THE POST OF THE DESERT

 

THE POST OF THE DESERT -HISTORY OF AFRICA

THE swiftest sort of dromedary can travel six hundred and thirty miles in five days, which is one hundred and twenty six miles per diem. The Arabs call this postman 'El heirie,' and they say, if you meet one of these swift travellers and cry to the rider, 'Peace be to you!' he will be afar off, and nearly out of sight, ere he has returned your greeting. 
 What important letters have been carried by the post of the desert! Let us peep into one. It bears the sign manual of Ahasuerus, a king of kings. Kings are often unwise, and allow bad men to mislead them. Some of our own kings have done this. Ahasuerus had a very wicked favourite, called Haman. And the king ordered everyone to bow the knee to his wicked favourite, and every one did so, except Mordecai, a Jew, who would not bow to Haman, because he thought the reverence required was due to God only. Haman was excessively angry, and vowed vengeance not on Mordecai only, but on the whole nation of the Jews. 

So the wicked favourite persuaded the king the Jews were lawless, and disobedient, and worthy to die, and the foolish king believed Haman, and ordered his secretaries to write letters to every lieutenant and governor in his wide, wide kingdom, ordering them in the name of Ahasuerus to kill all Jews, young, and old, little children, and women, in one day, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. And the letters were sealed with the king's seal, and sent by posts into all the king's provinces. The fatal letters went by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries, according to the Persian custom. Herodotus tells us nothing was known in his day more expeditious than these messengers. A man rides as fast as he can, and may not stop for snow, rain, heat, or darkness. He reaches a place, where he finds another man ready with a fresh beast; to him the letters are given, and he rides away like the wind, bearing good or evil tidings, waking up joy or sorrow. What grief there was among the Jews when the king's cruel order became known! Men rent their clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and wept bitterly. Everywhere there was mourning in Israel, and many lay in sack cloth and ashes. 

You will be glad to know Haman's wicked plot was defeated. One night the king was restless, and could not sleep. To beguile the tedious hours, he had the chronicles of the kingdom brought to him. In that book he read of a design against his life, which had been discovered by Mordecai, and he asked whether the saviour of his life had ever been rewarded. It was found out that no recompense had been made him. So the king said to Haman, 'What shall I do to the man whom I wish to honour?'

Haman thought, 'The king must mean me, of course, for who is so high in his favour as I am?' There fore Haman said aloud, 'Let the man whom the king desires to honour be set on the king's horse, and have the crown royal on his head, and let one of the noblest princes lead him through the city, and pro claim, "Thus shall it be done to the man, whom the king delights to honour." 

It was indeed a bitter drop to Haman, to be obliged to lead about Mordecai, thus exalted; but he had to do it, and a worse thing came behind it, for the wicked plotter was found out, and hanged on the gallows he had prepared for the Jew he hated.  The king, whose eyes were now opened, wrote letters to all the rulers of his hundred and twenty-seven provinces, granting the Jews permission to draw the sword in their own defence, which was all the favour he could allow them after his first decree had been written and sealed; for the absurd law of the Medes and Persians was, that no law, wise or foolish, could be altered. And now again the letters went by posts over the whole of the vast realm of Ahasuerus, from India to Ethiopia, carried on horseback, and by riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries; and in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's decree, came the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast, and a good day.  And when the once dreaded hour arrived, the Jews armed themselves to resist those, who had permission to slay and rob them. And the Jews were the better men, and killed seventy- five thousand of their enemies. So evil was that ridiculous law which ordained there should be no change in the king's decree, wlien it once had been once signed and sealed.

Many a cruel order has been carried by the fleet dromedary since that time, and many a message of mercy likewise. The guiltless 'El heirie' has kindled many a war, filled many a city with dismay, sent many a one to his prayers, turned many a face pale, tied the bowstring about many a villainous Pasha's throat! Look, then, on 'El heirie' with respect, for his four bony legs may be now carrying a secret which will kindle the last war-flames that are to burn, and usher in the everlasting reign of the Prince of Peace.

 G.S.O.  

References:

Chatterbox 1877