The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-29

today the theme Of the preacher The
text is Joshua vii, %, "And all Israel
stoned him with stones"
Few people have any adequate CON
ception of the wealth aud the luxury of
the ancient peoples Of the east. Ever
and anon in our own day the newspa-
pers contain accounts of the foolish ex-
travagances of the scions of wealthy
families, who show even greater genius
in their ability TO dissipate and scatter
their enormous fortunes than their an
cestors did in the accumulation of their
wealth. BY frequent repetition so pro-
sale and commonplace have these ac-
counts become that special trains, pri-
vate yachts and banquets costing ten
and even twenty thousand dollars for
Il few selected friends attract the read
ers Of the many newspapers hardly
more than passing notice. But even
the widest extrayagances of modern
times cannot equal those of the an
clients. Then not only did Stricca and
his friends move around their palaces
in slippers of gold, but when out rid
ing they bestrode horses shod with sill
Yer. If perchance one of these silver
shoes should be wrenched from off a
horses hoof the superclIous and AFRO
CANT young Roman mobiles commanded
their servants to leave it lying in the
dirt rather than stop the cayalcade TO
pick it up
EXtray0gant were the aucients in the
matter OF personal apparel. rliny the
elder makes mention of an instance
he knew of a bridal dress which was
made entirely of the most precious
kind Of pearls. which We're strung to-
gcther, costing over I0000,0o0 sestertii,
or about Sl,120,000 in American coin.
Among the famous collections of per
sonal apparel exhumed from the buried
cities of the east by DR.. Heinrich
Schliemann, the noted German archae
oloSist, we ind that the ancient peo-
pies Of Troy and Mycenac once wore
wristbands of gold, necklaces of gold
and tiaras Of precious stones, which
glittered like the stars of midnight.
Extravagant were the ancient peo-
pie of the east In their menu. as well
as In the adornmcnts of their banquet
halls. Caius Suetonius Tranquillus,
the Roman historian and biographcr
makes mention of one supper given in
honor of Nltellius, where there We're
served up to the guests at one sitting
1000 most delicate fishes and 1000
birds, while one immense dish, called
the shield" was composed entirely Of
the brains of peacocks md parrots
Suetonlus also records the fact MAT
fabulous sums were squandcred each
year in the Roman capital and the
mobiles might banquet of the tongues
of nlghtngales. Ike The Count of
Monte Christie, they had all the most
delicate tropical productions brought
to their tables In midwlntcr as well as
during the summer months.
Opuicnt but Wicked Jericho.
The traveller in the far east as he
roams through the ruins Of ancient cit
les realizes how costly those ancient
palaces must have been, even as from
Il broken column Of the Alhambra you
can infer how beautiful must have
once been the palaces of the Spanish
Moors. So in Imagination You may
picture the costly vases Of myrrhinc,
the priceless robes of silk, the heaps
of Damascus rugs centuries old, the
sword hits jeweled with diamonds and
other precious stones, the garments
woven out of thread of gold and the
treasure vaults, with their
countless prizes scattered about the
palace halls In untold profusion on the
day that Jericho fell. Jericho was al
ways noted among the anclents as n
city of fabulous wealth. But, though
Herod the Great afterward erected his
palaces in this city of the Palm
Trees" and though it was for Il time
the home Of Mark Antony and cleo
patra. yet perhaps in all its history
Jericho was never more opulcnt than
on the day before its walls tottcred be
fore the blasts Of the priests rams'
horns.
But. though the wealth of this cap
tured eastern capital was nrOdigiQus,
yet not one atom Of gold. not one YARD
of silk, not one rug, not one diamond,
was to he taken by tlie Hebrew SOP
diers for their own use. God told
Joshua he would give this city into his
soldiers hands. but all the spoils Of
war of this city were 20 be Gods and
Gods nlonc. But the night after the
battle one Hebrew soldier. instead Of
staying In his own GO upany and doing
what he ought to have done, allowed
his sinful curiosity to get the better of
him. lie went ont among the ruins on
his own account and began TO explore.
Then. Ms he saw the piled NJ heap OF
wealth. his heart began 70 covet what
was rot his. but Gods. When be
thought no ono was looking, he stole
a beautiful Babylonish garment. 200
shekels of silver and wedge of gold
and went and bid them in his tent.
After many days this theft was ex-
posed. Swift condemnation followed.
and "all Israel stoned him with stones"
What interest can that ancient crime
be 70 us Of the twentieth century? II