The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-03-27
THE RUINED TEMPLE.

An AlIegory by the Author OF the schOn-
aE. s-r berg Gotta Family. l =
The temple was in ruins, and the
priestess sat, captive in chains, among
its broken and scattered Fragments It
had been temple of the most ancient
form, open to the sky, beautiful beyond
any temple upon earth, beautiful and
sacred and some remnants of its beauty
hung about it still-fragment of ex-
quisite carvings and broken shafts of
graceful columns. But everything was
shattered and out of place, the window
tracery shivered in thousand fragments
and strewn on theground, columns pros
trate, sacred vessels lying rusted among
the weeds, the pure spring which had
gushed from beneath the altar choked
up and dry, and instruments of sacred
music mute and broken on the ground.
On the walls in soMe places were the
traces of violence, but it was remarka-
BILE that they. seemed to have been as
saulted only from within. Indeed, the
temple had been fortress, so impreg-
nably situated and built that except
from within not one stone could ever
have been displaced.
This was, in fact, the saddesE part of
its history. The temple had been
desecrated before it had been ruined,
and in its ruin it was a temple still, but,
alasl no longer sacred to Him in whose
honor it had been reared. Many sense
less or loathsome idol images were
carved on the walls, strangely contrast
ing. in their shapelessness or deformity,
with the symmetry Of every fragment of
the original structure. On the broken
altar in the center stood an image of
the priestess herself. This was the
earliest idol which had entered there,
and with the entrance of this the ruin
had begun. The enemy who had, with
subtle batteries, introduced this idol
had ever since had access to the temple,
and step by step the priestess had sunk
beneath his power. He had led into
Wild orgies, in which she herself had
defaced the delicate tracery and torn
down the walls and when she awoke
from the frenzy and wept, as sometimes
she would, he silenced her tears with
blows or with mocking threats of the
vengeance Of Him to whom the temple
had been consecrated. Sometimes,
however, she woke to a moments full
consciousness of the desolation around
her, and then she would vail and la
ment until he seemed to fear some un-
seen friend would hear; and at such
seasons be grew more gentle, and re-
newed the old persuasions and batteries
by which he had misled her at first.
He would even encourage her at times,
when all other methods failed, TO try
and collect the scattered stones, and
repair the breaches in the shattered
walls, and restring the broken harp; for
for he knew we'll her puny efforts must
| fail, and that no hands but those of the
builder could ever restore the ruin she
had wrought. So, after a few faint
endeayors, she, as he expected, would
give up in dispair. and SIT covering
hopelessly on the ground afraid of Him,
whose priestess she was, afraid of her
own voice.
In such better hours he would again
grow bold, and mock her with the mem
ory of the past, until the spirit of in
| dignant resistance seemed reused within
her, when, once more sOftening his tone,
he would point her with fiattering words
to her own image on the broken altar
he would show her the beauty still
/ lingering in its marred and weather.
worn feature. and help her 70 decorate
it With gay eolors and tinsel ornaments,
/ placing in her hands the golden esnser,
/ with the sweet incense whioh had been
made N hSppier days for farotheE uses ;
and she 'Fould wave tia fragrant CON-
pound baiore the idol image Of herself
But with the pure spicies which made il