St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-02-06

Queen Esther, in soft, appreeiative
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, toe"
spoke up Queen Esther, in earnest
tone, land you will help me, won't
your she added, with winsome ap,
peal in her voice.
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 sincere loyalty. And it was
well for Queen Esther that she had
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
atty, and of her connection with him.
1t had been long time since she had
had word from her cousin, and 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.
ceive no communication from him and
to send no word to him. When that
voice whispered such suggestion to
Queen Esther she scarce listened to 1t
at all at first, but as the days passed
she found the voice repeating the sug-
gestion, and she in turn arguing with
herself as to the feasibility of obeying.
1t was 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
ton. 1t is such struggle as that
which comes to one 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, icalling her maid to her, she ques.
toned her as to whom she could trust
in taking messages outside the palace
walls, for said she: II have a very dear
friend, one to whom owe everything,
to whom desire to secretly send word
and find out how he does.'
"Hatach, one of the kings chamber
lains, is such man." confidently re-
piled the maid. But fear Bigthana
and Teresh. They have not ceased to
grieve for the Queen Vashti, and would
do thee and the king hurt had they the
chance
WHO are these men? Are they the
ones who have been SO solicitous in
keeping 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 race different
from Bigthana and Teresh, race
called the Jews, many Of whom still
remain in this land, Notwithstanding
that years ago permission was given
to them to return to their own land"
Queen Esther started yisibly, but
quickly recovering herself, for she was
surprised and delighted to learn that
Hatach was of her own nation, she
said, calmly:
1T is enough. Send Hatach thither,
but let not Bigthana or Teresh know
what thou doeth."
So it came to pass that Queen
Esther found another friend in the per-
son of Hatach, eunuch, and one of
the kings chamberlains over the royal
harem. He it was who proved a trusty
messenger between Esther and Morde-
sal. He it was who, at the suggestion
of Esther, warned Mordecai of Big
thana and Teresh, and he it was who
later brought word to Queen Esther
from Mordecai of the plot of these two
men, and which was communicated to
the king, who speedily had them
hanged to a tree.
1t was at this time that the king
was pleased to advance Hannah in the
affairs of the kingdom and make him
chief over all the princes of the realm,
a thing which troubled Mordecai, the
keeper of the kings gate, for with his
advancement Hannah had assumed the
kingly prerogatives and demanded that
the people everywhere whom he met
should bow in alteration and worship,
a thing which a Jew could not do, for
worship was due alone to God.
This aroused the bitter enmity of
Haman and he sought how he might
destroy Mordecai, Now Mordecai knew
of the hatred which Hannah had for
him and expected that almost any time
the assassin's knife might end his life
but he told none of these things to
Queen Esther, for he was 10th to cause
her anxiety on his behalf. So matters
stood until one day word was brought
to Esther that Mordecai stood without
the kings gate clothed in sackcloth
and ashes. Then was Queen Esther
troubled, and she sent other raiment
to Mordecai, saying:
Weep not! Whatever thy trouble,
will help the"
/ A Prayer.