Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-07-08

army, aud I stood on a hilltop aud
looked down upon them. / saw the
campfres all through the valleys and
all over the hills. IL was a weird spec
tacle those campfres, and | 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 20 fight, but after
awhile | saw these campfres begin 10
lower, and they continued 20 lower un-
til they were all gone out and the army
slept. 1t was imposing when l saw the
campfires. IL was imposing IN 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 fresides. These are the
campfires 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 at last these fires begin to 20
out and continue 20 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 20 weep.
Now we are an army on the march
Of life. Then we shall be an army
biyouacked in the tent Of the grave.
yashti the silent.
Once more | want you 10 look at
Vashti the silent You do not near any
outcry from this woman as she goes
forth from the palace gate. From the
very dignity of her nature you know
there will be no yociferation. Some
times in life it is necessary 70 make
retort sometimes in life it is necessary
70 resist, but there are crises when the
most triumphant thing 10 do Is to keep
silence. The philosopher. confident III
his newly discovered principle, waiting
for the coming OF more intelligent gen
eratiOns. willing that men should laugh
at the lightning rod and cotton gin and
steamboat and telegraph waiting for
long years through the scoiting Of philo-
sophical schools in grand and magniii-
cent silence.
GalileO, condemned by mathemati-
clans and monks and cardinals. carica-
tured everywhere. yet waiting and
Watching with his telescope 10 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. The
reformer, execrated by his contempo-
raries, fastened in a pill0ry, 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. Afiiic-
tion enduring without any complaint
the sharpness Of the pang and the yio-
lence of the 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 tn
storm and rCsease the captive. \ wife
abused, prosecuted and a perpetual exile
from every earthly comfort, waiting,
waiting. until the Lord shall gather up
his dear children in heavenly home,
and 10 poor Vashti will ever be thrust
out from the palace gate. Jesus, IN ST.
lence and answering not a word, drink
ing the gall bearing the cross, in pros
pect Of the rapturous cOnsummatiOn
when-
Angels thronged his chariot wheel
And bore him 10 his throne.
Then swept their golden harps and sang
The glorious work = done!'
Oh, woman does not this story Of Nashti
the queen, Vashti the veiled, Nashti
the sacrifice, Vashti the silent move
your soul: My sermon conyerges into
the one absorbing hope that none Of you
may be shut out Of the palace gate of
heaven. You can endure the hardships
and the priyations and the cruelties aud
the misfortunes Of this life If you can
only gain admission there. Through the
blood Of the everlasting covenant you
20 through those gates or never 90
through at all. God forbid that you
should at last be banished from the So
ciety Of angels and banished from the
companionship Of your glorihed kindred
and banished forever. Through the rich
grace Of our Lord Jesus Christ may you
be enabled 70 initiate the example Of
Rachel and Hannah and Abigail and
Deborah and Mary and Esther and
NaShu.