The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-07
MISS LtWtS'
LECTURE
Ruth and Esther
Her Interesting
Theme.

The beautiful contrasting lives of
Ruth and Esther, the two dramatic
tales of the Bible which stand out with
a freshness undimmed by time and era,
were the subject which Miss Mary
Elizabeth Lewis of Oahu College pre-
scented before the Young woman's
Christian Association yesterday after
noon at 4 o'clock. The dramatic fea-
lures of the two tales were brought out
vividly. that of Ruth with it's pretty
pastoral scenes and the simplicity of
her life, and that of Esther with the
shadow of tragedy pervading it from
the time she came into power in the
court of Ahasuerus until the culmina-
ton of the triumph of the Jews over
the kings wicked minister. Miss Lewis
splendid portrayal of the two women in
their widely divergent spheres of action,
and her manner of treatment of the
moral running through each, were high
| ly interesting. The scenes where the
stories were woven were so wildly
presented, so richly colored, that little
could have been added to impress them
upon the minds of the listeners.
1t was a study in contrasts, the subject
being 1.-The Iwyl of Ruth and the Drama
of Esther" The speaker stated that the
mental childish picture of Ruth has al
ways fingered in the minds of those to
whom 1t been related one of the
happy events of the Bible. For a dis
tinctive form of the idyl it would be diff
cult to find more perfect type. It was
a story of family sorrow and bereaye-
ment, of love and happiness. The change
of abode of Naomi among the Moabitish
peoples did not bring prosperity to her,
but disaster seemed continually to cross
her path. She decided to return to Judea
and leave her daughters-in-law, Ruth
being one, behind. With loving hearts
both yearned to accompany her. and
Ruth, a Moabitish widow. did return with
her to Bethlehem. 1t was April in Judea
a spring time which babe them welcome.
The shadows of the mountains seemed to
bring out the rich colors of the fields.
The women settled down to poverty and
Ruth, to assist Naomi, went into the
fields to CLEAN and earn a. wage. The
fields were those of Boaz, a kinsman of
Naomi. Boaz observed the simple beauty
Of the foreigner who cleaned and who
was so modest in her manner. His heart
was touched, and he charged his work
men not to annoy her by glances, and to
permit her to drink of the water drawn
for the rest of the laborers.
The kindness of the master seemed to
find it's echoes in the laborers, for they
helped her to bind her sheaves. Then for
the rest of the story, which is a strange
one to modern ears, it is told of the APP
plication of the Mosaic Law in the kins-
men of Naomi purchasing the estate left
by her husband. 1t fell to the lot of the
kindly Boaz to pay the purchase price
and to take over the women also. There
is something about the character of Boaz
as he sits amongst his kinsmen at the
gate of the city, with his usual dignity
and with his chronicled honesty of pur-
pose which prepares one for his action in
taking over the estate And thus Ruth |
became his wife, who became the grand |
mother of King David. The story of |
Ruth is an epistle of the period of the |
Judges, and supplies the key to the gen |
eaIogical tree of the Saviour and of King |
David. 1t was at a time when armed |
men ruled over Israel, the horrors of |
famine were abroad, and with this as a
background, the idyl of Ruth stands out
fresh and simple, a picture of rural life,
teeming with the domestic details of a /
lowly shepherds lot.
There are four pictures in this beautiful |
idyi First the exile, death of relatives
and poverty borne by Naomi with the
single ray of light in the person of Ruth
Then the harvest scene in the midst of
which Ruth stands gently harmonizing
with the waving fields. Then a twilight
picture, Win RUIN ana BOaZ In the fore |
ground, the rays of the harvest moon
the scene, and lastly the
picture of domestic felicity.
The drama of Esther presents a differ
ent spectacle, a picture of dazzling
wealth, beautiful women, scenes of mag
nifcence in the reign of an ancient
prince, a tale of royalty, in which Esther
he beautiful Jewish woman, figures fl |
varying phases of tragedy and drama
The lecturer stated that it was almost |
to identify Esther with any
queen of profane history, but she may
ave been concubine of Ahasuerus She |
anne into prominence when the queen of
he reigning prince refused to display
Ter beauty before carousing people sur
ounding one of his feasts and she was \
therefore, put aside. Among the maidens
fered to the king to appease him was
esther, the Jewish maiden, who was aid
q by her uncle in keeping her race iden-
lty secret The dramatic features of
ne story are those of the plot against
he kings life, which was foiled by
.sther; the plot to kill all the Jews. dis
laying the devotion of Esther wherein n
ne rlsked her life to save her people. at
he same time revealing her identity. The III
tory reaches climax in the victory of
sther in saving her people and Kidding
1em of a powerful enemy. So well de-
eloped Is the drama that many critics
ave divided 1t into two acts. with sew II
raj scenes in each. The lives of no two "
omen In all the pages of the Bible are Is
IuII or contrasts as those of Ruth and ~,
sther. and yet both were full of the
eepest meaning and Importance to the
wish race.
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