Newspapers / The Times-News (Hendersonville, N.C.) / Sept. 25, 1903, edition 1 / Page 2
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THElTfSTERT- OFTrtE I MR. I i lore ntc vv cli u. 11 . -. . ;Aumor.:oh.; " ' v :', t Copyright, 1896, by Blrt Bonner's Son.. CHAPTER XXIII. Continued. ; "I'll go and sit with him. If he'll liave me," said Clifford,; who was re morseful, knowing that he had had suspicions of the father, and not of the daughter. j "Do, sir," said the sergeant, who wanted a wateh kept upon Miss Bos .tal's father, and was quite willing that it should be a friendly one. r So Clifford, not without diffidence, entered the house as the sergeant car ried his bundle to the gig which Avas waiting for him at the old turnpike. ' The Colonel heard the slow footsteps outside tne dining-room door and called out: "Who's that?" . Clifford stood in the doorway. ; "It's I, Colonel. May I come in?" The eld man raised his head qui-kly, and gave J im a little wan smile, as he held out his hand. "Come in, come in; yes." Then, having held the young man's warm hand in his own cold one for a few moments, he let it fall, and, in citing him, with a gesture, to be seat ed, relapsed into silence. Clifford asked him is he should make up the fire. It was a cold evening, and the draughts had been allowed to sweep through the house from open window to open door. - "Yes, yes, my lad; warm yourself if you can. If would take more fire than there is on earth to warm my old bones to-night." The stern sadness of his tone sent a shiver through Clifford, who, indeed, had little comfort to give him. He had some difficulty in getting the fire to 3mrn up, and when at last he succeed--ed he found that the coal-scuttle was -empty. "L will fetch you some coal," said the Colonel, who was proceeding to rise from his chair, when Clifford stopped him. "No. Tell me where to get it," said he, quickly, snatching up the scuttle. "Oh, well, if you will, you will find the lid of the water-butt on the ground outside, at the back. If you lift It but really I don't like to trouble you you will find the entrance to the cel lar underneath." ' Following this rather curious direc tion Clifford went out by the back -door, of .the house, lifted the lid, ad miring the ' ingenuity " by which the cellar was concealed, and began to de scend the wooden steps into the dark ness below. The Colonel had provided him with a candle, but this was sud denly extinguished as he reached the bottom step, and at the same moment he became aware that he was not alone. Involuntarily he uttered a little cry. A hand, the little, soft and ! slender hand which he remembered so vividly, but which he had never before identi fied, was placed quickly on his mouth. "Hello!" they heard a rough man's voice cry, muffled as it came down into the earth from the garden above. And Clifford heard a soft whisper in his own ear: "The policeman! Send him away on some pretext. I only want a moment, just one moment!" The young man shuddered. Although he had no fear that Miss Bostal would do him any harm, there was something uncanny about the idea of Being left alone with a murderess, deep down in the bowels of the earth, in the grasp of the little hands that had done such deadly work. v The policeman's voice startled them both. . He flashed his lantern down Into the cellar, but already Miss Bos tal had released Clifford and hidden lierself in the corner behind the steps. "Hello! Who's that down there? Is it you, Mr. King?" "Yes," said Clifford. "I'm getting some coal. Would you ask the Colonel for a' scoop, or a shovel, or something to get it up by?" V ,The man flashed his lantern round the cellar once more, and answered: "Well, sir, I can't go in. But I'll call hira." He drew backhand the moment he did so. Miss Bostal, with amazing bold ness and celerity, crept up the steps and out behind his back, as he called to Colonel Bostal from the back door way. .V-:-v.i f,v. , Clifford stood still, with his heart In hib mouth. He was Intensely excited; he was listening with all his power. But he did not know whether he want ed the woman to escape or whether he . wanted her to pay the penalty she so well deserved. AH he knewjwas that the few moments of suspense seemed never-ending. - Then '" the voice of the policeman, measured and calm, was heard again: '':,;-': ' ' :.: " "All right, sir. He's coming." She had got away, then! After all, U was no more than was to J expect ed of her superhuman cunning. And, Jn spite of himself, he felt ah immense relief that he had helped her to es cape. He : could meet, if not ; the po liceman, at" least, the Colonel, with a lighter heart. ' . He took the shovel which was handed to him, and reap peared In the dining-room i with the veal. - i ami shut the door. . ; ?Did you see her?" he asked in a low voice. : "Yes. She got away," 2 answered "I knew, when you got -the police man to call me, that it was some ruse of hers," he said. "You see, Mr. King," he went on, as the young man reddened with surprise, "I. know her tricks. I I have waited for some such end as this for twenty-five years." An exclamation, in which astonish ment and sympathy were blended, es caped from Clifford's lips. Colonel Bostal rose from his chair, and un locking a cupboard in the corner of the room, took from it an old desk, which he unlocked, and taking from it a bun dle of cuttings from old newspapers, put them into Clifford's hands. They all referred to cases of "klep tomania" which had come before the West End magistrates from twenty three to twenty -five years ! before, in which a "ladylike young woman, of superior manner and address," had been charged with "hoplifting. "They all refer to my daughter," said the Colonel, quietly. "And in all we managed to get her -off, on the plea that she had suffered from hysteria. And that was true." "Then she is not responsible for her actions?" suggested Clifford in a tone of relief. "Frankly, my own belief is that she is fully responsible. She isa highly intelligent woman, and her astuteness and cunning are unsurpassable. There is some moral twist in her nature which causes Ler to love the excite ment of crime. That is my own opin ion. I took her away from London," but wherever we went she theatened to get herself and me into trouble, and at last I brought her here, where it seemed that she must o 3 honest for want of opportunity to bo anything else. And I thought, unvil a few weeks ago, that I had succeeded. I swear to you I never had a suspicion that she was mixed up with the thefts at the Blue Lion until the inquest on young Stiekels. Then, when I saw that it lay between her and poor little Nell Claris, I knew who was the the cul prit. But how could I confess it? My heart bled for the poor girl, but I knew the truth must come out, and I had not the courage to hasten its com ing." For a long time there was silence in the little room. Then Clifford ven tured to ask: : "Do you know where she has gone?" "All I know is that whatever she hf.z done is the best possible thing for her own safety. I can trust her for that." ; , Clifford was shocked. That the little, faded woman was a monster, an un natural and depraved creature without moral sense, was clear. The Colonel rose again, locked up his desk and held out his hand to the young man. "Go," said he, gravely, but kindly. "You have done all you could for me, for us, and I thank you. Now you must leave us to take our chance. "And remember what I have said: There is very little cause to fear on lny daugh ter's account." Thus dismissed Clifford took leave of the old man reluctantly and started for Courts tairs, where hi? easily found a lodging for the night. On the following morning at day break there arrived at the County Lu natic Asylum, sixteen miles from Stroan, a weird, wan object, shoeless, wild-eyed, voiceless with cold- and with terror. i - :. The creature cried when the porter came to her summons: "Take me in, or I shall do myself some harm. Take me in! Take me in!" - It was Miss Theodora. No lunatic who had ever been ad mitted within the walls of the asylum had looked half so mad r.s she did. The doctdrs saw her, and advised her detention. And when the storm broke over her, and the hue and cry reached the asylum, there was no dobut ex pressed by any of the doctors as to her insanity. She was duly brought up before . the magistrates; p remanded, brought up again; always with! the same result. She, smiled; she chatted; she appeared wholly unconscious of her position, wh'olly irresponsible. And at :the last her trial forj murder wrj avoided, the doctors all certifying that she was unfit to plead. I i And when it was anounced that Miss Theodora would be; confined dur ing Her Majesty's pleasure, every one concurred in the justice" of the deci sion except Colonel; Bostal, who; said to Clifford,; when they were alone: r "I told you she would get off! She Is so clever." ' - . '; .' '. .', . Clifford himself did not know what :o think. But then he had something so much;: pleasa nter to think about. For Nell Claris was no longer able to say "No" to him. Instead of being a suspected criminal, she was now a her oine. It was honor and not disgrace that she could now bring to her hus band. .. One thing only Clifford had to wait for. Nell would not leave her uncle , until his mind -was quite restored. 'For months she -watched the reawak ening of his reason, tending him with loving care. And whew he was able to return to, the Blue Lion in full possession of his reason, when the autumn tints were1 on the trees. Clifford, took his trprtv . .- . ----- M and gentle bride away from the inn by EVERY TOOTH TAEIFFS AND FARMERS LANDS AND THEIR PRODUCTS HANCED IN VALUE. EN- The Prosperity Accompanying the Kestor. ation of Protection Has Brought With It Higher Prices For Everything the Parmer Has to Sell. It is some years now since the free trader has abandoned his wailings over the abandoned farms of New England and elsewhere. Under the most beneficent influences of the Ding--ley law, farm lands all over the entire country have been increasing in value, and, according to inquiries recently made by the American Agriculturist, the prices of farms throughout New England and the East have advanced j from fifteen to twenty per cent, over the value of five years ago. In almost every State where investigations were made throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the reports show an up ward average tendency of about twenty per cent., and in single in stances for more". In no case was any decline in values found, and al though in a few cases the reports showed no particular change in value, yet in most cases there were evidences of a gain in the price of good average farms of five, ten, fifteen and twenty per cent., and in a few instances running considerably higher. In Dela ware the upward tendency has almost reached the nature of a boom. It has always been one of the prin cipal tenets of the protectionist that the value of farm lands and farm products are enhanced according to their proximity to a manufacturing centre. The closeness to a manufac turing town is, of course, of no value unless the inhabitants of that commun ity are earning good and continued wages. This has been the condition now for several years under our pres- . ent protective tariff, and in conse quence farmers have gotten better prices for their products, and their lands have enhanced in value propor tionally. The Eastern farmer cannot, of course, compete with the Western agri culturist in the great crops, but when the factory hands of the New Eng land and Middle States are fully em ployed there is always a demand for farm produce which come under the head of "truck farming," fully equal to the productive ability of the entire farming community of these Eastern States. In fact, the only difficulty which the New England farmer has experienced during the past two or three years has been the same as that of the Western agriculturist namely, inability to get sufficient help to en able him to produce and harvest his products. Says the American Agricult uralist of July 25: "Slowly but surely the values of farm lands in the Eastern and New Eng land States are improving. The evi dences arrayed in the 'American Agri culturist's special investigation should make an impress for the betterment of the farmer's financial standing. Grant ed that the splendid agricultural lands of the West are most attractive pro positions, yet there is no reason why the progressive farmers of the Middle and Eastern States should not be ac corded due consideration from banks and business interests generally, when loans are sought for the further im provement of the farms. The testi mony of our correspondents on the higher trend of values should inspire greater confidence than ever before in the merits of .Eastern farming, where we have the best cash markets in the world at outdoors. Land in some of our Eastren and New England States is now relatively among the best busi ness propositions in the country." We fully agree with the above, that the Eastern farmer is entitled to every consideration at the hands -of the banks. Twenty years; ago he was lending" his ' money, to 'build up the agricultural lands of the West. A few years of protection lias enabled the Western agriculturist - to either pay off his mortgage entirely, or reduce it most materially, and now ? the farm- i ers of the West have money to loan, and their banks are bulging not only With the necessary currency needed In the moving of crops, but to loan on good security, to even the East if it should be wanted. But our New Eng land banks, too, and those of the Mid dle States are bulging with the savings of the working classes, and there ;is plenty of money to loan at five per cent, oa satisfactory security. . . ,Thus it is that protection Helps the financial situation, at the same time that it defends 'ror Industries and eh- I ables . our great mass of citizens, jrhetber Jat work on the farm or in A SOUND ONE! the factory, to become independent and well-to-do. It must ever be one of the greatest reasons given in favor of a continuation of our protective policy, that the benefits it bestows are widespread and universal. There is not a building up in one State or one section of the country; there is no benefit to be bestowed upon any one branch of industry; all share and share alike, and each helps the other in one great independent endless chain of communication. So it is that when we have work for all, then the mouths are filled, and the bodies are elothed, and the houses are built, and the luxuries are consumed, taxing every productive institution in the country; taxing our transportation facilities to the utmost, and keeping busy our avenue of dis tribution and calling into employment our great body of clerical laborers, all, in turn, contributing by their consum ing power and purchasing ability to the common weal of all. Surely such a policy, such a condition should be let alone as long as prosperity and em ployment continue to be at the highest level ever known, not only in this, but any other country. Prosperity Rampant. From every section of the country, from every industry comes the one and only cry. Prosperity. A census of the leading bankers reveals a state of con fidence and stability never before known. The farmers are rejoicing over the splendid outlook for good, if not unusual, harvests. The manufactur ers were never so busy. The August buying was never before equaled, and the transportation companies are being taxed to their utmost facilities. Every man who wants work can have it. What a grand consummation What a perfection of protection! What a vindication of Republican financial and tariff legislation! , Revise Such conditions. Impossible. Can ihe cloudless sky be made clearer? We want no tinkering of the tariff. We want no free trade, we want no roei procity. Let well enough alone. By all means stand pat. The Iteason For Tariff IVars. Protection is held responsible for tariff wars, but the action of France in imposing discriminating duties on American meats because the manu facturers of that country wish to force upon us wares which we do not want, shows where the responsibility lies. Tariff wars are entirely chargeable to the desire to push upon other peo ple what cannot be consumed at home Protection only aims at self-suflicing-ness. When that idea is strictly ad hered to no one has a light to take offense. . It is as illogical for a nation to find fault with another nation be cause it' refuses to buy goods from it as it would be for a Kearny street shopkeeper to call people who refused to buy from him hard names. San Francisco Chronicle. General Prosperity Untouched. Notwithstanding the feverish con dition of Wall Street, the next six months gives indication of a firm con tinuance of national prosperity. The wheat crop, according to all estimates, will be enormous, probably a record breaker; the cotton crop will be eleven million bales, or more than three-quarters of the world's output; the corn crop will likely reach 2,500,000,000 bushels, and the manufacturing and mining output promises to keep even with the highest figures. The actual prosperity of the country is unchecked, and it goes to show that, after all, Wrall Street is far from being the whole thing. Oswego Times. Guilty! The Springfield Republican thinks the "high tariff is now on trial, as never before, as the great causative and saving factor in the business pros perity of the nation." The verdict will be "Guilty." The high tariff is, without question or ex tenuating circumstances, "the causa tive and saving factor in the Jjusiues prosperity of the nation." Tried and Failed. ' The Democrats are getting into a useless sweat over the tariff. TYnen Jt needs reforming the people will let the Republicans have control of the job. The Democrats have been tried with free soup, Coxey armies and such like results. Valley Mills (Tex.) Protec tionist. Visible Proof. . " Simkins Tt is reported that Do Blank it leading a double life." Timkkifl The report is correct. I was one of the witnesses to his taar-rlasre." A SWEET STORY. OUR REGULAR . SUNDAY SERMON. The . Beautiful Story of Esther Delineated In An Attractive Style By An Eloquent Preacher. New York City. Sunday morning the Rev. Cornelius Woelfkin, minister of he Greene Avenue Baptist Church, had for his subject "A Supreme- Opportunity." He chose as his text Esther iv: 14: "Who inoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for 6uch a time as this?" Mr. Woelfkin said: . . The history of Esther is a fascinating. romance. Jivery changing; scene in tne panorama is a graphic illustration of the providence of God. It traces the transi tion from obscurity to prominence ; from weakness to power. The scene opens showing Esther an orphan girl belonging to a captive and despised race. Naturally, every door of influence would he closed to her. Alone in the world, dependent upon a cousin's bounty, the horizon of her life was limited. Her chief endowment was beauty, and that, as the world goes, is more hkely to become a snare of evil than a benediction of good. Yet, behind this humble, modest life there is working the might, wisdom and love of God. The Queen's throne is empty. The royal crown is waiting some one who may pleasje the mood of the King. Thousands of gentle blood dream of the Queen's place as the acme of all ambition. But the providence of Jehovah has reserved the fjlace for Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl. This same divine power seeks to mold every life. The circumstances and condi tions that environ us may not seem prom ising.. But what are these with God? His strength is made pei'fect in weakness. The vast majority of men and women who have made the molds of history were those whom God's providence brought from ob scurity and lowly conditions. Your way is not hid from the Almighty. There is a place held vacant for your filling. That place is as honored and dignified as any royal throne, because it is divinely ap pointed. The steps leading thereto may seem to be contingencies, accidents," for tuitous chances, and through the moods of other persons. But if there be" the spirit of faith to trust Him, diligence to discover His will and readiness to obey, He will bring us to the place and position most suited for our eternal profit and glory . No one else may step into our place, until we, through unbelief and disobedience, have forfeited the privilege of its occupancy. Every life has its own unique endow ment. Success or failure depends upon the manner in which we hold these posses sions. If we hold them selfishly to profit ourselves withal, they turn into corrup tion. But if they be held in trust as a sa cred stewardship, used for the furtherance, of His purposes and the bringing of His kingdom, they will turn out eternal treas ures. Our temptation is to discredit our possessions and opportunities. But we may not despise the day of small things. Esther had only personal beauty to com mend her at first. This is not a gift de spised by Satan in his attempt to- ruin a soul; then why should it be discredited as a power for -fc'ood? The lad had only five loaves and two fishes, but, consecrated to His service, tusy fed the multitude and more. It all tu-ns upon whether we are using onr endowments in the interest of self and by the evergy of self, or whether we are living and working in co-operation with Him and for His-glory. The form of a life will vary. God does not duplicate and make all lives to conform to a like pat tern. There ws ast difference between the captive maid ""that served in Naaman's home and the orpha 1 captive who mounted the Persian throne, but it was the same God who worked in isach. The orphan girl became the bounteous queen. She enjoys "5he honors and emolu ments of royalty. Banquets are held in her honor and a retinue of servants minister to her continually. Can she suDnort the dignity thus thrust upon her? Will adu-I lation, flattery and vanity enervate her soul's ability, or will she grow strong and potent for good amid opportunities? Only trial can answer such queries, and that i comes soon enough. From the outer world she hears the lamentation of her kindred people. Mordecai. her cousin, is in sack cloth and mourning and would net be comforted. All 4he captives are wailing : with fear. What could it mean? If she; had only been party to the conference be tween her royal husband and the prime minister prince she would have understood. If she could see all the clerks writing the sentences of death which were being hur ried throughout the empire she would have known. She seems to be exempt. Does she not dwell in the palace? But the blackness overshadows her even there. No circumstance or condition can 6hut it out. The court of Persia permitted no one wearing sack cloth, that symbol of sorrow and mourning, to enter the royal pre cincts. They would not .be disturbed by painful reminders of life's sorrows. But even the royal purple can neither ignore nor escape them. The tragedies of life are not shut out by hiding and ignoring them. We can build no barrier that will prevent their invasion. The Redeemer of the world did not ig nore them. He did not isolate Himself from human woe, but through suffering became a Saviour, forgiving sin. bringing glory out of the crucible of suffering and planting the iight of hope amid the shadows of death. If Esther seeks to save her life alone she will lose it. But if in seeking to save others she lose it. she shall save it. We cannot in a time of epidemic think of ourselves alone. Individual care fulness will prove fatal. There came a moment of despair to Esther. What can she do more than oth ers. She had not been called into the King's presence for a whole month. And to venture unbidden might mean death. She had her limitations. Even her position seemed unequal to the need. Her privil eges fell short. It is always so. -A grave crisis ever brings the shadow of despair. There are problems that confront every generation that seem insoluble. We become bewildered . and perplexed; we feel our in adequacy and desoair. This perplexity and despair is purely human. Its shadow never falls upon the throne of God. He Rhfill not fail nor be discouraged till He hath ect judgment in the earth. All that He re quires is an instrument that will not balk at the cost, and He brings speedy relief. Let us fling the sacrifice of life into the situation, and nothing shall be impossible to us. It is this desire to-keep -our-skins whole, and trr conserve our personal ease and ctmfort that miilces situations .'difficult. Paul Was an ontimist. because he . threw his life into the crisis. Comfort, ease, quiet, pleasure, were not aimed at bv him, therefore he could confidently write: ""I ant pressed on every side yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken: smitten down, yet not destroyed." Selfishness brings the mid nisht, self-sacrifice the dawn. Then followed Esther's her&c resolve. A crisis always develops the character. In a moment she read the meaning of her providential experiences. She saw some things of God's plan in her life. Why had she been exalted from the lowly position of an orphan to the regal 'dignity : of a queen? Why had she been preferred above all others for this great place? The mean ing begins to crystalize. God foresaw this crisis, anticipated the need, and for such a time as this was Esther come to the king dom. In the very heart of that gravest difficulty lay her supreme opportunity; Our greatest moments are often set in darkest circumstances. The providences of God have shaped our course, and there is a pur pose and end as definite as that of Esther's in our lives. The hand that guides may be invisible, and the light may not always illu mine the meaning. But if .we are faithful in trust and obedience to every cassias op portunity, we shall some time understand that we, too, are come to the kingdom for a specific end. . ., . To seize this supreme opportunity in volved a risk. She dare not wait to weigh the chances -too minutely. ; Life itself is . a stewardship. Duty constrains us i to pay out its energies in proportion to obligations and opportunities. Sometimes the whole price must be paid down at once. But if fife be held at the disposal of God it will make little difference whether it be paid in installments or at one payment. Life is a possession that we must surrender any way but we may elect whether it shall be invested in eternal treasure or squandered in temporal gratification.' ' Esther was shut up to two courses, and both threatened death. Silence and inert ness would mean to be overtaken in the general . massacre. Attempt at salvation mi7I Hut. antwMnate death.bv.a few days. and had the chance oY success. There is not much room for choice? Death isf'the worst that can come, and that will cfcine either way. Esther said, If I pens, VI. perish. jl nis is . y nuixjr muua i j.u expressions made by the martyr spirits fef history. It 'is the only attitude and expres- opportunity. In just such situations Moses said, "Blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written, Jesus said, "I hold not My life of any account as dear unto Myself- i am ready to die. W ho ever goes upon a great mission must, like the early Christians, take his rife in hi hands. It is only along that pathway that salvation lies. It is agreat price, but 01- ten paia ior an imciiui jjiujju. iiuiou! asks for life a3 the price of patriotism, home and freedom. Ambition demands life for reputation - ana nouor. vjoiue- nience and progress do not hesitate to ac cept life as a price. Our bridges, buildings and tunnels are built with the cost of life. Shall we. then, murmur at the missionary whn is willme to TISK lever ami nwi m iuc in tfrst of', eternal salvation? When ex amples of self-devotion tail into trie per spective of history we applaud the martyr spirit. God help us to value and covet it when near at hand. Esther went with fear and trembling, but not cowardice. Heroism is not fool hardy. To go forward in the iace of dan-; rraf Aoarla foal- ia ffllf" noiimoro. "PauL : ministered in Corinth with much weak ness, fear and trembling, but beneath all was the splendid heroism of self-devotion. : "If I perish" but such a spirit cannot perish. It may seem to fall in self-sacri- nce, but it does not perisn. come neroes of faith come out unscathed from conflict, they are delivered from the edge of the sword, the force of violence .and power of n J-v, t l J ' 1 1 .. killed. But they do not perish. The mar tyrs torn by lions on the Roman arena warA aa virt.nrinriR as Daniel who was de livered. The witnesses who burned at SmitAfield were as triumphant as the three men who could not be burned by the seven fold heat of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace. The Huguenots who fell on St. Bartholo mew's Dav were no less conquerors than o osnua s army, vnnsi uia not pensn yu the cross. Paul did not perish in Kome. Telemachus did not perisn in the Roman 1 arena. Such dying is the highway to life and power. .:; V:: X 'The Oueen asked the forfeited lutes oi ; her neonle. She was related to themand, a sufferer with them. From their sic! sher was moved with compassion. JbromVjier aueenlv position she obtained deliveram This is the object of all mediation. Our Saviour as the man Jesus is , touched with the feeling of our infirmities. As the ex alted Lord He intercedes to supply our need accordine to His riches in glory. The privilege of prayer is granted to us, that from the human siae we may feel the our den of human sorrow and woe-, and so be pressed into an intercession for divine suc cor. In our weakness we , are tempted to-abuse-this great carte blanche of our Lord. Salome, who received the same ' overture from a king as did Esther, asked the death ; prayer would end in death if granted. But no ca .naf, selfish suppficatiaH will receiye the indorsement of the Lord Christ, and consequently fails. : then we come to the banquet scene. It; is most suggestive. Only the hostess and' two guests but what issues tremble in the; balances. Esther is ;" under sentence of death. The dark hour is drawing nigh. Hamari, the prime minister, is in glee; he - is succeeding most marvelousiy. ; Xet in one day all is suddenly reversed. Tke Queen becomes the author of life and Ha inan is sent to the callows built for an other. Success may be upon us in the very darkest hour, while failure may be dog ging the tracks of the most lightsome heart. Kighteousness seems to ne worsted in the conflict with evil. Good measures ' seem to fail, evil ones to triumph. Scru pulous honesty goes to the wall, while trickery and fraud are crowned with sue-; cess Virtue is seemingly strangled and: vice is robed with rovaltV. ; And we are tempted to be envious at the prosperity of tne wicKea. .out we may not pass juag ment until the issue is seen. There , will come a day when righteousnessshall ikur ish and evil perish. The plots cf the world's Hamans, Herods and Judals, all miscarry. Sin and evil rot at the core. Righteousness and truth have the quality of immortality. At the rieht moment Esther not onlv stated the plot, but named . the adversanr and enemy this wicked Haman.. It was. an awful crisis. It is always a crisis when : contending principles come to the decisive struesrle- In evprv snnl thrA ic Himnn' who seeks tbe betrayal and -destruction of the spiritual life. In our conflict with this evil self there comes a time when we must be specific in naming the foe. No salvation. comes from generalities. This adversary and enemy may wear different names in' our disposition. It may be nride, envy,: jealousy,; bitcer.ness, worldiiness. etc.. Whatever it may be, it has planned our ruin and waits the moment of execution. Tf we would save our lives, families, cities and theworld we must deal uncompromis ingly with the particular Haman who ia working destruction. Not until - Haman goes to the gallows can life stand secure. .Having seized the supreme opportunity at great risk, Esther finds a great reward. The clerks write the message of life more rapidly than they wrote the sentence of death. ,ihe good work is hastened with more speed than the message of woe. Joy supplants sorrow and life comes in the place of death. The harvest of sacrifice ia life. We sow in tears, we reap in joy. In tms successful mission of JUsther the me diatrix we have an adumbration of the sal vation wrought out by Jesus Christ. He took His life in His hands. He died and rose again from the dead. - He secured a reversal of the sentence of death written against us and proclaims 'forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Ours is the privilege first to receive and rejoice in' this truth, and then to speed the glad tid ings to every creature in all the world. These are our supreme opportunities. They may be shadowed with self-sacrifice, but if they are resolutely seized they will issue in the morning of joy. . Victories Won. " Tt is not by regretting what is irrepar able that true work is to be done, but by making the best of what we are. It is not by complaining that we have not the right tools, but by using well the tools we have. What we are, and where we are. is God's providential:, arrangement God's doing, though it may be a man's misdoing; and the manly and the wise way is to look your disadvantages in the face, and see what can be made out of them. Life, like war, is a series of mistakes, and h&-Aa not the best Christian nor the best vneral who makes the fewest false steps, liia the best who wins the most splendid vic tories by the retrieval of mis takes." F. W. Robertson. Makes One Charitable. True- -religion will make its possessor truly charitable in dealing with nis busi ness associates and competitors. Rev Q4
The Times-News (Hendersonville, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 25, 1903, edition 1
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