The Globe-republican., 1898-07-07

We stand amid the palaces Of Shu-
shan. The pinnacles are afiame with
the morning light The columns rise
festooned and wreathed, the wealth of
empires flashing from the grooves: the
ceilings adorned with images of bird
and beast, and scenes of prowess and
conquest. The wall are hung with
shields, and em5lazoned until it seems
that the whole round of splend0rs is
exhausted. Each arch is mighty leaf
OF architectural achievement. Golden
stars shining down on glowing arab
esque. Hangings of embroidered work
in which mingle the bluensss Of the
sky, the greenness of the grass and the
whiteness OF the seafoam. Tapestries
hung on silver rings, wedding together
the pillars Of marble. Pavilions reach
ing out in every direction. These for
repose, filed with luxuriant couches.
10 which weary limbs sink until all
fatigue is submerged. Those for ca
rousal where kings drink down king
dom at one swallow. Amazing spec
tacle! Light of silver dripping down
over stairs Of ivory on shields OF gold.
Floors OF stained marble, sunset red
and night black, and inlaid with gleam-
ing pearl. In connection with this
palace there Is garden, where the
mighty men of foreign lands are seat
ed at banquet. Under the spread Of
hn a
are arranged. The breath of honey
suckle and frankincense fills the air.
Fountains leap up into the light. the
spray struck through with rainbows
falling into crystalline baptism upon
Towering shrubs-then rolling down
through channels Of marble, and wild
ening out here and there into pools
swirling with the finny tribes of for
eign aquariums. bordered with scarlet
anemones. hypericums, and many-col-
Ored ranunculi.
Meats OF rarest bird and beast smok-
ing up amid wreaths of aromatics. The
vases filled with apricots and almonds.
The basket piled up with aprico.s and
figs and oranges and pomegranates.
Melons tastefully twined with leaves
of acacia. The bright waters OF Eu-
laeus filling the urns and dropping out
side the rim in flashing beads amid
the traceries. Wine from the royal
watts Of Ispahan and Shiraz, in bottles
Of tinged shell. and lily-shaped cups OF
silver, and flagons and tankards Of SOL
i'd gold. The music rises higher, apd
the revelry breaks out into wilder
transport, and the wine has flushed the
cheek and touched the brain, and loud
er than ell other voices are the hic-
cough Of the inebriates, the gable OF
fools, and the song of the drunkards.
In another part of the palace Queen
Vashti is entertaining the Princess OF
Ouerus says to his servants. You go
and fetch Vashti from that banquet
with the women. and bring her to this
banquet with the men. and let me dis
play her beauty" The servants imme-
diately start to obey the kings COM
mand; but there was rule in Oriental
society that no woman might appear in
public without having her face yelled.
Yet here was a mandate that no one
dare dispute. demanding that Vashti
come In unveiled before the multitude
However. there was in Vashti's soul a
principle more regal than Ahasuerus.
more brilliant than the gold of Shu-
shan, OF more wealth than the realm of
Persia, which commanded her to dis
obey this order Of the king; and so all
the righteousness and holiness and
modesty Of her nature rise up into one
sublime refusal. She says, Il will no.
go into the banquet unveiled" Aha
suerus was infuriate: and Vashti. rob-
bed of her position and her estate, is
driven forth in poverty and ruin to SUI
fer the scorn Of nation, and yet to
receive the applause of after genera
tions, who shall rise to admire this
martyr to kingly iEsolence. We'll, the
last vestige Of that feast is gone; the
last garland had faded; the last arch
has fallen: the last tankard has been
destroyed; and Shushan is a ruin; but
as long as the world stands there will
be muititudes Of men and women. ia
miliar with the Bible, who will come
into this picture gallery of God and
admire the divine portrait Of Vashti
the queen. Vashti the yelled, Vashti the
sacrifice. Vashi the silent.
In the first place. want you to look
upon Vashti the queen. A blue rib
bon, rayed with white. drawn around
her forehead, indicated her Queenly po-
sition. 1t was no small honor to be
queen in such a realm AZ that. Hark
to the rustic of her robes! See the
blaze OF her jewels! And yet 1t Is not
necessary to have place and regal robe
in order to be Queenly. When I zee a
woman with stout faith in God. put
ting her foot upon all meanness and
eelhshness and goddess display, going
RICH: forward to serve Christ and the
race by grand and a glorious serv-
ice, say: THAT woman il a queen"
and the ranks OF heaven look over the
tattlements upon the coronation: and
whether she comes up from the shanty
a