The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-07-23

"hch my AdtucC Hao FeSlreC 10 resi- In ms
own cell. Thou mayest fulfill thy promise
then; but woe unto thee if thou deceivest
mel"
The genius gradually became less pal
pable as he spoke these words; and, by
the time the concluding menace issued
from his lips, he had vanished altogether.
Hamet retraced his steps toward the grotto,
with sorrowful heart but he would not
confide his anticipated disgrace TO the af-
tectionate parent who welcomed his return.
The day passed rapidly away and in
the evening, Hamet and his sire knelt
down as usual at the door of the grotto,
with their faces toward the south, to raise
their voices in prayer. When their ves-
pers were concluded, the old man embraced
his son tenderly and retired to the inner
part of the grotto.
AS soon as Hamet knew that his father
slept, he lighted lamp and, as the Ge-
MUS had told him, be saw a large measure
of wine standing upon the table. The
unhappy dervise raised it to his lips, and
drank deeply of the intoxicating draught
y glow of fire seemed as he set the vessel
down upon the table. Again he drank !;
and he felt reckless and careless of the
consequences. He drank third time /;
and, when he had emptied the measure,
he ran out to the door of the grotto, and
threw it down the slope of the mountain
then, as he heard it bounding along, he
laughed with iDdescribable mirth. He
turned to enter the grotto, he saw his
father standing behind him.
t'Son,' said The old man, ssthe noise of
revelry awoke me from my slumbers, and
rise TO find my we'll beloved Hamet
drunk en- with wine Alas! is this merely
one of many nights orgies and have 1
now awakened to the dread truth of thine
impiety for the first time? Alas thou
hast cast ashes upon the gray head of thy
father -
Hamet could not brook this accusation,
and the implied suspicion that he was
accustomed to indulge in wine whilst his
father slept. He felt suddenly indignant
at the language of his sire, and cried {:
''Return to your couch, old dotard !
Thou knowest not what thou sayest ~
And as he uttered those words, he
pushed his father violently into the grotto
The old man resisted, and again remon-
strated with Hamet. The brain Of the
son was confused with liquor; and a
sudden dread of exposure to the world
entered his mind With the rage of u
demon he rushed upon his hoary headed
sire and dashed him furiousIy against the
stone walls of the grotto. The old man
fell with his temple against sharp flint
One groan emanated from his bosom
and his spirit fed forever
Suddenly conscious of the horrid crime
OF which ne had been guilty, Hamet tore
his hair, beat his breast, and raved like
maniac. And in the midst of his rawlings,
he lifted up his voice against the majesty
OF heaven, and cursed the Deity whom he
had 80 long and fervently worshipped
AT that instant a terrible din echoed
round about-the thunder rolleG-the tall
trees shook with an earthquake-and,
amidst the roar of the conflicting elements
were heard shouts of Internal laughter.
All hell seemed to rejoice at the fall of
good man, whom no other vice had ever
tempted away from the paths of virtue,
until drunkenness presented ITSELF The
rage OF the storm increased-the trees
were torn up by their roots-and frag-
ments of the rocky parts of Olympus rolled
down the hill with the fury of an Alpine
avalanche. Then suddenly the Genius
appeared before the wretched Hamet. and
exclaimed, 'sFool by choosing to commit
the crime which seemed to thee least, thou
hast committed the other two likewise
For there is more danger in the wine-cup
than in any other means of temptation
presented by Satan to mankind !"
And the last words of the Genius min
gled with the redoubled bowling of the
storm, as Hamet was borne down the
slope Of the mountain by the falling mass
es, and dashed to pieces at the bottom.