harvest field, and carries home her scanty sheaf and shares it with her mother. By a series of simple incidents the story tells how she met with Boaz, and of her marriage.

The whole story is as simple as the prattle of a child, as homelike as the kitchen fire. The heroine does nothing at all heroic. The circumstances are as commonplace as possible; the only distinction is poverty and toil. There is not a spectacular scene in the whole story, nor any incident that is remarkable; yet this story has charmed its readers for four thousand years, because it is the real life of a womanly woman. She was poor, but all her conduct had a sweet dignity that commands respect. She toils in the field for a petty compensation, but brings home her honest earnings and shares it with her household with a simple grace. Though poor and bereft and hard working, there is never a whimper nor a cry, but a sweet and gentle acquiescence in her lot that is in perfect taste. She manifests no high degree of culture, but she has the real refinement of an honest heart, the essential elegance of a womanly woman.

It is a refreshing picture for our time of ultra conventionality and artificial grace; a pleasing contrast to the sordid sham of the pretentious rabble of rich but ill bred idlers, who flaunt themselves to the admiring gaze of a silly world.

Yet it is not at all the story of religious enthusiasm. It is a story of every day life, with its homely problems of food and home, of love and marriage. Ruth was no cloistered nun, nor pale-faced martyr, nor brilliant heroine of some tragic incident, but a woman of the common people, doing common duties in most ordinary circumstances, but doing them with the simple sincerity of a clean heart and a right spirit.

The beauty of this story is like the beauty of the forest or the meadow, the fundamental beauty of the common things.

Such is the story of the book of Ruth. It is a fine example of the most fundamental of all virtues, the virtue of a sweet and sane domestic life.

ESTHER

The story of Esther is one of the gems of literature,—one of the great stories of the world.

It is in striking contrast with the Book of Ruth. Instead of lowly scenes of poverty and toil, we have here the gorgeous splendor of an oriental court; instead of the gentler graces of a commonplace lot, we have the tragic heroism of a beautiful queen; and in place of the peaceful employments of the farm and village, we have the villainous intrigues of a corrupt politician and the shrewd devices of a typical Jew. I know not which is the more beautiful; as I know not which to admire more, the stupendous grandeur of the snow crowned Alps, or the quiet beauty of the fertile valley. The world is full of various beauty, so life is full of diverse excellence.

The story of Esther is familiar. This Hebrew girl by her unusual beauty wins the highest social position in the world of her time.

In the bloom of her youth, and in the very noonday of her remarkable prosperity, a crisis arises in the history of her people. It is suggested to her that, if she will risk her life on their behalf, it is barely possible that she may save them from destruction. She hesitates, because the risk is great and the chance of success is small. It seems a forlorn hope, and she has much to lose.

But Mordecai, her cousin and foster father, exhorts her to consider that this may be the providential reason for her being placed upon the throne. "Who knows," said he, "but that thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

The issue was now clearly before her. On the one hand, she could hardly have supposed that she herself was in any serious danger, and her people were probably but little known to her. To risk her life for them was certainly a very great deal to ask. On the other hand, she knew their danger, and that it was possible, at least, that, by throwing her life into the balance, she

might turn the scale and save them from destruction.

It is a most dramatic situation. On the one hand was her youth and beauty, the highest social position in the world, and the very instincts of life itself, all pleading hard, as they are ever wont to plead, "let this cup pass from me." On the other hand was duty, stern, uncompromising duty, pointing to a path, that, in all human probability, meant death; and fruitless death at that.

We must weigh all this if we would rightly judge the splendid heroism of this Hebrew girl, and properly appreciate the courage of the answer which she had the grace to send to Mordecai, "Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night nor day; I, also, and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish."

Then, the thrilling story of her bold adventure into the king's forbidden presence, the success of her noble effort, the escape of her people, the poetic justice of Haman's fate, the establishment of the feast of Purim which has been celebrated from that day down to this all these combine to make the story of Esther what we have called it, one of the gems of literature, among the first and finest in the world.

It teaches in the most effective way the everlasting truth, that the people's need is the hero's opportunity, and that no one can separate himself from his community, his race, or the times in which he lives. "Who knows but thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" is but a more poetic way of saying, “a public office is a public trust," and social eminence is a moral opportunity.

The book of Esther is in some respects a surprising book to be included in the canon and classed as Holy Writ. It has but little of the odor of sanctity. The word God does not occur in all its pages. But is not this the most effective way of teach

ing that all duty is religious duty, all truth is God's truth, and whether He reveal his truth by the rapt visions of a holy prophet, by the fervent words of a Galilean fisherman, or by this pleasing picture of an oriental queen, no matter. No matter what light we see by, if only we do see.

THE BOOK OF JOB

We have had occasion to speak more fully of this book when we considered Hebrew poetry; but here we look for a moment at its place in the Hagiography and its contribution to the ethical ideal give in these books.

The book as a whole deals with a problem, a question as old as human philosophy, namely, the mystery of Providence: Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper?

The important teaching of the book is not the answer which it gives to this question, for it really gives none, but rather the practical duty of man in view of the fact that there is so much in his lot that he cannot understand. In other words, it is a defense of the proposition that confidence in God is reasonable because we have convincing proof of his wisdom, power and love; therefore we can safely trust our life to his good purpose, and find our wisdom in obedience.

"Behold, the fear of the Lord; that is wisdom. And to depart from evil is understanding." This is the great practical doctrine of the book, and its contribution to the scheme of conduct presented in these books so well called Holy Writings.

THE PSALMS

From the book of Job to the Psalms is an easy step. The reasonableness of trust in God and obedience to him is the practical basis of all religious devotion. This doctrine, so sublimely presented in the book of Job, seems to find a natural response in

the Psalms, where the emotions of love and loyalty and sweet devotion find expression.

The Psalms are the composition of many authors, and they are of various dates-probably from the time of Moses to the time of the restoration from the captivity in Babylon-a period of over one thousand years. Yet the conception of God's character and his relation to man is the same throughout them all. The same ideals are cherished, and the graces of love and reverence and gratitude are sung and celebrated.

They have to do with the feelings, the religious affections; and these find their best expression in poetic forms and musical

art.

Many of the psalms were composed for use in public worship, but their use was never confined to such service; they were always the fit and effective expression of the personal experience of individual souls.

By the psalms, probably more than by any other means, was the religious life of the people cultivated and exalted, and they, therefore, have always held the first place in the affections of those who love God and endeavor after righteousness.

They are preeminently hagiography-holy writings-and most effective in the cultivation of that state of mind from which all righteous conduct flows.

The affections are the very root of character; conduct is but the rolling waves upon the surface of life, but love and devotion are the deep sea of the soul itself. What we are consists essentially in what we love, and love is cultivated by its expression.

In the forming of right ideals and in the attainment of those ideals, the psalms of Hebrew scriptures have been the most. potent factor.

THE PROVERBS

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of practical maxims for the guidance of our daily lives. They are the sifted gleanings of