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LESSON SIX-
30LDEN TKXT—Tho Lord preserve
The Book of EKther.—The author is
unknown, but must have been some
one "living in the heart of Persia, a
man who was intimately acquainted
with the scenery ho describes."—Pro-
fessor Adeney.
The date of writing is also un-
known. Professor Sayce places it at
B. C. 425. He says that tho minute-
ness of detail shows that the author
lived before the overthrow of the Per-
sian power, II. C. 331. Some place
the date still later.
Scene I. The Great Feast at Shu-
Hhan False Patriotism.—The Ahasuer-
of Esther has been identified
most beyond doubt, with Xerxes
famous son and successor of
llystaspes of our last lesson,
is a shortened form of
al-
the
Darius
Xerxes
Ahasuerus, as
York (in New York, for instance). Is
a shortened form of the Latin Kboni
cum. He reigned over nearly all
Asia, and in his first years. 4N.>. 1X1.
he conquered Egypt. Hut Greece was
still uneonqtiered. A few years lie-
fore, his father Darius and Hie Per-
sian army were defeated by the Greeks
at Marathon in September, 1.1. 41M).
a world-renowned battle uud one of
the turning-points of Hie worlds his-
tory.
Xerxes, therefore, determined "to
lay a bridge over the Hellespont, ami
to transport an army into Greece to
punish the Athenians" for their defeat
of his father Darius at Marathon. Then
he added, "I Intend to march through
all the ports of Europe, and to reduce
the whole earth into one empire, being
assured that no city or nation will
daro to resist my arms. ... I tins
we shall extend the Persian territory
as far as God's heaven reaches."—
Herodotus, Bk. 7. For this purpose
Xerxes, according to Herodotus, held
a great assembly of the noblest Per-
sians, to arrange for the expedition
against Greece. It Is probable that
this was the feast described in the
first chapter of Esther as taking place
In Susa.
Scene II. The Expedition against
Greece, with an Instance of Patriotic
Heroism.—The next four years were
occupied with one of the most famous
invasions In history. Herodotus esti-
mated that Xcrxts' total military force
when It reached Thermopylae num-
bered 2,641,610, with an equal number
uf attendants, making 5,283,220 persons
in all. The sea force is represented
as consisting of 3,000 vessels of all
kinds. These numbers are regarded
by modern historians as greatly ex-
aggerated. Xerxes' army was check-
ed at the pass of Thermopylae by the
heroism of I.eonidas and his immortal
300, August, 4S0 1). C. Themistocles,
the Greek commander, with 310 sail,
defeated Xerxes' fleet, at Salamis, near
Athens, October 20, 480 B. C.. and the
Persian fleet was destroyed at Mycale,
Sept. 22, 479. These and other disas-
ters compelled Xerxes to abandon his
expedition and return ^tne with
scarcely 5,000 soldiers 10?t of all the
multitude v.ith which he set out.
Scene III. The Marriage of Esther,
the beautiful Jewess, to Xerxes, after
his return to Shushan, in the seventh
year of his reign. Esther means a
star. Prof. Adeney says Esther Is
Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess equiv-
alent to Venus. She was a daughter
of one of the exiles, her grandfather
being among those carried "captive to
Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar In 598
(Esther 2:5, 6). Her Hebrew name
was liiidassah, the myrtle, a beautiful
and favorite shrub in the East. She
was the cousin of Mordecai, who was
much older, and had adopted her as
his daughter on the death of her falli
or Ablhall, an uncle of Mordecai.
Scene IV. The Plot of Hainan. The
Oppddte of Patriotism.—Four or five
years pass, and then begins the tragic
story of Hainan. His rise as a king's
favorite. his pride Incensed at the con-
duct of Esther's cousin Mordecai, his
attempt to bring vengeance upon the
whole Jewish race on Mordecai's ac
count. Ills success in obtaining a de
erce from the king, throughout his em-
pire, "to destroy, to kill, and ty eausi
to perish all Jew s, both young and old,
little children, and women, ii\ one
day." The tragic end of Hainan is
intermingled with the story of the de-
liverance, but we may well look for-
ward and ree him planning to ruin
Mordecai, but compelled to honor him;
Bee him building n gallows for the Jew,
but himself hung thereon. Such men as
Hainan are bcacons of warning from
rocks in the sea of life.
Scene V. Queen Esther Coming to
the Rescue. An Instance of Heroic
Patriotism. — Esth. 4-7. Great mourn-
ing and terrible distress came upon
the Jews all over the empire as they
learned of this decree. Mordecai sent
word to Esther, asking her to go to
tho king and request the deliverance
or her people. Esther replied (Esth.
4:11), "Whosoever •   « shall
tome unto tho king into tho
lnnxr court, who Is not called,
■NOVEMBER 5.
nil them that love htm.—Psa. 145:20.
there is one law of Ills to
put him to death." Rather, "there
is one law lor him." Whoever he be,
there Is one and the same law regard-
ing him—he must suffer death. "Ex-
cept such to whom the king shall hold
out the golden sceptre." There was,
therefore, a possibility of Esther's
re tching Hie ears of the king, but with
the greatest uncertainty as to how
such a capricious king would act, es-
pecially as his lovo for her had
cooled. The mission Mordecai com-
mitted to Esther was one of great dan-
ger and difficulty. It required the ut-
most heroism.
The queen, In attempting to save
her people, must (1) risk everything—
her position, her husband, her wealth,
her life. (2) She must do It on tho
mere chance that such a king would
look upon her with favor. (3) "She
must attempt, by the mere weight of
personal Influence, to reverse the de-
crees of an empire that prides itself
on infallibility—whose laws are unal-
terable." (I) And she must do this
against the influence of the king's fa-
vorite, who had easiest access and
largest influence with the monarch,
and was the most powerful subject in
tin kingdom, and tin' enemy of her
people, (a) She belonged to a de-
spised race, and must reveal that fact
to the capricious king.
13. "Then Mordecai commanded to
answer Esther." He gives four reasons
why Esther should undertake the mis-
sion. (1) She could not escape the
massacre, even if she should refuse to
undergo this danger. (2) She was
providentially endowed with beauty
and raised to her position as queen
for this very purpose, if this was
true, God would make her successful.
It Is a blessed thing to find out what
ono Is sent into this world for. (3)
All her relatives would be destroyed.
Every motlvo of patriotism and relig-
ion urged her on. (4) Then a great
privilege was presented to her, such
an opportunity as seldom falls to the
lot of any one. The work is certain
to bo accomplished in some way, but
the joy and blessing of doing it, is of-
fered to Esther.
15. "Then Esther bade them re
turn • * • answer." She ac-
cepted the dangerous mission, but she
went about her work in the wisest and
most skillful way. (1) Religious prep
aration. 16. "Neither eat nor drink
three days." Fasting implies prayer
earnestness, confession of sin, a belief
in Goct, an intense desire to be fitted
to obtain the right spirit.
5: 1. "Esther put on her royal ap-
parel." She was a sensible, practical
woman, and used her beauty and
charm of person and of dress to ac
compllsh her object.
2. "The king held out * * '
the golden sceptre." The sign that he
received her, and that the most dan-
gerous part of her mission was over.
But the most difficult was yet tv> come.
(3) She was very wise in her method
of as1 ing her favor, by a feast, by de-
lays that keyed up the king's curios-
ity to the highest pitch, and gave her
nnd Mordecai time to make the wisest
plans for overcoming the unchange-
able law of the Medes and Persians.
(4) She was aided by the strange
providence of the king's sleepless
night, and the consequent behavior of
Hainan.
Scene VI. The Deliverance. Tho
Fruit of Heroic Patriotism.—The re-
sult was a counteracting decree, per-
mitting the Jews to stand up in their
own defense, and large numbers of
their enemies were slain. The Jews
were saved from destruction, and ex-
alted before the people. Mordecai
took Hainan's place in the govern-
ment. The feast of Purim was insti-
tuted with great feasting and joy, and
lias been celebrated annually ever
since on the fourteenth of Adar, l'eb-
ruary-Mnrch, one month before Easter.
At least there are records ot its ob-
servance for more than two thousand
years.
Several writers of prominence have
unjustly condemned the book of Es-
ther for its sanguinary ending. Hut if
we were defending ourselves and our
families against robbers; if we were
defending our country against foreign
invaders; if we were fighting for lib-
erty and religion, and it seemed to us
that our .cause was identified with
them and with the salvation of the
world, then we would feel that the
prayer for the destruction and scatter-
ing of our enemies was holy, as that
of Milton's angels in the war against
Satan and his host.
The Heart of the Lesson.
Heroism in Every day Life Is the cv
pression and cultivation of tho heroic
spirit in our ordinary daily life. Wo
GREAT SONG WRITER.
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Shaw's Abominable Whiskers
George Bernard Shaw, who has
been indulging in some acrid criticism
of American literary taste, ha3 the
most unpardonable set of whiskers
which ever grew out of a man's face.
A recent critic remarked: "There
are many things for which a man may
not bo censured, hut his whiskers are
his own fault." Sh.iw has a set which
diffuses itself all over his collar and
shoulders and makes it impossible to
determine whether he wears a collar
c-nd shirt.
The people who find happiness are
not those who seek it, but those who
put most into life.
DON'T TOKIIKT
A lar-e i-oz. puckw Ked Cross Ball Blue, only
b ceuls. l'lie Kusa Comiiauy, South Uend, lad.
The cry for justice provokes a bit-
ter indignation in quarters where the
plea for charity evokes a ready re-
sponse.
Piso's Cure for Consumption Is an Infallible
medicine for coughs nnd colds.—N. W. S AMD EL,
Ocean Grove, N. J., Feb. 17.1000.
One doctrine which io common to all
satirists of society is that the age
they write in is the worst of all known
ages, the lowest point of degredation
yet reached.
Mrs. iVlimlow'H Soothing Syrup.
For children teething, softens tho tfinns, reduces In-
flammation. allays pain. cures wind colic. 2f>c a bottle-
In Vienna glass is being used to fill
teeth with.
THE CHANGE OF LIFE
INTELLIGENTWOMEN PREPARE
AiffAEGHy'
Taylor's Cherokee Remedy of Sweet Gum
and Mullen is Nature's great remedy—Cures
Coughs, Colds, Croup and Consumption,
and all throat and lung troubles. At. drug-
gists, 25c. 50c. and $1,00 per bottle.
The average weight of an Andaman
Islander is sixty pounds.
r nervonnnwn after
er. Send for l' Kl'.E B^.OO trial bottle uud trentl*o.
L>K. li. 11. KLIN t. Ltd., #31 Arch Street, Philadelphia, l a.
A Household Necessity.
I would almost as soon think of
running my farm without implements
without Hunt's Lightning Oil. Of
all the liniments I have ever used,
for both man and beast, it is the
quickest in action and richest in re-
sujts. For burns and fresh cuts it is
absolutely wonderful. I regard it as
a household necessity. Yours truly,
S. Harrison,
Kosciusko, Miss.
Bermuda Hay
On .lune 29 and 30, 1905, two and
one-half acres of thin upland soil on
the farm of the experiment station at
Stillwater, Oklahoma, was sot to Ber-
muda grass, by planting small pieces
of sod eighteen inches apart in rows
three feet apart. This land had pro
viotisly been manured and used for
growing an experimental orchard,
clean cultivation having been given
the soil for several years
On September 25, 1905, the grass
was cut for hay and was entirely free
from weeds and crabgrass. The yield
was at the rate of 2,584 pounds of
cured hay per acre, the total amount
being nearly three and one-fourth
ton3 from the two and one-half acres.
The rainfall during the less than
three months in which this crop was
growing was unusually heavy, amount-
ing to nearly 14.13 inches. The aver-
age precipitation for the same period
in previous years is 9.02 inches. This
heavy yield, however, indicates how
quickly cultivated land may be sodded
with Bermuda grass, and the returns
which may be exported from planting
it. The hay is clean and excellent for
feeding to horses.
The real ideal husband should be a
busy man, and one whose day is very
full. Men are not happy without plenty
of work; and a man who has no out-
look for his energy elsewhere bestows
it on his household, with generally un-
favorable results.
Important to Mothers.
Kxanv.no carefully every bottle of CASTORIA,
a Fafo and eure remedy for infants and children,
;.nd eee that it
Bears tho
Signature of
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The Kind You liave Alwaya Bought.
Dangers ana Pain of This Critical Period
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How many wo
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the most critical
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If her system is in a deranged condi-
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At this time, also, cancersand tumors
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pound invigorates and strengthens the
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Mrs A. E. G. Ilyland, of Chester-
town, Md., in a letter to Mrs. Pink-
ham, says:
Dear Mrs. Plnkham:—
"I had been suffering with falling of the
womb for years and was passing through the
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I had a good deal of soreness, dizzy spells,
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If a rooster wakes up about mid-
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_ .... • _ 1 1 T l. ..n nnecrul enfalo flimilffh tno PMAnCA
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TORTURING HUMOUR.
Body a Mass of Sores—Treated
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by
and I have passed safely through the change
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For special advice regarding this im-
portant period women are invited to
write to Mrs. Pinkliam for advice. It
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SCALES
FOR FARMERS. Buy the cheap
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Chicago Rrala Co.. Chicago, X1L
If crops would grow like weeds do
farmers would he rich and happy.—
"Bingville Bugle" items in the Boston
Post.
Many a man stints himself in this
world in order to get a little* ahead
and when he gets it he goes and
spends it for a gold brick.
One way to kill the germs is to bo'l
the water and then let the boiler blow
up.
cannot all bo heroes In great things,
but the field of heroism is everywhere,
in every home, In every town. There
are great enemies to overcome in our
own hearts, there are powers and
principalities of evil on overi hand.
THE SECRET OF YOUTH.
Pe Soto looked for the secret of
youth In a spring of gushing, life-
giving waters, which he was sure he
would find in the New World. Al-
chemists and sages (thousands of
them), have spent their lives in quest
for it, but it is only found by those
happy people who can digest and as-
similate tho right food which keeps
the physical body perfect that peace
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A remarkable man of 94 says: "For
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made life a great burden to me a?
you may well imagine.
"Two years ago I began to use
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that 1 did. It has been a blessing to
mo in every way. I first noticed that
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was a great gain but was nothing to
compnre In Importance with the fact
that in a short time my bowels were
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"The cure seemed to be complete:
for two years I have had none of the
old trouble. I use the Grape Nuts
food every morning for breakfast and
frequently eat nothing else. Tho use
has made nie comfortable and happy,
nnd although I will be 94 years old
next fall, I have become strong and
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walk with anybody nnd enjoy It "
Nnme given by I'ostum Co., Battle
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Read the little book, "The Road to
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"My little daughter was a mass of
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three doctors, but she grew worse.
Neighbors advised Cuticura, and be-
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soap and box of ointment the sores
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skin was as clear as a new-born
babe's. I would not be without Cuti-
cura again if it cost five dollars, in-
stead of seventy-five cents, which is
all it cost us to cure our baby. Mrs.
G. J. Steese, 701 Coburn St., Akron,
Ohio."
The essence of friendship is entire-
ness, a total magnanimity and trust.
It must not surmise or provide for
infirmity. It treats its object as a
god, that it may defy botli.
Henry Labouchere of London has
been discussing in his paper the start-
ling topic, "How to Thrash a Wife." |
Tho brilliant cynic is outspoken as j
usual. He holds that even the best I
of wievs at times stand in need of
correction, but advises that the mat- J
tor "should never be undertaken with-
out care and deliberation." Canes, i
pokers and other similar instruments
are held to be dangerous, but "Labby"
strongly Intimates that a strap may ,
be used to advantage.
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We buy, Bell and exchange new and
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Sa es pold on small monthly pay-
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