Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-01-14

10 profane them. Bat they only laughed
and filing them wilhlwine, drank confusion t'
The God Of Israel aud .'.praised their gods o
gold and silver and brass and stone:" lot
midst Of their sacriIege, just as their mirti
and madness had reached The highest point
there t.cAME FORTH FINGERS OF MAN.
HAND. AND WROTE UroN TIE PLASTER OF
THE WALL" The sudden flash Of that illu
minated hand out dazzled the brilllancy OF tht
lighted room, and as the slowly moving hin
gers silently traced the letters of fire before
their e yes, terror and d. may fell on the rev
elers. The .starlled moparch turned pale
than the marble beside hiiln, the untasted COB
lei fell from his hand. and his knees smoie
together. Those loudest in their mirthrsud
denly grew Silent as de alh; Ihe seductive
look became solemn and Ianxious,-the mu
sic stopped in lis most loybus burst, and still
ness, broken only by the half suppressed
shtiek Of The lainting. or tremuous sigh:o1
utter fear ,reigned through lhe vast apartment
! W hen the dread line was hniShed, Inc nnSer
sill pointed yoicelessy 10 it, saying IN Ian
guage more impressive, than loudest thunder,
READ THY DOOM" OH what sudden
! change had passed over that halt Of rioious
mrlh: every mouth was scaled, every eye
/ fixed, and the upiurned laces of the ihrone
wore ghasly hue IN fge sight If that bla-
zins hand and those 4euers fiame.
A. length The King btoke Nae silence, and
cried aloud for his as,roIogers and wise men
| 10 read the mysterious wiring for him.
They gazel and turned aN bewildered aud
I terrified, Then Daniel, one of the Hebrew
captves who had been brought a mere boy
from Jerusalsnl, but had grown into favor
with the mohafch's father. INTERPRETED his
| dreams and toretold his doom--was brought
in. Turningio those fiery letters written in
his own language. he slowly read, ''MEsE
MEME rEKEL uPmARsIS" Then looking
steadfasily on The trembling, pallid king. he
i uniolded his crimes before him, ard pointing
above to the God he, had. scorned, whose
mandates he had irampTed under fept, he
read aloud the doom written there in letters
OF fire Oh the walls of his own palace: ." God
hath nur nbered thy kingdom and tirished ~
for "lhqu art weighed in the balances
and found wanting: Thy kingdom is divided,
given to the Medes and Persians."
He turned away. and scarcely had bis foot
steps diell along tile silent corridors, when a
distant fnurmur, like the far off sound Of
bursting pillows arose over the cilv Ii was
not the tramp and shout Of the drunken mus-
utude. Steiner sounds than the hurrahs OF
Jewellers. and steadier footsteps than those OF
reeling men commingled there-tlie baltle
cry Of charging fhous anis. and the measured
tread Of an army moving to battle. The Ea-
phra1es had been turned from its channel;
and undt trnealh The ponderous gates thai
closed over lis waters, the Persian host had
entered. and were now pouring in countless
numbers through the sueets. In moment
,heyasl dily was in an uproar, and rom l'm-
liz No limit rung the cry of ''ro ARMS, TO
ARMS and trumpels pealed and banners
waved, and swords dashed. while shouts
and shrieks sweIled thetunsItt gathering
force at every step. nov rolled like thunder up
TO The very gates of The palace. The streets
| fan blood; and borne backsbeiore the steadily
advancing foe, the wea1gaand mangied fragsll g
ments ofl.he royal army made last stand,
al gbe palace gates of,heN master. he TOO
turned atIbay, and throwing himself amid
| his Nguarh, ;, made one brave effort for his
throne. Oyerborne ana trampled under foot
he soon fell amid his f5llowers and the exc
ted conaderors s,reamed through the roya
apartments, They entered the hall of The
jewellers: and ,he sacrilegious fell where a
moment before they had shouted for iheIi
gods. The wine goblets still stood on theta
bic. and the perfume stlll filed the room, bu
the HAsp-wRlTiNG, had disappeared, for il:
denouncipg woe had been fulfilled, .The j.
Illuminated and gorgeous apartment--lhff
\ th,one Of princely ieasters-the hand and
characters Of fire the battle. and the slaugh
| ,er had succeeded. each other with frighttu
Y rapidiy, aud now The silence OF deaih spci llT
ceeded all. III
III. Over tile sckening scenes, of that terrible
night we draw the yeilof Oblivion. A vas
and ,hrong ged city taken by storm and givet
nm IN rapine and lust is one of the few spec
EtacIes fha: make US ahhorA eur race. Bu
Babylon had fallen and her glory gp0nnee fior
ever. I'M a lew years magnificent 4uIn wa
ALI lila, I'd NAMED Of her former Eplendor.-
Wild beasts and reptiles warmed Ithfrogugl
her ancient palaces-th owl hdoied >in' ih,
nrese.nce chamber OF kin gs. ard the vamPyr
tapped his wings in ihe apartments % %one
occupied by the beautiful and me Prouhpfs- :
rler strong towers and baulem4 4nis slowl
erumbled back 10 their original dasi. and ST
! lence and desolation reigned, where h pncee e 'h ?
/, hum Of p mighty population hdd' sounifef l1 e
The dust Of the desert has long slhce coyefe