The Republican., 1922-08-24

/ THE PRAYER.
"God makes a man and the man
makes an age" Nehemiah was one of
Gods makings for an emergency and
| towers above the Hebrew horizon in
company with Moses, David, Isaiah
and jeremiah. That he is SO much
less known is due to the obscuring
clouds that have wrapped his form
50 that only glimpses have been
| caught of him, while the others have
/ been open to the sun. He was exile
born, perhaps of David's line, and in
/ full vigor of manhood one might judge
in the 'tirey forties" of his life, and
/ he had reached the position that
would rank him with a modern prime
minister. For the cup-bearer was no
mere flunky to royalty, but the init
macy of absolute trust where he pro-
/ tected his king from an assassin. Poi
son lifted him to a place where his
word might change the shape of en-
pires and direct history. With a
/ temper that might blow the roof off,
as at rare times and under eXasperat-
ing conditions it did with a patience
that could bide its tittest time, with
a genius for managing men from the
/ king down, with a mastery of detail
that was Napoleonic, with a courage
that dared all things and refused de-
feat, with a generosity that crowded
his house with guests and caused hi'n
/ t0 serve Judea without salary, with
a patriotism that shut the door Of
pceferment in the palace that he
might give even his life for that
land of his dream and of his fathers
achievements, with a love for men
that included the least and lowest in
its reach, with a religious passion
that put God first in every attitude
and relationship of his life, he is one
of the gripping figures of all history,
That he could hold a pen as readily
as a sword is seen in these pages torn
from his old diary that they might
be thrust into the story of Israel
and the tale of Gods dealing with His
world. This is the figure that stands
at the end of the Old Testament his
tory showing that there had been no
decadence in character since the days
of Abraham. And this man prayed
All the papers reported Marshal
Foch's hours in ruined churches not
that it is singular that a great man
prays but that one Of the threads in
the cord of greatness might be read
lily discerned The steps of this cour-
tier and workman stopped often at
his closet door.
. THE PROPOSITION
Affairs We're going badly at Jeru-
SALEM Devoted to Jehovah and in
terested in all the affairs of Temple
and State this crowned commoner
who knelt level with the poorest of
his people watched eagerly the ap-
proaches to the palace that turned to-
ward Jewery. What had been hap
pening? One may only guess but
Ezra was far less diplomatic than the
Courtier and the drastic action of the
Priest over the family ties could not
fail to arouse strong cross currents.
Suppose your daughter were shipped
back home as not good enough to
mother the new aristocracy of Jeru-
salem, the whole family would proba-
bly, take up the cudgels in her de-
tense. Opinions that would not pass
the censor would be freely expressed
about those "stuck-up foreigners"
hate of Samaria and the greed of the
"beggardly Jews" Adding this to the
Bedouin tribes, it is not difficult to
construct a situation in which the
Hebrews would be the object of riots
that might be classed with Tulsa
There came the overthrow of the
walls that they had surely attempted
to build and the burning Of the gates
that had been set up so that the whole
city was open for assaults from any
and every quarter. Certainly it would
have been stale news to report the
broken walls and destroyed gates of
a century and a-half ago when Hama
nj stood before the eager questioner
in Shushan. No doubt he had been
sent for succor in the desperate
straits in which the colonists found
themselves this remnant of the cap.
tivity left after the hardships of the
years. 1t reminds one of the Pill
grims in Plymouth whose cemetery
held as many as the town How des-
perate conditions were may be judged
by the person who brought the news.
1t was Hanani, brother of Nehemiah,
who had had large place in Jerusa-
lem and was later its governor, who
in utter failure must stand before the
prosperous, successful member of the
family and say, 81 have failed, help
US out!" 1t is far easier to do that
with stranger than with ones own
kin; for one reason there is less like