Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-07-09


tacle, those camp1ircs and l stood and
watched them, and the soldiers who
were gathered around them were no
doubt talking of their homes, and of
the long march they had taken, and of
the battles they were to fight, but after
awhile 1 saw these camptires begin to
lower, and they continued to lower I'M
til they were all gone out and the army
slept 1t was imposing when | saw the
campfires. 1t was imposing i'll the dark
ness when I thought of that great host
asleep. Well, God looks down from
heaven, and he sees the firesides of
Christendom and the loved ones gather
ed around these 1iresides These are the
campfrcs where we warm ourselves at
the close of day and talk over the bat
ties of life we have fought and the bat
ties that are yet to come. God grant
that when ut last these fires begin to 80
out and continue to lower until finally
they are extinguished and the ashes Of
consumed hopes strew the hearth OF the
old homestead, it may be because we
have
Gone to sleep that last sleep
From which none ever wake to weep.
Now we are an army Oh the march
of life. Then we shall be an army
bivouackcd in the tent of the grave.
yeshti the Silent.
Once more. 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 the
very dignity of her nature you know
there will he no vociferation. Some
times in life it is necessary to make a
retort, sometimes in life it is necessary
to resist, but there are crises when the
most triumphant thing to do is to keep
silence. The philosopher, confident i'll
his newly discovered principle, waiting
for the coming of more intelligent gen
erations, willing that men should laugh
ut the lightning rod and cotton gin and
steamboat and telegraph, waiting for
long years through the soothing of philo-
sophical schools i'll grand and magnif-
cent silence.
Calico, condemned by mathemati-
clans and monks and cardinals carlca-
tured everywhere, yet waiting 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. Tho
reformer, execrated by his contempt
raries, fastened in pillory, the slow
fires 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 hero
ism of character will get the sanction OF
earth and the plaudits of heaven. Attic
ton enduring without any complaint
the sharpness of the pang and the vio-
lence of tho storm and the heft of the
chain and the darkness of the night,
waiting until divine hand shall be put
forth to soothe the pang and hush the
storm and release the captive. A wife
abused, prosecuted anda perpetual exile
from every earthly comfort, waiting,
waiting, until the Lord shall gather up
his dear children in q heavenly home,
and no poor Vashti will ever be thrust
out from the palace gate. Jesus, in 81.
lence and answering not word, drink
ing the gall, bearing the cross, i'll pros
pect of the rapturous consummation
When-
Angels thronged his chariot wheel
And bore him to his throne.
Then swept their golden harps and sang,
THE glorious work is done."
Oh, woman, does not this story OF Vashti
the queen, Vashti the yelled, Vashti
the sacrifice, Vashti the silent, move
yoif ; soa1 at n H s1T9ac onyerges into
1 the one absorbing hope that none OF 81
l may be shut out of the palace gate
heaven. You can endure the hardship
: and the priyatiors and the cruelties an
l the misfortunes of this life if you ca
only gain admission there. Through tn
blood of the everlasting covenant 70
go through those gates or never G
4 through at all. God forbid that 70
should at last be banished from the sc
ciety of angels and banished from til
companicnship OF your gloriiied kindre
and banished forever. Through the ric
. grace of our Lord Jesu; Christ may yo
be enabled to initiate the example 0
Rachel and Hannah and Abigail an
Deborah and Mary and Esther ant
Vashti.