The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-01-05

herself and his grief was such that ne tell
upon his own sword. But he lived long
enough to discover that she had deceived
him again. Dying and soaked in his own
blood. he ordered his servants to carry
him to her mauso.eunl. AS the only en-
trance to her retreat lett unbarred WAS a
window, he was drawn up by ropes INTO
her presence and died. And what became
of her-this actor from the palace: You
know the story. How she tried her charms
upon Octavius Caesar and failed. How the
prospect OF being carried a prisoner to
Rome stared her in the face and how.
rather than be lied captive princess up
the Capitoline Hill" she died by her own
hand Lacking moral sense. she wore
face Of brass to the end OF the tragedy.
Unlike the sweet-souled Eashti, Cleopatra
had no veil of modesty for her face. and
she asked none for her soul Darker than
Egyptian night. she has left dark STAIN
upon the brow OF universal womanhood.
Whittier than the whitenesS Of the dawn.
Vashti. like Shelley's heroine. clothed IN
virtues adamantine eloGuence, paves her
path with human hearts,
Consider. also, that in studying the trag-
edy of Vashti. we have to reckon with
her beauty, ''for she was fair to look on.
When some genius equal to the task OF
a
and women will find perpetual charm IN
its glowing pages. 1t will contain page
of iov, page of sorrow. a page OF peace:
a page of war. page of love, page OF
hate, a page Of poetry. and a page OF art
But it will contain many pages developing
this thought-tbe tragedy of beauty.
But along with her beauty. Fashti pos.
sessed that other quality which lends
beauty an enduring freshness and charm
1nodesty. Vashti owes her place in history
not so much to her beauty as to her mod
esty. If beauty made her queen. modes
ty made her a woman. which ls tar Better.
As queen. Xerxes could Danish her; as
woman. he was defed by her. As queen,
he could and did dethrone; as woman,
she sits upon a throne that has hearts for
it's cushions and centuries for its pillars.
The Dubarrys, the Pompadours, the Mon
tespans have their day and cease to be;
but the Fashtis 60 on forever. The Ciy-
temnestres. the Aspasias. the Cleopatras
are meteors flashing through the darkness
of eternal night; the Fashtis are golden
suns burning through womanhood's end
less day!
Indeed, medesty is SO inherent an eie-
ment in the great essentials making genu-
inc beauty that without modesty beauty
is impossible. We are indebted to no hui
man law for this truth-God has woven
it into the fabric OF our natures. Art
critics tell us that the eighteenth century
was -eminent.y the century OF women;
the most prestige, her coauetry the most
disquieting elegance and her beauty the
most triumphant authority" 1t was the
age in which Nine. de Pompodour reigned
in the court of Louis XV.. The brushes OF
Latour and Boucher have pleaded with all
the eloquence of their genins and art to
deify this daring woman. She appointed
ministers. she exiled those who incurred
her i'll win, she sentenced to the Bastlle
those who ran counter to her lmperlous
wish. She was the patroness of philoso-
ply, art and song. Through her magic
wand Versailles was touched into dream
of splendor. which has not yet vanished.
Her collection of pictures, crystals, cam
eos, ANTIQUES and gems was unparalleled IN
the kingdom She squaudered fortunes on
her palaces, fetes and bali; and then
other fortunes on her toilet. For twenty
years this butchers daughter held her I'M
perial sway, which was broken only by
death. But when the historian tells US
that it was the dream, Of her Qirlhood to
seduce the king; that her shameless prodi-
rality makes the cheek. of decency burn;
that nodesty found no hospitality among
her sensual charms. We may well repeat
the question of another, WAS La Pom
padour beautiful, or merely pretty" In
stinctively drawing back as we would IN
the presence of snake, we answer She
was neither She was a royal har.ot, pa.
raded in gi1ded shame, lacking most OF all
that, jewel of modesty which sparkies m
She clown of true beauty" Alas for that
land whose women forsake their wells Of
modesty to show the people and princes
their beauty!
4 Consider, finally, the price Fashti paid
for her modesty. For her refusal to come
at the kings command was the immediate
cause of her dethronement. Surely there
are few finer exhibitions of sacrifice IN the
history of Nwomenhood. We love to read
of Telesilla, who united courage with the
pift of song, and saved Argos; Of Octavla,
Shielding the children of Cleopatra. her
shameless rival; of Sulpicia, renouncing
the pleasures OF Rome to 60 into exile
with her husband: of Lucretia. who killed
herself rather than live in dishonor; OF
Cornelia, the mother OF the Gracehl, urg-
ing them to deeds of patriotism; OF Paula,
leaving her palace on Mount Aventlne, to
walk as an angel of charity through the
slums of Rome, but not one OF them out
shines Vashti.
Nor has history given this lovely queen
her dues. We read much of Lais. VINO
lived IN the same century as Fashtl: ana
who was a notorious courtesan: OF the
immoral Aspasia, who, counted Socrates
and Pericles among her org list of ad-
mirers; of the treacherous Lucilla, who,
ruled the court of Marcus Aurelius; OF
Agrippina, the infamous mother OF still
more infamous son-Nero. All OF these
names have been emb!a2oned high up IN
the hall of fame But. sadly enough, the
events of Vashti's lie. like Sappho's songs,
have been lost. And yet these few
climpses we have OF her in the first and
Second chapters OF the Book of Esther
will cause people to look at her forever.
She was beautiful in Shushan the palace,
ard she will be beautiful for all time.
She was fair to look on i've centuries De-
fore Christ, and she will be fair to look
on to the last day OF the world. 1t was
Vashti's beauty of soul that proclaimed
her the forerunne7 of that renaissance Tor
which the world is suffering to-day. W.:
A genuine revival o. the old-fastlioned,
homespun. immortal virtue OF modesty!
While the Bible says nothile of the sac
ri!ice she made. be assured that 1t WAS bag
with pin. Long nights Of sorrow shut
her in. She knew the bitterness OF friend,
less DAYS. Like Dante, she experienced
how hard it was to eat others bread: But
she took no counsel of her eXreGency:
Let the kings anger burn within him.. let
hinr.