The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-01-22

~-p
with gracious, kindly smile, but now
that thou art here, tell me, were these
the apartments of Queen Vashti? And
are these the same beautiful furnish
ings which she enjoyed?"
THE apartments are the same. your
highness, but the furnishings are the
latest and finest which could be
found by search through all the vast
realm"
King Ahasuerus is good" said
Queen Esther, in soft, a~ppreciative
tones.
Yea, he is, save when In his cups.
He has never ceased to mourn for the
beautiful Vashti. She was, oh, so
good"
And / shall try to be. good, too"
spoke up Queen Esther, in earnest
tone, land you will help me, won't
you?" she added, with a winsome ap.
peal in her voice. Z
The maid was completely won by
the sweet candOr of the new queen and
gave ready assent, and in the days
which followed she gave ample evil
dence of a sincere loyalty. And it was
well for Queen Esther that she had a
real friend in the midst of all that in
trigue and plotting which marked the
life of the great palace of Shushan.
The days came and went. Esther, in
obedience to the command of Morde.
cal, had kept the secret of her nation.
ality, and of her connection with him.
1t had been a long time since she had
had word from her cousin, and a voice
whispered within that now, as queen
and removed so far from him, it would
be well for her to obliterate all traces
OF connection with him. How easy to
cut loose absolutely from him. To re-
celve no communication from him and
to send no word to him. When that
voice whispered such suggestion to
Queen Esther she scarce listened to it
at all at first, but as the days passed
she found the voice repeating the sug-
gestlOn, and she in turn arguing with
herself as to the feasibility of obeying.
1t was a struggle between the loyal i'm
pulses of the heart towards the friend
of the old and lowly life and the
naughty pride of the heart which finds
birth in the new life of an exalted sta.
ton. 1t is such a struggle as that
which comes to n always who, hav-
ing attained great and exalted station
in life, finds the questions arising as
to just where the former friends are
going to fit into the new life. But true
~womanhood asserted itself finally in
the case of Esther, as it will in any
heart which rings true and genuine,
and, calling her maid to her, she ques-
toned her as to whom she could trust
in taking messages outside the palace |
walls, for said she: Il have a very dear
friend, n to whom 1 owe everything, |
to whom desire to secretly send word
and find out how he does"
"Hatach, n Of the kings chamber
lains, is such a man." confidently re-
piled the maid. But 1 fear Bigthana
and Teresh. They have not ceased to
do thee and the king hurt had they the
chance"
Who are these men? Are they the
ones who have been so solicitous in
guard over the wing to the
palace in which are my apartments?"
"The same, your highness."
and why think you that Hatach
can be trusted?" questioned the queen.
Because he is of a race different
from Bigthana and Teresh, a race
called the Jews, many Of whom still
in this land, Notwithstanding
hat years ago permission was given
TO them to return to their own land"
Queen Esther started visibly, but
recovering herself, for she was
surprised and delighted to learn that
was of her own nation, she
said, calmly:
1T is enough. Send Hatach thither,
)ut let not Bigthana or Teresh know
what thou doeth."
So it came to pass that Queen
Esther found another friend in the per-
of Hatach, a eunuch, and n of
he kings c~hamberlains over the royal
larem. He it was who proved a trusty
Messenger between Esther and Morde-
ne IL was WIZ, dI IAC 0u66CoIIOA |
# Esther, warned Mordecai Of Big
hama and Teresh, and he it vas who
alter brought word to Queen Esther
Mordecai of the plot of these two
and which was communicated to
he king, who speedily had them
ranged to a tree.
1t was at this time that the king
vas pleased to advance Hannah in the
affairs of the kingdom and make him
thief over all the princes of the realm,
| thing which troubled Mordecai, the
Keeper of the kings gate, for with his
advancement Hannah had assumed the
Iingly prerogatives and demanded that
he people everywhere whom he met
should bow in alteration and worship,
| thing which a Jew could not do, for
Worship was due alone to God.
This aroused the bitter enmity of
Iaman and he sought how he might
Mordecai. Now Mordecai knew
# the hatred which Hannah had for
i'm and expected that almost any time
he ~assassin's knife might end his life,