Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-10-07


,o-,perator, the sharer, Of her nus
banG's responsibilities, as your moth
or was Of the cares of your father she
vi, looked upon AZ mere plaything,
Nv. human doll, pet puppet, the
chief end of whose existence was 10
bumor the whlms of her husband.
When he called she was to come.
When he said Co.. she was to go.
But she was not to go or to come un- /
less he gave the command. And, 1ur-
thermore. I'm the far east, In the time |
Of Ahasuerus. not only did husband |
look upon his wife as mere play |
thing, but if he 80 wllled he might /
even compel her to honor or dlshonor
herself before the world. She had abb /
solntely 10 means to free herselI 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 lie
places alongside of her face the beau
/ tiful face of Queen Nashti. who was
her predecessor in the royal palace OF
the Medes and the Persians. The
great capital Of Shushan, about 200
miles away from Babylon, IS aDlaze
with lights. All the princes ana lhe
governors of the different provinces
are being entertained in the royal pal
aces The streets of the city are ies-
tooned with flags and banners. The
bravest warriors Of the army OF King
Ahasuerus have assembled their
troops for the magnificent military
papeant. The bedrooms whore the
guests slept seemed to be the sleeping
onortments 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 chaI-
ice and each chalce Of especial work
manship. handmade and formed By
the fingers of Il master designer. Not
only that but every guest for the
seven days could do as he willed. The
chariots Of the royal stables were all
his. The most expensive viands of the
|
81 VIII Not Come"
The royal entertainment had been go
ing on for nearly week 1t reached
its great climax on the night before
King Ahasuerus and the governors and
the princes were to separate. The
chamberlains were there. Louder and
louder played the music; more and
more hilarious became the sport. Now
il was an overturned decanter; again
II was a fallen lord, tumbling upon the
floor in his drunken stupor. The court
iers were drunk; the king was drunk.
"And on the seventh day, when the
heart Of the king was merry'-Yhat
happened? The king turns to ms
: fawning, cringing guests and says
"Now. gentlemen, / will show slghl
the like of which you have never seen
in the past and you will never sec
again. will compel my beautiful
: oueen. Vashti. to come into this ban
: ouet hall and unvei herself before yot
,. inebriated men. | will compel my
: queen to obey me because l am hel
master. Ho chamberlain Go fortl
:, and bring Vashti to me and let her re
L veal her beauty before these drunken
> brntes." The messengers hasteneC
y away. They went to the queens apart
ments and carried the kings com
= mands. Then what happenedf I'M
outraged queen drew herself to he
full height. Her cheeks flushed, ne
eyes glittered with excitement, he
hands convulsively clutched as sh
- said: Go back to your royal master
- Tell him l will not come. My homo
i, il more sacred to me than my throne.
:, When she spake thus she knew IN al
" probability she was signing her owl
: death warrant. Because she refused
/, to come Vashti lost her throne Sh
!, was exiIed in perpetual disgrace. Ae
- these were the tyrannical laws VINO
70 held women in perpetual degradauo
- that Queen Esther was ready to del
- = when she went to plead with the kin
- for her Hebrew people. No Wonle
when she made her noble resoluuo
that she should have said, 80 VIII
q 90 in unto the king which is not a'
~ cording to the law, and if l perish
nt perish
20 20 Women sitting before me today, al
~ YOU as brave as Queen Esther! NlF'
10 and mothers and daughters, are go
-. ready TO be something more than
~ nlavthing. human puppet for man
rn Are you ready to brave the social Ia"
!. which would limit your sphere TO Il
81 friyolities of life Of ease and pea
70 ure? You should truly be moral lea
.o ers moral teachers and noble compa
-, ions of man. As Queen Esther VIZ
on ready to take a share III the respoH'
in bilities of her husband, vile shou
'ot be a positive quality in the NOR
mo world. not negative one. An o
To- ENGLISH author once wrote: "A go
81 wife should be ike three things
40 come ways. but in others she shou
NOT no like First. she should be like
iii snail. to keep within her own nous
90 hut she should not be like the snau
20 carry all she has upon her back; s,
vol ondly, she should be like an echo'
ro sneak when spoken to, but should i
7 be like an echo always to have the ia
word; thirdly, she should be Ike
town clock. always to keep time Il
20 regularity. but she should not, Ike
lod town clock, speak so loud that all
tbe town may hear her. do not asI
of with that old English writer at all.
M do not believe woman should be -
,or. echo and only speak when spoken 1
+bis She should be like Queen Esther. )
in should cease to be the playthlng
row man. She should cease to be the
,ort morer of masculine whims. She shol
nobly and fearlessly take her post
49,. bv her husbands side and help him
m9 nv solve the great problems Of life.
hi' if cln has TO S