Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-02-03


OF little Esther. Many times after they
Lad watched the faithful Jews depart
mad there lone troubled thoughts into
their hearts, and when the father law
dying his last words had been of re-
greet that he had not gone back to Jer.
usalem
1t might all have been differeht.'
cried the bereaved mother over ant
over again. And the little one. stand
ing at her knee and only half realizing
all that the death OF her father meant
to her, wondered about It all and tried
TO comfort her in her simple, childish
way.
The days which followed were DAYS
or hardship and privation 1t was such
struggle as many mother before
and since has known when the father
has been taken and the burden of the
livelihood falls upon the mother.
Esthers mother knew Of her husbands
nephew Mordecai, who was connected
with the royal establishment, but she
was too proud and Independent to let
MIN know OF her need, and she strug.
gled on.
from without and the troubled con-
science within sapped 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 filed
her heart
oh, had we only gone back ~ the
land or our fathers, the land where
God has promised his people bles sing,
1t might all have been so different. 1t
Is but the hand OF cursing upon us for
our sim"
Little Hadassah listened in awed
wonder to her mothers words OF re.
proach upon herself and, without know
ing Just what they meant, but With a
tender, loving heart which longei TO
speak comfortingly, she said:
But, mamma, can't God be in this
land, too? He was with tho great
Daniel, and he will be with us when
we need him SO much"
The mother stopped her convulsivs
sobbing and, turning her head 30 that
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 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 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
frnt OF Il
position TO look after her. If he did
not, however, what would become of
her! Perhaps a 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 soleInnly
vowed that he would look after the lit
tie girl and strive TO bring her I'D to
fill life of usefulness and honor
That was tho beginning OF a new
life for Hadassah What a new won.
der world the near life to the ralace
proved to her, and how, with the devel-
opment OF the grace and beauty OF the
young girl, there came the refining. un.
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 iatherless
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
she is a veritable queen" he had
thought to himself but how could |
give her up, even 10 the kng?'
And when he had asked that ques-
ton to himself he had never thought
that 1t would require asking. But