North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-01-29
The Seven Sleepers.

Everybody has heard Of the Seven
Christian Martyrs of Ephesus, who were
enclosed in cave in the third century,
and discovered two centuries after The
legend says they slept all this time, and so
did dog they had with them, and all
walked up and came out after their great
slumbcr. Mark Twain, who has recently
visited Ephesus, gives US, in letter to the
Alta California; the following as his ver-
sion of the legend:
In the Mount of Pion, yonder, is the
Cave of the Seven Sleepers. Once upon
time, about fifteen hundred years ago,
seven young men lived near each other in
Ephesus, who belonged to the despised
sect OF the Christians. 1t came to pass
that the good King of Maximillianus, I
am telling this story for nice little BOYS
and girls it came to pass, say, that the
good King Maximillianus, got to persecu-
ting the Christians, and as time rolled on
he made it very warm for them. So the
"Let us go up and dust" And they got
up and busted. They tarried not to bid
their fathers and mothers.good-bye, or any
friend they knew. They only took GER
tain moneys which their parents had, and
garments that belonged unto their friends,
whereby they might remember them when
far away and they took also the dog
ketmehr, which was the property of their
neighbor Malchus, because the beast did
run his head into moose which one of the
young men was carrying carelessly, and
they had not time to release him and
they took also certain chickens that SEEM
ed lonely in the neighboring coops, and
likewise some bottles Of curious liquors
that stood neal the grooer's window and
then they departed from the city. BY and
by they came to a marvellous cave in the
Hill of Piun, and entered into it and feast
ed, and presently they hurried on again.
But they forgot the bottles of curious
liquors, and left them behind. They tray-
eled in many lands, and had mana strange
adventures. They were virtuous young
men, and lost no opportunity that fell in
their way to make their livelihood. Their
motto was in these words, namely: "Pro-
crastination is the thief of time" And so,
whenever they did come upon a man who
was alone the ysaid: "Bohold, this per-
son has the whcrewithal-let us 90 thro'
him. And they went through him. AT
the end of five years they had waxed tired
OF travel and adventure, and longed to re-
visit their old home again and hear the
voices and see the faces that were dear
unto their youth. Therefore they went
through such parties as fell in their way
where they sojourned at that time, and
journeyed back towards Ephesus again.
For the good King Maxim llianus was be
come converted unto the new faith, and
the Christians rejoiced because they were
no longer prosecuted. One day as the sun
went down, they came to the cave in the
Noun. of Pion, and they said each to his
fellow: LET us sleep here, and go and
feast and make merry with our friends
when the morning cometh" And each oi
the seven lifted up his voice and said: at
is a whiz." SO they went il. and 10
where they had put them, there lay the
bottles of strange liquors, and they judged
that age had not impaired their excellence.
Wherein the wanderers were right, and
the heads of the same were level. So each
OF the young men drank six bottles, and
behold they felt very tired then, and lay
down and slept soundly.
When they woke, one Of them, Johan-
mes, Smlthianus, said, "We are naked"
And it was 30. Their raiment was all
gone, and the money which they had got
ten. from stranger whom they had pro-
ceeded through as they approached the
city, was lying upon the ground, corroded
and rusted and defaced. Likewise the dog
Ketmehr was gone, and nothing save the
brass that was upon his collar remained.
They wondered much at these things
Eut they took the money, and they wrap
ped about their bodies some leaves, and
came up to the top Of the hill. Then they
were perplexed. The wonderful temple
OF Diana was gone; many grand edifces
they had never seen before stood in the
city; men in strange garbs moved about
the street, and everything was changed.
Johannes said: sit hardly seems like
Ephesus. Yet here is the great gymnas-
ium; here is the mighty theatre. wherein
have seen 10000 men assembled; hers
is the Agora; there is the font where the
saintcd John the Baptist immersed the
converts; yonder is the prison of the good
st. Paul, where we all did use to 90 to
touch the ancient chains that bound him,
and be cured of our distempers; see the
tomb OF the disciple Luke, and afar off is
the church wherein repose the ashes of the
holy John, where the Christians of Ephe-
sus so twice q year to gather the dust
from the tomb, which is able to make
bodies whole again that are corrupted by
dlseaSe, and cleanse the soul from sin; but
see how the wharves encroach upon the
sea, and what multitudes of ships are an
chored in the bay; see, also, how the city
hath stretched abroad, far over the valley
behind Pion, and even unto the walls OF
Aysssa look; and 10, all the hills are
1vhIfa with na1acaS onA rihh,l x.,,kk
onades OF marble. How mighty is Ephe-
sus become ~
And wondering at what their eyes had
seen, they went down into the city and
purchased garments and clothed them
selves. And when they would have pass
ed on, the merchant bit the coins which
they had given him, with his teeth, and
turned them about and looked curiously
upon them, and cast them upon his coun.
ter, and listened if they rang, and then he
said, "These be bogus" And they said,
depart thou to Hades," and went their
way. When they were come to their
houses, they recognized them, albeit they
seemed old and mean; and they rejoiced
and were glad. They ran to the doors
and knocked, and strangers opened and
looked inquiringly upon them. And they
said, with great excitement, while their
hearts beat high, and the color in their
faces came and went, "Where is my faith
err Where is my mother3 Where are
Dyonisius and Serapion, and Psricles and
Deciusw And the strangers that opened
said, "We know not those The Seven
said, GLOW, you know them mott How
long have ye dwelt here, and whittier are
they gone that dwelt hero before ye?''
And the strangers said, "Ys play upon us
q jest, young men; we and our fathers