Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-07-10


out having her face yeiled. Yet here
was a mandate, that 10 one dare dis
pute, demanding that Yashti come in
unveiled before the multitude How
ever, there was in Nashti's soul prin-
ciplo more regal than Ahaseurus, more
brilliant than the gold Of Shushan, Of
more wealth than the realm Of Persia,
which commanded her to disobey this
order of the king, and so all the right
! eousnoss and holiness and mOdcsty Of
her nature rises up into one sublime re-
fusal. She says, Il will not 20 into the
banquet unveiled" " OF course Ahasue-
rus was imfuriatc, and Nashti, robbed Of
| her position and her estate, Is driven
forth in poverty and ruin to suffer the
scom of a nation and yet to receive
the applause Of after generations who
/ shall rise up to admire this martyr TO
| kingly insolcnce Well, the last vestige
Of that feast is gone; the last garland
| has faded; the last arch has fallen; the
last tankard has been destroyed, and
/ Shushan is ruin. But as long as the
world stands there will be multitudes
Of men and women, familiar with the
| Bible, who viii come into this picture
gallery Of God and admire the divine
/ portrait of Vashti the queen, Nashti
| the vcilcd, Vashti the sacrifice, Vashti
| the silent.
Noble Women.
In the first place, / want you to look
upon Vashti the queen. \ blue ribbon,
.aved with white, drawn around her
forehead, indicated her quoenly posi-
| tion. 1t was no small honor 10 be queen
in such a realm as that Hark to the
| rustic Of her robes! see the blaze Of her
/ jewels And yet, my friends, it is not
necessary to have palace and regal robe
in order to be queenly. When l see a
woman with strong faith in God put
ting her foot upon all meanness and
sclishDess and goddess display, going
/ right forward to serve Christ and the
race iy q grand and glorious service, l
say, THAT woman is a queen, and
the ranks of heaven look over the battle
mcnts upon the coronation, and whether
she come up from the shanty on the
commons or the mansion Of the fashion
able SQUARE. greet her with the shout:
"All haill Queen Vashti. " What glory
was there on the brow Of Mary OF Scot
land. or Elizabeth of England, or Mar
garot of France, or Catherine Of Russia,
compared with the worth Of some OF our
/ Christian mothers, many Of them gone
into glory or of that woman men,
toned in the Scriptures whoput all her
money into the Lords treasury-or OF
Jophthah's daughter, who made dem
onstration Of unselfsh patriotism-or
Of Abigail. who rescued the herds and
hocks of her husband-Or of Ruth, who
toiled under "a tropical sun for poor old,
bolnloss Naomi-or Of Florence Night
/ inqale. who went at midnight to stanch
rho battle wounds of the Crimea-or OF
| Mrs. Adouiram Judson, who klndled
the lights of salvation amid the dark
moss of Burmah-or Of Mrs. Hemans,
/ who pourad out her holy soul In words
/ which viii forever be associated with
buntor's horn and captiye's chain and
bridal hour and lutes throb and cur
few's knen at the dying day and
scores and hundreds Of women, unknown
ON earth. who have given water to the
thirsty and bread to the hungry ana
medicine to the sick and smiles to the
discouragcd-their footsteps heard along
dark lane and in government hospital
and in almshouse corridor and by prison
cate? There may be no royal robe
| there may be no palatial surroundings.
Sine does not need them, for all charlta-
ble men will unite with the cracking
lius Of fever struck hospital and plague
blotchod lazaretto in greeting her as She
masses: "Haill Hail! Queen NashtL
Modest Merit.
Again, want you to consider Fashti
| the vcilod. Had she appeared before
Ahasucrus 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 despisod her. As some flowers
scem TO thrive best in the dark lane
and in the shadow and where the sun
does not seem toreach them, so God ap-
noiuts TO most wOmanly natures re-
firing and unobstrusiye spirit God
once in awhile does call an Isabella TO
a throne. or a Miriam TO strike the tim
: brel at the front Of a host, or Marie
, Antoinette to quell French mob' or a
= Deborah TO stand at the front OF an
armed battalion, crying out: up up!
This is the day in which the Lord VIII
deliver Sisera into thine hand. AND
| when women are called to such outdoor
t work and to such heroic positions GOD
prepares them for it, aid they have
p iron in their souls and lightning IN
I their eve. and whirlwinds in their
T. breath. and the borrowed strength OF
o. the Lord Omnipotent in their rlgh'
{ arm. They walk through furnaces a'
though they were hedges Of wild HOW
d ers and cross seas as though they were
{ shimmering sapphire, and all the mar
nies of hell down to their dungeon at
I fine stamp Of her womanly Indignation.
e But these are the exceptions. Generally
e Dorcas would rather make garment
e for the poor boy Rebecca would rather
b fu the trough for the camels. Hannah
D would rather make coat for samuel
2 The Hebrew maid would rather give
1 nrescription for Naaman's leprosy. Ih'
5 women Of Sarepta would rather gather
Il n few sticks to cook a meal for fam
= ished Elijah. PhGbe would rather carry
4 a letter for the inspired apostle Mother
4 Lois would rather educate Timothy II
L the Scriptures.
J. When 1 see a woman going about hel
p daily duty, with cheerful dignity pre-
d siding at the table, with kind and gen
IS tie but firm discipline presiding in TN
/. nursery. going out into the world with
e out any blast Of trumpets, following Il
n the footsteps OF him who went aoou
70 doing good, I say, This IS WASN'T
d with n veil on" But when l see
d woman Of unblushing boldness, lou
IS voiced, with tongue Of infinite chtte
Ic clatter. with arrogant look, passm