Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-01-14
The Hand riting On the Wall.
By J. r. nEAILEY.

! One evening royal form was seen walking
on The terrace of his palact, and looking of
upon the magnificent city ali his feet. As
his eye swept.round The ciic cult OF the walls
ilty miles ia circumferende. and three hun
! dred and fifty feet high, and saw their hun.
dred lofty gates Of brass Fishing in the sun
beams, and the hanging q hrdens suspended
nearly four hund red feel IN the heavens, load
/ ed win shrubs and waving trees, and spark
ling with fountain that iedped fr om benearf,
gayly decorated arches, and beo on the
wilderness Of palaces and dwellings, at his
feet, his lips murmured, Ills moi this great
Babylon that have built by the might Of my
power and for the honor of my msjesly?"-
And well he might indulge il vain boasting,
and believe that snought bb bt an eauhquake
that should sink The land CO uld shake the city
OF kls pride. Those mas sive walls broad
l enough for eight OF Ten darriages 10 drive
I abreast upon them, rose higher than the loflies.
jsplre Of our laad, I'LL The douds seemed 10
rest on their summit, while abound a deep ditch
wss sunk filled BY the EuBhraies Twenty
1 five gates OF brass upon each of III four sides
with strong towers between, bade defance to
mangonel qr baitering ram, while the boldest
might shrink from scaling those slippery
heights. Fifty STREETS. each a hundred and
| fifty feet broad and fifteen rblles long, went
from gate to gate, lined kuh palaces and
temples, and towers crowded with arches;
I'LL the eye aehed with the hagnifcence and
grandeur that met it at everE turn
ii Bn, deep down amid lhes costly piles was
la far different scene. BY 1.-The streams and
IfedDiains oyer which the willows wepi, sat
II band of Hebrew captifes, their harps hang
ling upon The dropping Abrab bches, and their
ads bowed IN grief 70 the gay promena-
Diets who paused as they passed, and asked
them to sing one of their native melodies,
/ they replied with tears InIihat strange land
lhdy could not sing, for thef hearts were TOO
! full Of Zion and her sad fate They were the
prisoners lefl from the spdls of Jerusalem;
! .tbut heir tears and prayers fS they sal there
srdrned and desolale, wede shaking that
proud city 10 IFS overthroH.f Iinle did the
ha4ehly monarch ihink. as 4e Iook ked on his
stronghold, that The cries "a hose neglected
c4Hives w4re bringing dotn, the lightning
OF heaven on its lowers and bauIemenls,
and 10 redress their wrongs fell at that mo-
lniebl The voice from heaved whitl. startled
thinl like lhuuder-real. ..THY klseDoM IS
DfFARTED FROM THEE."
Years have passed by. AMP Netuchadnez-
zar is in his tomb, resting in more. than regal
sIl@ndOr. amid the despoi} who have gone
!, before him; and another occupies his throne
ias naughty and wicked as be. Belshazzar
f1op has heard, bht not needed, the ftst NUT
jtetibgs of the coming storm The Persian
thousands have swarned for long time
faro 4nd The city 10 overthrow and sihpndered
bon its massive walls and braz I'm gates in vain
4 Equally vain were The attempts 10 scale
lheir heights from lofty towers Of palm
trees and so The baflled pc sa, down to
starye the inpregnable city into subjsc
riOn, and for Two years ha I hedged ii IN
win a wall Of men,. Al ibis last attempt,
also. The self-confdent mon arch laughs, iot
| his Igranar;es are Stored with provisions Nfor
tweely years. The prophets may prophecy
i and the capnyes pray; he mdcks at hem all,
! and girdled IL by his mpregf liable walls and
fortresses. and surrounded by his myriad
troops, he says: 81 WILL Ex 1T Ny THRONE
AMIp THE STARS OF Gop."
his night of fesliR;:y, ahd the baccha-
nails song and shout riag lhr bug the crowd
Jed streets OF Babylon. AroJ I'D her ancient
towers, the reeIing nultuda cry hosannas
10 their gods. Wine flows ike water, and
lust and revelry walk the strfets unchecked.
! 10 magnificent palace. hpsr, from the
rumdtuons crowd, the kin is Teasing a
thousand oil his loris. II is a gorgeous
room, column within column. arch above
arch long corridprs. magnificent statutes,
costly hangiogs. lfaping fod n'ai ms, and an
endless proIusiop Of ornamdnts combine to
form. a scene Of such dazzling sPlendor, thai
,be lnaccustome6 spectator is bewildered
1 and lpst in its midst. Ii is illuminated by
lights from golden candlealicHs, beneath
: which is spread a lab'e load I'D with golden
vessels.
RI Princes and nobles,. wives hnd mlsiresses
arrayed in splendid apparel women whose
5 beauty out dazzles the splenddr that surround;
, Them men of renoIwn--'he Eay, the votuP
tuous, and The proud are 'hefe. making ih'
,rches ring with their sones of reveIry ane
r shouts OF mirth. EveF and anon come ours
If mrsc. now swelling ri pm phan,ly ou
! ,hro,db ,be amplitude, and ndw dying away
! in soti and lulllng caienses, While the per
iume from burning censers,i Is walled =
clouds over The intoxicated rev fiiers.
!. A, eDgih the king. exeHed Fi'h VINE. eH :
| claimed. i"Bring ioT'h the Vfsaels o' go'
r that Were taken from the fieo1ewss 'ef'p.e'
and ,Ae servant brought them pa o0feeou