St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-06

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 natures >
retiring and unobtrusive spirit God
once in a while does call an Isabella
to a throne, or Miriam to strike
the timbrel at the front Of q 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
thy hands, And when the women are
called to such outdoor work and to such
heroic positions God prepares them for
it, and they have iron in their soul.
and lightnings in their eye, and whirl-
| winds in their breath, and the Lor-
| rowed strength of the Lord omnipo.
tent in their right arm. They walk
through furnaces as though theJ were
| hedges of wildflowers and cross seas as
though they were shimmering sap
phire, and all the harpies of hell down
to their dungeon at the stamp of wom-
anly Indignation.
But these are exceptions. Generally
Dorcas would rather make garment
for the poor boy, Rebecca would rather
fill the trough of the camels, Hannah
would rather make a coat for Samuel,
the Hebrew maid would rather give a
prescription for Naaman's leprosy, the
woman of Sarepta would rather gather
few sticks to cook a meal for fam
ished Elijah, Phebe would rather carry
letter for the inspired apostle,
Mother Lois would rather educate
Timothy in the Scriptures. When |
woman going about her daily
duty. with cheerful dignity at the
table, with kind and gentle, but firm
discipline presiding in the nursery.
going out into the world without any
blast of trumpcts, following the foot
steps of Him who went about doing
good, say, This is Vashti with = veil
on"
But wheE see a woman of unbluSh-
ing boldness, loud voiced. with tongue
of infinite Glitter clatter. with AFRO
CANT look, passing through the streets
with the step OF walking beam, gayly
arrayed in q very hurricane of millin-
cry. / cry out: .'Vashti has lost her
veil" When see woman gcling
for political preferment, trying to
force her way up to conspicuity amid
the masculine demagogues, who stand
with swollen fists and bloodshot eyes
and pestiferous breath to guard the
polls. wanting to 20 through the loaf
erism and deflenent of popular sover-
eigns, who crawl up from the saloons
greasy and foul and vermin covered to
decide questions of Justice and order
and civilization-when see \ woman.
| say. who wants to press through all
that horrible scum to get to public
place and power. say: "Ah, what a
pity! vashti has lost her veil!''
When i see woman of comely fea-
lures and Of adroitness of intellect and
endowed with all that the schools can
do for her and Of high social position,
yet moving in society with supercil-
iousness and hauteur, Is though she
would have people know their place
and with an underlined combination
of giggle and strut and rhodomont-
ade. endowed with allopathic quanti-
ties of talk, but only homeopathic in
fnitesimals Of sense, the terror of dry
goods clerks and railroad conductors,
discoveries of significant meanings in
plain conversation. prcdigies of badin-
age and innuendo, say, "Vashti has
lost her veil"
Again, want you this morning to
consider Vashti the sacrifice. Who is
this that see coming out of that pal
ace gate of Shushan? 1t seems to me
that l have seen her before. She |
comes homeless houseless, friendless,
trudging along with a broken heart
Who is she? 1t is Vashti the sacrifice.
oh. what change it was from regal |
position to . wayfarer's crust! A little |
while ago approved and sought for. |
Now. none so rOor Is to acknowledge |
her acquaintanceship. Vashti the sac
rifice.
All, you and have seen it many .
time! Here is home empalaced with
beauty. All that refinement and books
and wealth can do for that home has |
been done; but Ahasuerus the hus-
band 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
hunters net-farthcr away from God,
away from the right Soon
the bright apparel Of the children will
turn to rags; soon the household song
will become the sobbing of broken
heart The old story over again.
Brutal centaurs breaking up the mar
rage feast of Lapithm. The house full
Of outrage and cruelty and ahomina-
ton. while trudging forth from the
palace gate are vashti and her chill
iren. There are homes in all parts of
this land that are in danger OF such
breaking mp. Oh, Ahasuerus, that
you should stand in home by dissi-
pated life destroying the peace and
comfort of that home! God forbid
that your children should ever have
10 wiring their hands and have people
point their finger at them as they pass
Town the street and say. there goes
i drunkard's child!. God forbid that
The little feet should ever have to
rudye the Path Of poverty and wretch
,dness! God forbid that any evil spirit
born of the wine cup or the brandy
.lass should come forth and uproot
hat garden. and with q lasting, blister
ng, all consuming curse shut forever
he palace gate against Vashti and the
children.
One night during our civil war l
vent to Hagerstown to look at the
army and l stood on hilltop and
ooked down upon them. saw the
all through the valleys and
,ver the hills 1t was weird spec
acle, those camrfires, and / stood and
them, and the soldiers who
we're gathered around them were no
loubt talking of their homes and of
h. long march they had taken and of
he battles they were to fight, but [
Ifter awhile saw these campfres be- ,
i'm to lower, and they continued to ,
over until they we're all gone out,
nd the army slept It was imposing
vhop Saw fho camrf;ros II wnc | /,