The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-07-16

though they were hedges of wild flowers and
cross seas as though they were shimmering
sapphire, and all the harpies of hell down to
their dungeon at the stamp of her womanly
indignation. But these are the exceptions.
Generally Dorcas would rather make gar
ment for the poor boy. Rebecca would
rather fill the trough for the camels. Han
nah would rather make coat for Samuel.
The Hebrew maid would rather give pre-
scription for Naaman's leprosy. The women
of Sarepta would rather gather few sticks
to cook a meal for famished Elijah. Phoebe
would rather carry letter for the inspired
apostle. Mother Lois would rather educate
Timothy in the Scriptures.
When I see a woman going about her daily
duty, with cheerful dignity presiding at the
table, with kind and gentle but firm disci-
pine presiding in the nursery, going out into
the world without any blast Of trumpets, fol-
| lowing in the footsteps OF Him who went
about doing good. l say, ''This is Vashti with a
veil on" But when I see woman of I'M
blushing holiness, loud-voiced, with 4
tongue of infinite Glitter clatter. with arro-
giant look, passing through the streets with
the step of walking beam, gayly arrayed in
a very hurricane of millinery, cry out.
'Vashti has lost her vel!' When l see a
| woman of comedy 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
| tillouSutSS anu HbuteuT, DIS tuOuSH SltiWOuiI
| have people know their place. and an unde-
fined combination of gigglo and strut and
| rhodomontade, endowed with allopathio
quantities Of talk. but only homeopathic in
| iiniteSimas of sense, the terror of dry goods
clerks and railroad conductors. discoveries
of significant meanings in plain CONVERSE
ton, prodigies Of badinage and innuendo.
say: "Look. look! Vashti has lost her veit!''
| Again. want You to consider Fashti tho
sacrifice. Who is this [ see coming out OF
that palace gate of Shushan? 1t seems to me
| that I have seen her before. She comes
homeless, houseless. friendless, trudginy
along with broken heart. Who is she? 1t
| is Vashti tho sacrifice. Oh, what change it
| was from regal position to a wayfarerS
crust. little while ago approved and
| sought for; now none SO poor as to acknOwl-
edge her acquaintanceship. Vasht the sac
rifice! All, you and have seen it many q
| time,
Here is 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 a 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 a
broken heart. The old story over again.
| Brutal centaurs breaking uT tn" mar
| riage feast OF Lapithae. The house fall
of outrage and cruelty and abomina-
ton, while trudging forth from the
palace gate are Vashti and her children.
| There are homes that are in danger of
such a breaking up. Oh, AhasuHrus. that
| You should stand in a home, by Il dissipatei
| life destroy the pea"e and comfort Of that
home. God forbid that your children should
eyer have to wiring their hands AMI have pe0-
| pie point their finger at them as they paSs
! down tho street and say, "Thoro goes q
! drunkari's child" God forbid that the little
| feet should ever have to truiSe the path Of
| poverty and Indebtedness. God forbid that
any evil spirit born of the wine emp or the
brandy glass should come forth and uproot
that garden, and with a lasting bIisterjng all
| consuming curse shut forever the palace gate
| against Vashti and the children.
During tho war went to Hagcrstown to
| look Mt the army and l stood in the night on
Il hilltop and looked down upon them. l
saw the campfires all through the valleys
and al over the hills 1t was g weird spec
| tacle, those campttrCs, and l stood and
| watched them. and the soldiers who were
| gathering around them We're. no doubt, talk
| ing of their homes and of the long march
| they had taken AMI Of the battles they were
to fight. But after awhile | saw these camp
| fires begin to lower, and they continued to
| lower until they We're all gone out and the
army slept. 1t was imposing when l saw
| the campfires; it was imposing in the dark
ness when l thought of that great host
| asleep.
Well God looks down from heaven. and
| He sees the fresideS of ChristeHdom and the
| loved ones gathered around these firesiIeS
| These are the campf1res 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
| u-h a Ia tbpsn hh, n
continue to lower, until finally they are eX-
| tinguished and the ashes of consumed hopes
strew the hearth of the old homestead, it
| 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 DO an army bivouecked in the
tent OF the grave.
Once moro I want you to look at Vashti
| the silent. You do not hear any cutlery from
| this woman as she goes forth from the palace
gate. From the very dignity of her nature,
you know there will be no vociferation.
Sometimes in life 1t is necessary to make a
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
|
| cotton gin and Misunderstanding for long
years through the soothing of philosophical
schools. in grand and magnificent silence.
Galilei, 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, 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 the 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 ana the
violence of the storm. and the heft of the
chain and of 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 a perpetual exile from every earthly
comfort-waiting, waiting, until the Lord
shall gather all His dear children in q heaven
| l,rb ha