THE NEW QUEEN.

Esther to be left an orphan and a
prisoner in a strange land! But
that kind God who says, “ Leave
thy fatherless children, I will pre-
serve them alive,” took care of this
little girl when her parents could
_ take care of her no more. Esther
had a relation named Mordecai. He
was a good man, and a kind friend
to this poor orphan ; for when her

parents died, he took her to live.

with him as his own daughter.
Esther grew up to be very beauti-
ful; but the Bible does not praise
her for her beauty. We have often
read, that God does not look at the
outward appearance, but at the
heart; holiness is what pleases
Him, not beauty. “Favor is de-
ceitful, and beauty is vain; but a
woman that feareth the Lord, she
shall be praised.” Prov. xxxi. 20.
And did Esther fear the Lord?
Yes; we may hope that she began
early to seek the God of Israel ; and
that He was her father, when her
earthly father was gone. She was
- a gentle, affectionate, obedient child
to Mordecai; for all who truly love
and obey God as their Heavenly
Father, will love and obey earthly
parents too. Mordecai had been
like a father to Esther, and she
knew that she ought to honor and
love him.

When the king commanded all
the young women to be brought to
the palace, Mordecai let Esther go
with them; but every day he went

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to the palace to ask how she was;
for he loved her, and felt very anx-
ious about her. The king, and the
people in the palace, did not know
that Esther was a Jewess. Mor-
decai had desired her not tell them
this, and Esther kept the secret as
he wished. Mordecai did not desire
Esther to tell a lie; that would
have been very wrong; it is never
right to say what is untrue; but,
sometimes, it may be right and wise
not to tell all we know. Mordecai
thought it best that Esther should
not be known as a Jewess in a
place where the Jews had so many
enemies.

When the young women. were
brought before the king, he liked
Esther better than any of them,
and chose her for his queen. So he
took the crown, and put it upon her
head; and then he made a great
feast for his princes and servants;
and all the people rejoiced very
much because Esther was queen.
This was a great honor to Esther!
She was taken to live in a palace,
and had everything she could de-
sire. But Esther had great need
now of God’s help and guidance,
for she had many temptations in
the palace; riches, and worldly
pleasures, and vain company. We
may hope that she asked God to
keep her from loving these things
too much; and that He heard her
prayer.