The Shasta courier., 1865-11-11
WIN is he chief.

ing oi the treasure chamber of Psammennitis'
the rich and learned king of Egypt. the ios-
lowing explicit being left on record by Hero
d'tus, most delightful Of his ,orians;
Inns wise and rich monarch got strosg
room bulit Tor the preservation of his lm
niense riches. but he scarcely showed his
wi>dom IN allowing its outward wall to be
accessible to all corners. for il formed a por
ton OF the boundary of the royal fortress
The cunning architect contrived that ole
large stone extending the entire breadth of
the wall might be easily rewnved without leav
s1g any perceptihle lntersiice, and on his
death bed be bequeathed the secret to his two
5 ms. These youths. soon after paying the
last respects to their fathers memory
repaired hy night to the outer wall. removed
the stone. and, getting into the chamber,
carried away some of its most precious con
tents. This was only t first visit and the
king, on his repeated inspections, found his
gbtierlng treasures diminishing without the
slightest clue to the nefarious means EN-
ployed. The inner surface Of the wall show.
ell not the slightest flaw, and to the strokes
OF the hammer every portion answered with
uniform solidity. The seals placed on the
door at his last going out were found untam-
peIed with on every succeeding visit, and the
poor kings perplexty advanced 10 an alarm
ing point. However, something should be
done, and the wise king did the wisest thing
under the circumstances. He laid in the
neighborhood Of the choicest article a trap
from which no escape was possible. and on
the next visit Of the brothers. the one who
ventured inside was effectually secured, body
and limbs
The other entering with all due precau
ton. they examined the machine, and found
no possible mode of escape. The captured
man then proposed to his brother to hehead
him. and thus save the lives and reputation
Of the other members Of the family. On the
free man expressing his repngnance to the
deed he answered, NV life is forfeited
whether YOU take it or not. If YOU refuse you
needlesslv sacrifice our mothers life and your
own" This view Of tie case decided the
brother to the abhorred deed. The head was
carried away and the stone replaced.
The hafiled king, on finding the headless
corse. had still to endure the annoyance of
knowing one tormentor AT least to be still at
large His next proceeding was to have the
body suspended from u gibbet ard closely
watched, the watchmen being privately in
strueted TO take into custody all who seemed
affected by sorrow at the sight.
The news coming to the ears Of mother and
brother, "a council was held to save their
dear relative from annihlation# Next even
ing the guards remarked "a clown driving
along an ass laden with wine skins and lust
rs he passed. and they were looking with
much concupiseenee on the comely bags, the
c1"d that tied the neck Of one of them came
bose aud out began to run the odorous red
stream. On rushe the men in a courageous
fashion to prevent the precious liquid from
merely soaking the ungrafeln ground. Some
mad" Its way down their thruats and the
neck If n other skin Icing 10. sed ly chance,
a further disirilu'ion took place, the owner
lamentnc his mi>hap aloud. However. as
there was Ito cure for spilled liquur, hut tn
drink it. he so"n joined bis helpers. and
getting exalted (in appelrance), he said he
did not mind opening another skin. and
drowning sorrow. The festival came to an
cad late IN the night, every guard lying
>upine, ami Indifferent to the result The
clown. in other words the brother Of the
victim, then shaved half the hair off every
maa'> head, and freeing the poor remains
from the ghhet, had them conveyed home,
embalmed. and united to the head
The king was at first highly enraged, hu'
he soon turned his thoughts to the appre
henson of the very talented criminal BY
proclamation he made known that his lau g.l-
ter was about selecting husband. and that
persons Of rank were at liberty to pay their
addresses. the mode beirg thus arranged =
The suitor WIS admitted to a certain dark
ened room in the palace, and the princess sat
at a easement communicating with this room.
She asked him certain questions. and if the
answers were not satisfactory, he was allow
ed TO depart unframed and unnoticed The
individual whose answers pleased the lady
would be her future spouse.
After several had undergone The trial the
expected man presented himself Being laid
under awful obligations to speak the truth.
he was told ia tie sweet but stately tones ot
the royal adv to reveal The most painful and
The most joyful incident of his past life
Dreading the dire consequences nfau untruth
he acknowledged that the behcading Of his
brother was the most sorrowful, and the re
cevery Of bis body the most joyful event of
his life
You are the man.' said she. firmly
gra~ping his covered wrist, which it's owner
did not attempt to withdraw. Lights
here Dompstics crowded into the darkened
rooms with fambcauA, but there was no man
within the outer apartment, and the, lady
found herself in ,s~ession of the arm Of
man lately dead. The wooer, fearing bad
faith bad come prepared
Psammenntis, being now at his wits end,
publicly invited his tormentor to present
himself. giving such a pledge as even the
King of Egypt could not fail to ratify, that
he would bona fdc pardon him and make him
his son-in law He was soon gratifed hy the
appearance If the outlaw, and neither he nor
his daughter was ever after heard t. com.
nlain of the new accession to the royal line
Of the Egyptian kings.
Il At some future time the soEls Of men would be
allowed to return to the resting places Of their
bodies aad If these last were in state Of preserva
tion. there was reunion and the enjoyment Of
new state of existence If the earthly tenement had
heen decomposed or destroyed, the spiritual essence
was now doomed to perish. Hence the pious atten-
tion Maid to the embalming Oh ancestors, and the
;udieii destruction Of the dead bodies Of those
whose lives had heen eminently wicked.
JoKE on \ iIUsBAND.-fte Be ford (Indi-
anal Indppendent saws that n. # the merry
wives IF that place played practical joke on
her husband. by having their babe. a sweet
little infant If six months. done up in has
ke. and left on The front door step. informing
him tba, he was the father ct the child. and
ms sunport it. The Indignant husband
w r, roundlv that it was not his. but saw
tt joae, finally. when he found the cradle
empty