RACHEL THE PLACIDBy George Matheson'THERE is a peculiarity which I have ohserv,';din these early pictures; each seems to gofarther back into the morning of individual life-The delineation of Sarah opens with the marriagecares. The picture of Rebekah has its fore-ground in a proposal of marriage. And now weare coming to a portrait which goes farther back still — behind the marriage cares, behind the dayof proposal — back to the very dawn of the court-ship, the first meeting of kindred hearts. Thesubject of this last portrait isfeachel, the daughterof Rebekah's brother, Laban. She appearsside by side with an elder sister, Leah; and theartistic appetite is whetted by their contrast. JWhat is the character of these two young women ?The Bible does not say. The Bible never com-ments; it paints; it leaves the comment to youand me. I defy any one to tell whether the ar-loo RACHEL THE PLACIDtist is for Rachel or for Leah; he is strictlyimpartial. The impartiality is all the more re-markable because Rachel is outwardly the at-tractive one; she has all the beauty of her auntRebekah. Leah has a blemish in the eyes — which I suppose means a cast. Rachel pre-possesses us physically ; Leah does not. But theartist keeps silence. He will not help us out inour judgment by giving his own ; he insists thatwe interpret for ourselves. I am but a humbleinterpreter and I may well be wrong; but I havelooked long at the picture, and in the absence of any superior authority I shall calmly state the
conclusion to which I have come.Comparing these two sisters, I should say thatRachel is the more blameless, Leah the deeper,nature. I think Rachel's Hfe is more blamelessprecisely because her nature is not so deep. Itis the deep sea which catches storms; the inlandlake is free. Rachel is an inland lake ; her naturehas never been subject to waves. On a surveyof her life I have ventured to call her "Rachelthe Placid." There is no other word which, tomy mind, so well describes her. You will meetRACHEL THE PLACID loiher type continually in the modern world. Doyou not know women who seem to go through lifeeasily — not because they have no outward waves,but because they have no inward waves ? Racheland Leah are continually before the modern eye.Leah regards the molehills as mountains ; Rachelmakes the mountains molehills. Leah takesthings to heart ; Rachel takes them into considera-tion. Leah sweeps the strings; Rachel playsquietly. Leah has peans for joy, and summertempests for sorrow ; Rachel is content to exhibita smile or a shower. Hence Leah is temptedto extricate herself — often by crooked means;Rachel is satisfied to wait and let things taketheir will.Let us follow the picture. When Rachel iskeeping her father's sheep at the well of Haranshe sees advancing a young man. He is notunexpected. It is her cousin Jacob, the son of her Aunt Rebekah. He has come as a fugitive — flying from his brother's vengeance. He salutesRachel with a kiss of frank and fearless affec-tion; it is as yet only a cousin's love and there-fore it is unreserved. But it is to be with him the
I02 RACHEL THE PLACIDbeginning of a deep and long devotion which is tolast beyond the Hfe of its object and to colourthe affection for her children. Let me pausehere for a moment to note an interesting fact.The first courtship in the Bible is pictured asgrowing out of a cousinly relationship — in otherwords, as having its root in a previous friendship.Is this an accident of the Bible Gallery ? I think not. I expect the primal flower to be typical of all flowers. Here is portrayed the primal flowerof incipient sexual love; and it is portrayed ashaving had its beginning in a previous and calmerfeeling — the interest called friendly. I am gladthat the Old Gallery has thus painted the primi-tive rose, for I believe that psychologically thepainting is true. I think that in all times thesurest sexual love is that which has begun with amutual friendship. It may be a less brilliantbeginning than erotic excitement; but it will lastlonger and leave richer fruit. Love should befounded upon liking. Does this seem a paradox — to build the greater on the less ? It is not reallyso, for liking has in it something which meresexual love may not have. I beheve "Hking" toRACHEL THE PLACID 103have the same verbal root as "likening." It im-plies mutual assimilation, congruity of nature,community of taste, appreciation of character,everything that is embraced in the phrase, "intel-lectual sympathy." Even in a matter which isnot sexual at all our Lord implies this: He asksPeter, "Simon, son of Jonas, hast thou a devo-tion to my character?" Simon answers —
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