ords are read. The record shows that Mordecai had saved the life of the king against two conspirators. "What honor and dignity hath been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" "There is nothing done for him.' The king falls asleep.

Scene 5. (4-10) "Who is in the court?" asks the king awaking. Haman is waiting at the door to make his request for the head of Mordecai. Haman comes in. "What shall be done unto the man whom the king delights to honor?" asks the king of Haman. Haman thinking himself the man, suggests a most signal honor. "Mordecai is the man," cries the king.

Scene 6. (11-14) The procession through the streets. Mordecai returns in humility to his post. Haman goes to his home "mourning and having his head covered." The chamberlain comes to hasten him to the banquet. He is not now so anxious to go.

Scene 7. (VII: 1-10) The second banquet. Esther has completely won the king. He is willing to grant any request from her. With dramatic intensity she accuses Haman, the Jew's arch enemy, of plotting the death of her people. The king is enraged against Haman and condemns him to death at once. He is hanged on the gallows prepared for Mordecai.

Act. IV. Esther's Undoing of Haman's Wrong and Mordecai's Elevation to the Premiership.

Scene 1. (VIII:1-2) Haman's house given to Esther. Mordecai made prime minister.

Scene 2. (3-17) Esther again a suppliant at the feet of the king. She asks for a reversal of the decree against the Jews. It can not be repealed. But a counter decree is sent out to all the 127 provinces of the kingdom. Mordecai now appears clothed in his gorgeous robes of state "and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.'

Act V. Esther's Deliverance of Her People and the Institution of Purim.

Scene 1. (IX: 1-11) The thirteenth day of the month of Adar has come. There is bloody strife throughout the

kingdom. Seventy-five thousand of the Jews' enemies are slain; 500 in the palace; and Haman's ten sons.

Scene 2. (12-16) Esther again appears before the king. She asks for a second day of slaughter in Shushan. The plea is granted. On the 14th 300 more people are killed, and the bodies of Haman's ten sons are hanged on the gallows.

Scene 3. (17-32) The Jews name the days of slaughter "Purim" and institute a memorial feast. Esther and Mordecai send orders to all the Jews of the kingdom to observe the days of Purim-the 14th and 15th of the month of Adar.

Epilogue. The Glory of Ahasuerus and the Greatness of Mordecai.

King Ahasuerus lays a tribute on the land and on the isles of the sea; and Mordecai is next unto the king and great among the Jews (X:1-3).

Lessons:

1. The presence of an overruling providence: The result of the lots. The reading of the court records. Esther's elevation to the throne.

2. "When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice (VIII: 15), but when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn (III:15)."

3. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

4. Courage and faithfulness will win. Examplesboth Esther and Mordecai.

5. There is a large measure of retribution in this world. The relation and fate of Haman and Mordecai present a good illustration of poetic justice.

6. God cares for his children individually. The name of God is not in the book but his presence is there.

The story of Esther is told with noteworthy art and dramatic power. The characters are well delineated, set forth by action and not by analysis. The plot is cleverly constructed. The introduction, of two chapters, presents the setting and the general situation, and disposes of Vashti and places Esther on the throne. The rising

action or entanglement begins with the embroilment of Mordecai and Haman and by a succession of thrilling incidents is carried to a climax in the sentence of death pronounced against Haman. The events following the climax are important in the story but are on a much lower plane of interest.

The movement of the plot from the issuing of Haman's decree to the climax is skilfully managed. The incidents are all big with importance and some of them thrillingly dramatic. In a spirit of self-sacrifice, Esther ventures her life for her people by intruding into the audience chamber of the king. She requests only that the king and his minister come to a banquet in the queen's apartments. At the banquet Esther so charms the king that she may have her wish for the asking, but she postpones the issue.

The delay gives birth to two important plans, both affecting Mordecai: one by the king to honor him, the other by Haman to hang him. When Haman visits the king early in the morning to ask for the life of Mordecai, he receives an order to confer a signal honor upon him. Thus does the writer indicate the changing fortunes of the two protagonists.

The scene of the second banquet is highly dramatic. Esther pleads for her life, "for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish." "Who is he, and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so?" angrily asks the king. The climax comes in the bitterly accusing words of Esther: "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!" There are few stories with better plots and more thrilling incidents.

CHAPTER X

THE BOOK OF JONAH

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Ammittai saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us? What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from her

raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid aside his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God, yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said,