e scribes were called in and the letters were written and sealed
with the king's ring, and sent out to every province in the kingdom.

Mordecai went out of the palace that day clothed in royal garments of
violet and white, fine linen and purple, and a great crown of gold upon
his head, and there was joy in Shushan, and there was joy among the
Jews all over the land. They hanged the ten sons of Haman, and
destroyed their enemies by the king's permission, so that they had rest
from persecution. They also set apart two days for a feast of
thanksgiving through all time, and the feast of Purim is kept by all
Jews to this day, as it was first confirmed by the decree of Esther.

And Mordecai was next to the king and honored by his brethren the Jews
as long as he lived, for he always sought their peace, and was as a
father to them.

CHILD'S STORY OF THE BIBLE.

THE NEW TESTAMENT.

CHAPTER I.

THE ANGELS OF THE ADVENT.

There was an old priest named Zacharias, who lived in the hill country
of Hebron, where Abraham the father of the Jewish people used to live.
He went to Jerusalem when it was his turn to serve in the temple, and
once while he was offering the incense of sweet spices on the golden
altar, he saw through the rising smoke an angel standing on the right
side of the altar. The good priest was frightened, but the angel said,

"Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard," and he promised that to
him and his wife Elizabeth should be born a little son, whose name
should be John. He was coming to prepare the way for the Messiah, and
must not drink wine or strong drink, for he was to be filled with the
Holy Spirit.

It was too wonderful for Zacharias to believe, and when he went out of
the temple he was dumb, and all the people who waited for him knew that
he had seen a vision. He did not speak while he stayed to minister in
the temple, and when his time of service was ended he went to his home
in Hebron.

A few months later the angel Gabriel went to the little town of
Nazareth, high up among the hills of Galilee, and spoke to a young girl
named Mary. She had never seen an angel, and she also was afraid when
he said to her,

"Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art
thou among women. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God."
And then he told her that she should become the mother of a Holy Child,
who should also be the Son of the Highest, and a King whose k