Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-10-07


err was OF the cares Of your father. She
was looked upon as mere plaything.
a toy. human doll, pet puppet, the
chief end of whose existence was TO
humor the wilkins OF her husband.
When he called she was to come.
When he said "Go!' she was to 20.
But she was not 20 go or to come un-
less he gave the command. And. fur
thermore, IN the far east. In the time
VI Ahasuerus. not only did husband
look upon his wife as n mere play
thing, but II he so wllled he might
even compel her 90 honor or dishonor
herself before the world. She had abb
folntely no means TO free herself from
the tyranny Of his will.
Read today the tragic history Of
Queen vashti. No one can truly study
the life Of Queen Esther unless he
places alongside OF her face the beau
tiful face OF Queen vashti. who was
her predecessor In the royal palace Of
the Modes and the Persians. The
great capital Of Shushan. about 200
miles away from Babylon. is ablaze
with lights. All the princes and the
governors Of the different provinces
are being entertained In the royal pal
aces. The streets Of the city are fes.
TONED with flags and banners. The
hravest warriors OF the army Of King
Ahasuerus have assembled their
troops for the magnificent military
pageant. The bedrooms where the
guests slept seemed TO DO the sleeping
apartments Of an Aladdin. The beds
were Of solid gold. the tapestries Of
costliest linens. soft and fragrant In
perfumes. The floors were all Of the
finest mosaic. Every cup was a chal-
ice and each chalice of especial work
manship. handmade and formed BY
the fingers OF n master designer. Not
only TINT. but every guest for the
seven days could do as he willed. The
chariots Of the royal stables were all
HIS The most expensive vlands OF the
banquet tables were his.
"I VIII Not Come"
The royal entertainment had been 60
ing on for nearly week. II reached
its great climax on the night before
King Ahasuerus and the governors and
the princes were TO separate. The
chambcrlains were there. Louder and
louder played the music: more and
more hilarious became the sport Now
IL was nm overturned decanter: again
II was II fallen lord. tumbllng upon the
floor In his drunken stupor The court
iers We're drunk; the king was drunk.
And on the seventh day. when the
heart Of the king was merry"-what
happenedi The king turns TO his
fawning. cringing guests and says:
Now. gentlemen. will show n sight
the like Of which you have never seen
In the past and you will never see
again will compel my beautiful
queen. vashti. 10 come into this ban
qtiet hall and unveil herself before you
inebriated men. will compel my
queen TO obey me because am her
master. Io. chamberlain. Go forth
and bring Vnshti TO me and let her re-
veal her beauty before these drunken
brutes." The messengers hastened
away. They went TO the queens apart
ments and carried the kings COM
mands. Then what happened? The
outraged queen drew herself to her
full height Her cheeks flushed. her
eyes glittered with excitement. her
hands convulsivcly clutched as she
said: Go back 20 your royal master.
Tell him I will not come. My honor
IL more sacred to me than my throne"
When she spake thus she knew In all
probability she was signing her own
death warrant. Because she refused
to come vashti lost her throne. She
was exiled In perpetual disgrace. Yet
these were the tyrannical laws which
held women in perpetual degradation
that Queen Esther was ready to defy
when she went TO plead with the king
for her Hebrew people. No wonder
when she made her noble resolution
that she should have said. $50 will
go In unto the king. which Is not ac-
cording to the law. and II ! perish
perish"
Women sitting before me today. are
you us brave as Queen Esther! Wives
and mothers and daughters. are you
ready to be something more than u
plaything. u human puppet for man?
Are you ready TO brave the social laws
which would limit your sphere TO the
frlvolities Of life OF ease and pleas
urei You should truly be moral lead
ers, moral teachers and noble compan-
Ions Of man. As Queen Esther was
ready to take share In the RESPONSE
bilities Of her husband. wife should
be a positive quality In the moral
world, not a negative one. An old
English author once wrote: "a good
wife should be like three things In
some ways. but In others she should
not be like. First. she should be like
snail. 10 keep within her own house.
but she should not be- like the snail to
carry all she has upon her back: sec
ondly, she should be like an echo. 70
speak when spoken TO. but should not
be like an echo always to have the last
word: thirdly. she should he like a
town clock. always 20 keep time and