St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-01-30

has been taken and the burden OF the
livelihood falls upon the mother.
Esther's mother knew of her husbands
nephew Mordecai, who was connected
with the royal establishment, but she
was too proud and Independent to let
him know Of her need, and she strug-
gled on.
But the pressure of the burdens
from without and the troubled con-
science within Slapped the none too
great supply of strength of the
mother, and one day she fell sick, and
when she realized that she would
never again get well and that she must
leave the beautiful little daughter, an
guish that almost drove her mad filled
her heart.
ooh, had we only gone back to the
land Of our fathers, the land where
God has promised his people blessing,
it might all have been so different. 1t
is but the hand of cursing upon us for
our sim"
Little Hadassahs listened in awed
wonder to her mothers words of re-
proach upon herself and, without know.
ing just what they meant, but with
tender, loving heart which longed to
speak comfortingly, she said:
But, mamma, can't God be in this
land, too? He was with the great
Daniel, and he will be with us when
we need him so much"
The mother stopped her convulsiye
sobbing and, turning her head so that
her eyes were full upon the face of
her daughter, she lay for some min
utes as if trying to get hold of the
thought which the child had expressed
with but half consciousness OF all
that her words meant.
Perhaps he will" whispered the
mother, YEARLY, and then she closed
her eyes and a little later the friends
who had come in led the little girl
away, telling her gently that her
mother was dead.
HAS she gone back to the land
where she said God was?" she asked,
wonderingly And when they tried to
explain to her that her mamma had
gone to be with the God of Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob, little smile
broke over her face and she said, sim.
pyl:
May I go to see her some timer"
Poor little motherless girl What
was to become of her? She had but
one living relative of whom anyone
knew, and that was Mordecai the man
who served in the gate of the kings
palace. But what could he do with
her, he who had maintained such devo-
ton to the king that he had estab-
lished no home of his own, but had
continued in the palace, where he
could know day and night who passed
through the gate to the palace.
When tidings of the death. of his
uncle's wife reached Mordecai, he went
at once to the home, wondering what
could be done with the little girl. 1t
troubled and vexed him. He felt in no
position to look after her. If he did
not, however, what would become Of
her? Perhaps fate worse than death
would overtake her. 1t was a struggle
all the way across the great city to
the home where death had come, but
when he had reached the threshold he
had mastered the selfishness of his
own heart and had brought himself to
the point where he had solemnly
vowed that he would look after the lit
tie girl and strive to bring her up to
fill life of usefulness and honor.
That was the beginning of a new
life for Hadassah. What new won
der world the near life to the palace
proved to her, and how, with the devel-
opment of the grace and beauty of the
young girl, there came the refining, I'M
folding influences of the larger life to
which her uncle's station admitted her.
So the years came and went, and
the little motherless and fatherless
girl had developed into woman of
rare beauty and winsome grace, SO
that, as Mordecai looked upon her. he
found himself marveling and wonder
ing how much longer he could keep
her as the joy and brightness Of his
own home.
CI1C 10 q FCl1LAO AuOOA1 AV lCIu
thought to himself, "but how could 1
give her up, even to the king?"
And when he had asked that ques-
ton to himself he had never thought
that it would require asking. But
events moved swiftly and, following
the sensational removal of Queen
Vashti from her place on the throne,
came the royal decree seeking for the
king new queen.
"She is worthy to be queen, but how
can | give her upf" Mordecai cried in
anguish, as he realized that he was
face TO face with the hardest question
he had ever been called upon to an
swer. But at last victory came:
Perhaps it is to this end that she
has been preserved in this land"
And when he had gently unfolded to
Esther the larger life which was ap-
parently opening to her she had sub
missively said:
1T will be hard to leave thee, dear
foster father. But will strive to be
as faithful to thee as thou has been to
me-"
There Is But One Book"
VhnTo .