, | greet her
with the shout: 'All hail! Queen
vashti." What glory was there on the
brow of Mary of Scotland, or Eliza
beth of England, or Margaret OF
France, or Catherine of Russia, com
pared with the worth of some OF our
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 Jephtha's daughter, who made
demonstration of unselfish patriot
ism?-or of Abigail, who rescued the
herds and f1ocks of her husband?-or
of Ruth, who toiled under tropical
sun for poor, old, helpless Naomi?-or
of Florence Nightingale, who went at
midnight to stanch the battle wounds
of the Crimea?-or of Mrs. Adoniram
Judson, who kindled the lights of sal
walton amid the darkness of Burmah?
or of Mrs. Hemans, who poured
out her holy soul in words which
will forever be associated with hunt
er's horn, and captive's chain, and
bridal hour, and lute's throb, and cur
fcws knell at the dying day?--and
sosres and hundreds of women. un-
known on earth, who have given water
to the thirsty and bread to the hungry
and medicine to the sick and smiles to
the discouraged-their footsteps heard
along dark lane and in government
and in aims house corridor
and by prison gate? There may be no
royal robe-there may be no palatial
She does not need
them: for all charitable men will unite
with the cracking lips of fever-struck
hospital and plague blotched lazaretto
in greeting her as she passes: Hail!
Hail! Queen Vashti."
Again: wantyo TO consider Vashti
the yelled. Had she appeared before
Ahasuerus and his court on that day,
with her face uncovered, she would
have shocked all the delicacies 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 and in the shadow, and where
the sun does not seem to reach them,
so God appoints to most womanly ma
lures retiring and unobtrusive spir-
It. God once in awhile does call an
Isabella to throne, or Miriam to
strike the timbrel at the front of
host, or Marie Antoinette to quell a
French mob, or a Deborah to stand
at the front of an armed bat
TALON, crying out: "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 posi-
lions, God prepares them fit for it; and
they have iron in their souls, and light
ming in their eyes, and whirlwinds in
their breath, and the borrowed
strength of the Lord Omnipotent in
their right arm. They walk through
furnaces as though they were hedges
of wild flowers, and cross seas as
though they were shimmering sap
phires; and all the harpies of hell down
to their dungeon at the stamp of her
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 camels; Hannah
would rather make a coat for Sam
uel; the Hebrew maid would rather
give prescription for Naaman's
leprosy; the woman of Sarepta would
rather gather few sticks to cook
meal for diminished Elijah; Phebe
would rather carry letter for tae in
spired apostle; mother Lois would
rather educate Timothy in the Scrip
lures, When 1 see a woman going
about her daily duty-with cheerful
dignity presiding at the table, with
kind and gentle, but firm discipline,
presiding in the nursery, going out in
to the world without any blast of
trumpets, following in the footsteps of
Him who went about doing good-I
say: "This is Vashti with veil on"
But when l see a woman of unblush-
ing boldness, loud-voiced, with tongue
of infinite clitter-clatter,' with arrogant
look, passing through the streets
with the step of a walking-beam, gayly
arrayed in a very hurricane of millin-
cry, I cry out: "vashti has lost her
yeil!" When see a woman of comely