The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1865-10-19
PA.T 9 NUNB
NUMBER /.


: y
The nearer ne. approached the Grea,
Egyptian Pyramid, the more It rose upop
Us as revelation of majesty and power.
hen II was proposed 10 me TO ascend II.
agreed, as a matter of course; and when
one OF our party kindly hinted at the DIFF
iculty, looked up to the artificial mole
hll and, staggering about my exploits
on Highland aud Swiss Mountains, / ex-
panded my chest, drew myself UPRIGHT.
and pitied the skepticism of my fellow
traveller The offer of the Arabs to help
me up rejected with smile of quiet as
surance and contempt Walking along
the base of the structure, which seemed
lnterminable, We got upon the FIRST ledge
and began the ascent. Half dozen bare
armed, lightly clad, dark complexionod.
white teethed children OF the desert sur.
round me-measuring me with their ewes.
and jabbering irreyerently in Arabic
about my size, believe; but they ended
by volunteering their assistance Their
speech was interlarded with the one word
which constantly occurs aud forms an
important portion of the language of mod
ern Egypt and Canaan-backsheesh ]
begged them courteunsly to leave me ;aud.
with an elasticity remarkable to no opa
but myself, | mounted the frs. STEP
Having done so, felt entitled TO psuse
and breathe for this step seemed to be a
five foot wall of rhinestone. To my amaze
ment [ found another before me, and an
other, each Of which [ climbed with the
/ assistance, l confess, of the Arabs-tyo
| before and three behind-but with con-
! stantiy diminishing sense Of strength, and
/ an increasing anxiety to know when [
should reach those short, easy steps which
! L had been gazing at from below. | was
told that the steps to the summit were all
like these l had passed, but was also
! told not to be discouraged thereby, as, by
hard work, / should be good way uD
/ IN half an hour and ence up [ could
rest, SO as to be fit for the descent.
which, after all, was the real difficulty
L gazed up TO a series of about 200
stone walls, which, after reaching to an
elevation of 40 feet higher thar the ball
/ of St. Pauls, were lost at last in the blue
| sky, and looked down half dizzy to the
/ base beneath me. The next wall above
| me was somewhere about nv chest or chinl
So, meditating upon the vanity Of human
wishes, upon the loss TO my parish $50 ar
/ gued the fesh) by vacancy occurring,
upon the inherent excellence of humility,
/ the folly Of pride aud sinful ambition. /
! then in a subdued yet firm tone declared
/ that no arguments with which | was then
acquainted would induce me to go yard
higher. l pleaded principle, but strength
ened my convictions By pointing to the
! burning sun and the aoscnce of lad
/ der. Bidding, therefore, farewell to nv
companions, who went up those giant
! stairs, [ begged my olamor0us guides. who
clung around, to leave me until they re-
! turned The obvious terror of the 4 rabs
was that they would lose their pay; but [
mustered breath enough to say, in the
! blandest manner, "Beloved friends and
fellow laborersl sons of the desert fol-
lowers OF the false prophet leave me; 90
round the corner; | wish to mediate
upon the past; depart !" And then |
I emphatically added "BacksheesL, back
! sheesh, back ksheeshI YesI' They seem
ed to understand the latter. part of nv
address, held up their fingers, and respon-
ded, "Backsheesh? yesw bowed,
'EGood % They replied, 1--WE are salts
fed" and vanished And so they left
me, some twenty steps up the pyramid,
and looking towards Ethiopia and the
sources of the Nile. / was thankful for
the repose One had time to take in the
scene in quiet, and TO get Whit of the
/ inexha1stible past in that wondrous spot
! The Arabs away, everything was calm as
/ the grave, except for the howls Of a wan
dering jackal that, like a speck, was trot-
/ ting away over the sand beaeath me-
! Good Words.