Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-07-11

ments upon the coronation, and whether
she come up from the shanfy on the
commons or the mansion Of the fashion
able square, greet her with the shout /:
All hall Queen vashti. . What glory
was there on the brow Of Mary of Scot
land, or Elizabeth Of England, or Mar
garet 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, who put all her
money into the Lords treasury-or of
Jephthah's daughter. who made a dem
onstration Of unselfish patriotism--or
OF Abigail, who rescued the herds and
hocks OF her husband--or of Ruth. who
tolied under tropical sun for poor old
helpless Naomi-or of Florence Night
ingale. who went at midnight to stanch
the battle wounds of the Crimea--or of
Mrs. Adoniram Judson, who kindled
the lights of salvation amid the dark
ness of Burmah--or Of Mrs Hemans
who poured out her holy soul in words
which viii forever be associated with
hunters horn and captives chain and
bridal hour and lute's throb and cur-
Jews knell 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 and
medicine to the sick and smiles to the
discouraged-their footsteps heard along
dark lane and in government hospital
and IN almshouse corridor and by prison
CATER There may be no royal robe
there may be no palatial surroundings.
She does not need them, for all charita-
BILE men will unite with the cracking
lips of fever struck hospital and plague
blotched lazaretto in greeting her as she
passes: "Haill HALL Queen vashti. -
Modest Merit.
Again, want you 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 lntoxication 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 APP
points to most womanly natures re-
firing and unobstrusive spirit. God
once in awhile does call an Isabella to
a throne, or Miriam to strike the tim
brel at the front of host, or Marie
Antoinette to quell French mob, or a
Deborah to stand at the front of an
armed battalion, crying out: up, upi
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 III their souls and lightning in
their eye, 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 flow
ers and cross seas as though they were
shimmering sapphire, and all the 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 garment
for the poor boy. Rebecca would rather
fill the trough for the camels. Hannah
would rather make coat for Samuel
The Hebrew maid would rather give q
prescription for Naaman's leprosy. The
women of Sarepta would rather gather
a few sticks to cook meal for fam
ished Elijah. Phoebe would rather carry
a letter for the inspired apostle. Mother
Lois would rather educate Timothy in
the Scriptures
When see a 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, l say, ''This is Vashti
with veil on But when I see a
woman of unblushing boldness, loud
voiced, with tongue of infinite Glitter
clatter, with arrogant look, passing
through the streets with the step of a
walking beam, gayly arrayed in very
hurricane of millinery, I cry out,
'Vashti has lost her veill" When 1 see
woman of comedy features, and of
adroitness 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
hauteur, as though she would have peo-
pie know their place, and an underlined
combination of giggle and strut and
rhodomontade, endowed with allopathic
quantities Of talk, but only homeo-
pathic infinitesimals of sense, the terror
of dry goods clerks and railroad con-
ductors, discoverers of significant mean
ings in plain conversation, prodigies of
badinage and innuendo, say: LOOK,
lookl Vashti has lost her veil "
A Sacrificing Spirit.
Again, / want you to consider Vashti
the sacrifice. Who is this l 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 change it was from
regal position to a wayfarer's crust! A
little while ago approved and sought
for; now none so poor Is to acknowl-
edge her acquaintanceship. Vashti the
sacrifice! All, you and I have seen it
many a timel
Here is home empalaced with beau
ty. All that refinement and books and
wealth can do for that home has been
DONE but Ahasuerus, the husband and
the 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 household song will become the sob
bling of broken heart. The old story over
again. Brutal centaurs breaking up the
marriage feast of Lapithe. The house
full of outrage and cruelty and abomi-
nation, 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. Ahasuerus,
that you should stand in home, by q
dissipated life destroying the peace and
comfort of that home. God forbid that
your children should ever have to wiring