Part 3 (1/2)
The men were always obedient, as the Bible proves conclusively. They obeyed everybody and anybody--kings, mothers, wives, sweethearts and courtesans.
But where can we find any evidence of the vaunted obedience of woman?
Not among the prominent women of the Bible at least.
Rebekah influenced her husband in all matters, advanced one son's interests and balked another's aims, prospects and ambitions. In short she played her cards with such consummate skill that she captured everything she cared to take.
Jacob was obedient, complimentary, submissive and loving and Rebekah was--a woman.
A WOMAN'S MONUMENT.
A WOMAN'S MONUMENT.
[Ill.u.s.tration: (And there came two angels to Sodom.)]
”And there came two angels to Sodom, at even.”
Now Lot and his wife were residents of Sodom, and they entertained in the most courteous and hospitable manner the angels who were the advance guards of the destruction that was about to sweep the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into oblivion, leaving only a blazing ash-strewn tradition to scare the slumbers of the wicked, and stalk a warning specter down the paths of iniquity through unborn ages.
And the softening twilight fell upon the doomed but unconscious cities. Unpitying Nature smiled joyously. The cruel sun, possibly knowing the secret of the angels, gayly flaunted his myriad colors, and disappeared in a blaze of glory without wasting one regret upon the wicked cities he would see no more forever.
No angelic hand wrote in blazing letters one word of warning across the star-gemmed scroll of heaven; but the song rung out on the evening breezes, laughter rose and fell and the red wine flowed; women danced lightly on the brink of destruction and men jested on the edge of the grave.
And yet some rumor of these angels and their errand must have reached the fated cities, for after Lot had dined and wined them before they retired, ”the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compa.s.sed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter.”
And Lot went out and tried to pacify them, but his eloquence and his pleading were in vain, and they said, ”Stand back.” And they said again, ”This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”AND LOT WENT OUT AND TRIED TO PACIFY THEM.”]
And I imagine there was a great tumult and confusion, angry words, flas.h.i.+ng eyes and an ominous surging to and fro, ”and they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot,” but still he pleaded the defense of the angels, and meanly offered to bring out his two young daughters and give to the howling mob--but the pa.s.sion that glowed in the eyes and trembled in the voices of the raging throng was not a pa.s.sion to be allayed by the clasp of a woman's hand, the flash of her azure eye, or the touch of her lips; and besides, that boisterous, angry crowd evidently did not believe in the efficacy of vicarious atonement and they flouted the offer. The uproar increased, curses and maledictions rung out, the demand for the men grew louder and louder, and at this perilous moment the angels ”put forth their hand and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door,” and ”They smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.”
And in that crus.h.i.+ng moment when eternal darkness fell upon the mult.i.tude the cries of anger and revenge died away, and such a moan of anguish and despair burst upon the affrighted night that the very stars in heaven trembled.
Then the angels confided to Lot their dread secret and told him to warn all his relatives to leave the city with him, and he went out and told his sons-in-law of the impending calamity, and he ”seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.”
The morning came blue-eyed and blus.h.i.+ng, and the angels hastened Lot and his wife, and hurried them out of the city, saying, ”Escape for thy life: look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plains: escape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed.”
Now if there were any more disreputable people in the cities than Lot's two young daughters, we don't wonder that the vengeance of a just G.o.d sent a blasting storm of bursting flames to lick with their fiery tongues these wicked cities from the face of the earth. What does arouse our wonder is that those fair girls with the devil's instincts smouldering in their hearts should be allowed to escape the general baking. But excuse us; our business is to state facts and not to wonder or surmise.
[Ill.u.s.tration: (Lot's wife looked back.)]
From subsequent facts we suppose that Lot's wife sadly, perhaps rebelliously, lingered, for we find the angels saying again:
”Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou come thither,” and they escaped to the city of Zoar, ”and the sun was risen upon the face of the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.”