phet, and speaks of him with all the assurance of full intelligence and unwavering confidence. "He would recover him of his leprosy." That was much to know, and much to say. Yet was it so known, and so said, as to claim authority, and produce conviction,-and that, too, upon superior minds. "Thus and thus said the maid," the Syrian king was told. And the king was moved, and the letter of introduction is prepared, directed to the monarch of Israel; and the "great and honorable captain"-the "mighty man of valor," is presently on his way to Samaria, with splendid equipage and magnificent presents. That little voice, and those few words-few, yet effectiveproduce great movements.

And there is no ultimate disappointment. The great captain returns to his wife, and to the little maid, a renewed being-renewed first, in body, his flesh as that of a little child, and renewed in mind and spirit, offering thereafter, no sacrifice, save to the true God, and bearing as he comes the great prophet's blessing.

It seems safe, then, to infer a better destiny for the captive child. Health, piety, happiness, and life, had all come, through her agency, to the great man her master. Did he not bless her, then, as he returned with joy from the prophet's presence? Found she not again her native home? And were riches and honor withheld from her whose fair wishes for her master's welfare were but the prelude of their full accomplishment?

Be her memory then forever lovely! Her voice was delicious music, and the outbreathing of her lips was health and fragrance. Her words were full of modesty and discretion-and they were winged words "—and their echo was as protracted as it was beautiful. was beautiful. “Would my lord were with the prophet!" He was promptly with the prophet. "He would heal him!" He did heal him.

The moral of the story touching the "little maid" is this :-That a child—a little captive one -may, by a "fitly spoken" word, perform a good whose influence shall be incalculable and everlasting.

Vashti.

VASHTI was wife of Ahasuerus, king of Persiawho was the same as Artaxerxes, son of the famous Xerxes. That period of her history of which we have an account in the Scriptures, was four hundred and sixty years before the birth of Christ. Sacred and profane history both assign to her husband an extensive and mighty empire, reaching from India on the east to Ethiopia west, and embracing one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. Such was the great dignity of Vashti, whose beauty and accomplishments appear to have been correspondent with her lofty position. In the third year of her husband's reign, extraordinary festivities

were ordered by him, in his palace at Shushan, where, during one hundred and eighty days, he entertained all the princes and nobility of his numerous provinces, and displayed before them the exuberant riches and splendor of his kingdom. At the end of the hundred and fourscore days, he ordered another feast for the people of the city, which continued seven days; and during the same time Queen Vashti made a feast for the women, in accordance with the oriental custom of the separation of the sexes on such occasions.

On the closing day of this latter feast, and when the king was "merry with wine," he sends his seven chamberlains to conduct the queen, in full array of royalty, to the presence of the king, in order that he might exhibit to the assembled nobility and people her extraordinary beauty. The queen refused compliance with the king's requisition, and, as a consequence, with the advice and counsel of his wise men, she was divorced from her husband-was deprived of the royal dignity, and another ascended to occupy the position which she had forfeited.

After this there is no more related of Vashti ; nor is there necessity for anything further. Enough is written to illustrate the perfect propriety of her conduct, as well as the consummate injustice she was compelled to receive at the hands of her graceless husband. All those aspects of Vashti's character which we are permitted to discern, are becoming and beautiful. We observe a decorous

cordiality and sympathy in the festivities which, on this great occasion, were ordered by the king. We perceive her readiness to associate with him in the feast of seven days to the people of Shushan, and, in accordance with the Persian customs, to entertain the mothers and daughters, while the king should provide the banquetings for the fathers and sons. She exhibits herself as prompt to every act of propriety and courtesy. She was one with her royal consort, so long as he was self-possessed and rational. She was obedient, as was meet, while the king was worthy of her obedience. But when, after long wine-drinking, he became intoxicated, and was no longer a man, and reason was dethroned, and virtue was prostrate, and the commands of his lips became but as the babblings of insanity,—then, most appropriately and righteously, she declined his requirements. What virtuous princess of modern kingdoms would not, in similar circumstances, imitate her noble example?

There are several considerations that challenge our respect and love for this beautiful queen of Persia.

We respect and love her for her dignity. She was a distinguished personage, and stood in a distinguished position. Few women were ever more elevated in rank or station. With a proper appreciation of her position and duty, she justly scorned to be placed on exhibition, and exposed to the rude gaze of a bacchanalian host, with the prince of bacchanals at their head, and acting as

master of ceremonies. What respect, after such a degrading ceremony, could she have ever retained for herself-her husband-or her station?

We respect and love her for her modesty and humility. A vain and ostentatious lady might, with little hesitation, have complied with the royal command. She might have been prompt, despite of all impropriety or disgrace, to seize such an opportunity for the proclamation and display of her charms. But nothing like this was the character of this noble woman. She possessed beautypeerless beauty of person; for she stood at the head of her sex throughout that vast kingdom-a position for which personal elegance appears to have been a capital test of qualification. Had she been vain, rather than virtuous-and ostentatious, rather than modest, what a rare opportunity was now presented for the gratification of her ambition! But such a ceremony was utterly distasteful. She chose to bloom in retirement, and counted the cruel exposure to which she was cited, to be but the sad blighting of her charms, and the eclipsing of all her brilliancy.

We respect and love her for her disinterestedness. The sacred narrative, with its characteristic brevity, forbears to admit us into the more private halls of that splendid palace. We are not permitted to look upon Vashti, as she receives the shameful message to prepare herself to stand as a public spectacle. The struggle which for a moment agitated that delicate and accomplished