Times-promoter., 1909-01-15

/ q peculiarity OF this book that the ndIne
Of God does not occur in 1t. 1t was al
ways reckoned in the Jewish canon, and
is named or implied in almost every emu
meration of the books composing 1t. from
Josephus downward. The feast of Purim
remains TO this day as an evidence OF the
truth of the story,
THE STORY.
VIZ the father of the little Hadas-
w sab had died, the mother had felt
it was almost judgment upon them
because they had not returned to
Jerusalem in company with the Jews,
whom the decree of Cyrus had permit
ted to leave the land of their captivity
and again rebuild the beloved city of
Zion. But 1t had seemed such a long
journey, and the hardships to be met
with when reaching the ruined city so
great, that they had stifled the inner
longings to be found in every loyal
Jewish heart for new national life
and new temple in which their God
might dwell In their midst, and had
| settled back In the comfort and ease
/ which they had made for themselves
in the land of their captivity. They
had never seen Jerusalem. They were
Of the second generation of those who
had been carried captive by Nebuchad-
nezzar, and, however much the racial
characteristics were maintained, and
absolute loyalty to Jewish traditions
and family life sustained, there had
come such natural and easy adapta-
tion to the new conditions that, after
the first flush of enthusiasm over the
talk of return to the land of Canaan
had died away, they had found them
! selves quite content to remain.
But in every case where one fails to
respond to the higher and better i'm
pulses from within there are more
than apt to be periods of disquietude
in which the accusing voice of con-
science is heard chastising the soul for
its perfidy. So 1t was with the parents
of little Esther. Many times after they
had watched the faithful Jews depart
had there come troubled thoughts into
their hearts, and when the father lay
| dying his last words had been of re-
gret that he had not gone back to Jer-
usalem.
1T might all have been different"
cried the bereaved mother over and
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
of hardship and priyation. 1t was such
a struggle as many a 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 S
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
LlOlh WllAouL duu luC LIUuulCu SOA-
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 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 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 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 convulsive
sobbing and, turning her head so that
her eyes were full upon the face of
| her daughter, she lay for some min.
~~~~~-r~e~-~~e~~~~~.