The Yale expositor., 1898-06-10

OBSTRUCTION OF the lsraeliIlSH udllOu,
and / wonder not that In some of the
Hebrew synGgogues to this day when
Humans name is mentioned the con-
gregation clench their fists and stamp
their feet and cry, Let his name be
blotted QUIT" Hannah was prime min
lister in the magnificent court of Persia.
Thoroughly appreciative of the honor
conferred, he expects everybody that
he passes to be obsequious. Coming
in one day at the gate of the palace, the
servants drop their heads in honor OF
his office; but a Hebrew, named Nor
decai, gazes upon the passing digni-
tary without bending his head or TAX
ing off his hat. He was a good man,
and would not have been negligent OF
the ordinary courtesies of life, but ne
felt no respect either for Haman or the
nation from which he had come. So
he could not be hypocritical; and
while others made Oriental salaam,
getting clear down before this prime
minister when he passed. Mordecai,
the Hebrew, relaxed not a muscle OF
his neck, and kept his chin clear up.
Because Of that affront Hamau gets
decree from Ahasuerus, the dastardly
king. for the massacre of all the Is
raelites. and that. of course, will in
clude Mordecai
To make a long story short, through
Queen Esther this whole plot was re-
vealed to her husband, Ahasuerus. One
night Ahasuerus, who was afflicted
with insomnia, in his sleepless hours
calls to his secretary to read him
few passages of Persian history. and
so while away the night. In the book
read that night to the king an account
was given of conspiracy, from which
Mordecai, the Hebrew, had saved the
kings life. and for which kindness
Mordecai had never received any re-
ward. haman, who had been liking
up a nice gallows to hang Mordecai en-,
was walking outside the door of the
kings sleeping apartment, and was
called in. The king told him that he
had just had read to him the account
Of some one who had saved his. the
kings life, and he asked what reward
ought TO be given TO such one. Sell
conceited Hannah, supposing that ne
himself was to get the honor, and not
imagining for a moment that the de-
liverer of the kings life was Mo-decai,
says: why, your majesty ought TO
make a triumph for him. and put
crown on him, and set him on a splan-
did horse, high stepping and full
blooded, and then have one of your
princes lead the horse through the
streets, crying, Bow the knee, here
comes a man who has saved the kings
lifer" Then said Ahasuerus in severe
tones to Hannah: II know all about
your scoundrelism. Now you go out
and make a triumph for Mordecai. the
Hebrew, whom you hate. Put the best
saddle on the finest horse. and you. the
prince, hold the stirrup while Mordecai
gets on. and then lead his horse
through the street. Make haste!"
What a spectacle! A comedy and
tragedy at one and the same time
There they go! Mordecai, who had
been despised. now starred and robeo,
in the stirrups. Haman, the chancel-
lor, afoot. holding the prancing rear
ing, champing stallion. Mordecai
bends his neck at last, but it is to look
down at the degraded prime minister
walking beneath him. Huzzah for
Mordecai! Alas for Hannah! But
what a pity to have the gallows, re-
Gently built, entirely wasted! 1t is ff-
ty cubits high, and built with care.
And Hannah had erected It for Nor
decai, by whose stirrups he now walks
as groom. Stranger and more star
Ting than any romance, there go up
the steps of the scaffold. side by side,
the hangman and Haman, the ex-chan-
cellor. $50 they hanged Hannah IN
the gallows that he had prepared for
Mordecai."
Although so many years have passed
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned, and
the beautiful Esther answered to his
whims, and Persia persisted, yet from
the life and death of Hannah we may
draw living lessons of warning and in
struction. And, first, we come to the
practical suggestion that, when the
heart is wrong, things very insign!f-
cant will destroy our comfort. who
would have thought that a great prime
admired and applauded by
millions of Persians, would have been
so nettled and harassed by anything
trivial? What more could the great
have wanted than his char
lots and attendants, and palaces and
banquets? II afiluence of circum-
stances can make man contented and
happy, surely Hannah should have been
contented and happy. No; Mordecais
refusal of a bow takes the glitter from
the gold, and the richness from the
purple and the speed from the
chariots. With heart pulled up with
every imitation of vanity and revenge.
It was impossible for him to be happy.
The silence Of Mordecai at the gate
was louder than the braying Of trum-
pets in the palace. Thus shall il az
ways be il the heart is not right. Cir
cumstances the most trivial will dis
turb the spirit
II is not the great calamities CT life
that create the most worriment. nave