The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-04

DeauIHm- young JeWeSS found herself
potent figure. Reading history on
the spot, and amid persisting oriental
conditions, we may appreciate afresh
pot Susa is a long way from London
or Washington. or other capital of a
constitutional form of government.
Palace TntFIeues.
One of the best commentaries upon
the Book of Esther is good picture of
life In an oriental palace, as the recent
work by Bland and Backhouse. China
Under the Empress Dowager." One
M ust understand the constant atmos-
pheFe of intrigue and sycophancy amid
which an oriental monarch lives in
order to comprehend the sudden rise
Of Haman, and his more sudden fall,
with zEordeeafss elevation. The best
key to the present news from China is
some knowledge Of the palace intEigues
in Peking.
Face is more than life I'm the East.
Hamau. the chief favorite OF the king.
lost ~face~ when 1Eordecai, the Jew
at the gate, would not kOw-t6w to him.
Therefore he plotted a truly oriental
vengeance. not only upon Mordecai.
but upon his family and race as well
ana natural to any reader East of
Suez- The most occidental phase of
the story Is the sturdy old Jews inde-
pendence, and his confidence that his
people would somehow be saved from
vengeance. even though his enemy did
possess the kings signet ring
Let US taFry a moment to cheer for
1Ordecafr the loyal He stood by the
king. he stood by the little girl de-
pendent upon him, he stood by his peo-
pie, he stood by his seIf-respect, he
stood by Jehovah He was true to his
home folk with that chivalrous loyalty
which is in a peculiar measure tradi-
tfon of the South. The Jews have also
had It always. To this day the sense
of racial unity binds the poor Jews in
Persia and Palestine with wealthy
Jewish bankers in New York and Paris
and London. Loyalty is often greater
virtue than love- indeed, it IS an essen
tfdl part Of true love; for, as Shakes
Peare says, Love is not love which
altereth when ii alteration finds
A WoTnan's Mission.
The mad hate of Haman fmperilled
the lives of all Jews. Closer than he
to the king stood the beautiful favorite,
Esther. whom Ahasueru did not know
to be a Jewess. We may not think of
Esther in terms of modern wife in
a Christian land She was but one of
many wives of a tickle and dissoTUte
monarch. albeit the favorite member
of his harenn. The intimacy and con-
fdence of the western husband and
wife were undreamed Of. Esther at
first feared to approach the king in be-
H4I OF nef people, Sne TOOK ner lie
in her hand if she approached the king
without being sent for. A similar
story is told in connection with Abdul
Hamid, of Turkey.
The highest use of life is not merely
to live. Sometimes life has been best
employed when it has been thrown
away That is the hero message from
history, with the cross as the chief ex-
ample. Cried Esther, ''If I perish
perish"-as woman, a Jewess and a
Queen; which is far BETTER than to live
as 4 fearful and remorsefuI slave.
When her neaner side IS touched
woman can be small and spftefuI and
but when her uobler nature
Is appealed to she reveals a capacity
for herofsm superior to mans This
best aspect of woman is the truer to
her real nature. To cite instances of
sacrifice Of womanhoed. I'm illustration
of the Esther story would be merely
stressing the obvious The young
queen could dare her kings wrath and
risk her own life, for the sake Of a
great loyalty and a great ideal We
p1oyed her Womanly Wiles to accom-
plisFf her purpose
Vain has been this study of one of
the Old Testament hero tales If it has
some service for race and religion. In
addition to living ones own true life,
one should seek to serve the time and
the worId This day and generation"
as the old phrase has it, in larger,
deeper ways The Brfton should do
something distfnctively for the Empire;
the American for his country; and
both for world Brotherhood Write a
poem or a book. a song or a sermon,
do q seFf-forxettfng deed, labor for
some great ideal; belong effectively to
some national or werId-movement
T2sr
know; in some way it is possible for
the least of US to follow Esther's ex-
ample in serving her own people.
changed High as Haman-"
Boastful Haman-stiH true to the
oriental fype-recfted to his family and
his parasites the hOnors that had come
upon him. He baskeei I'm their aduIa-
ton and f7attery. And fn their hearing
he made boasts of vengeance upon his
enemy. Mordecaf. Sure Of his status
at court. he built a high gaIlows for
the Jew. so that his honor might be
avenged
There is no better caution than LET |
him that thinketh he standeth take |
heed lest he fall Also there is a |
Droverb about falling into the pit one
has digged for another. The essential !
difference between HamaH and Nor |
decai was that one was small and
corrupt man, though high, and the
other was a great and honorable man. /
though obscure John Randolph Std |
man has a pertinent poem:
AFTER all, and after an.
Since ever the world began.
lust two have lived. and two have died, |
IN Iowly mien, in 1ordIy pride.
The rogue and the honest man.
After all, and after all.
The classes are but two;
And both are rich and both are poor.
And both still know. as they knew be-
fore,
The things that they ought to do.
After an, and after all.
Escape IL we never can;
Only the choice OF one have we,