The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-17

ZION 10 Illt. LII HUH Ald III w
were constantly ogether. lie
studied passably well, but be was
too fond of general reading to take
"a first class position as a student.
He was not exactly Il herO-worshlp-
per, but something nearly akin to
it. lie always had some historic
character of past or present ages,
under the crucible of mental lnves-
tigation, and for the time thought
Of little else. At last he took up
Benjamin Disraelli, and studied
him with his usual enthusiasm,
but not to his usual satisfaction.
Il cannot make out this man," he
said, che is an enigma to me: 80 |
am going to study the history of
the race to which he belongs, and,
as, of all Jewish books, the Bible
is the oldest, | will begin with that.
| am going to devote my whole Va
cation to the study of the Bible"
'.Men have devoted their lives to
the study Of the Bible" | replied
i" and found that they had still
much to learn.
Il study it as "a history he re-
piled, "and as it is not a very large
volume,I suppose | can master all OF
it's historical facts in two months.
And these sketches he handed
me at the beginning of the follow
ing session.
CI-rTrIJ 1ST THE Il ENJIES
Thebes, with her hundred gates,
and her gigantic and magnificent
temples and palaces is lying IN the
soft and glowing radiance OF an
Egyptian twilight. The original
splendor of this great city is still
| family shown by the ruins whose
grandeur eXcites the a~stonlshment
of the world. THE Egyptians I'M
derstood," says an accomplished
modern writer on architecture
''better than any other nation, how
to use sculpture in combination
with architecture, and to make
| their colossi and II of sphln
xes group themselves into parts OF
one great design, and at the same
time to use historical paintings,
fading by insenslble degrees into
| hieroglyphics on the one hand and
| sculpture on the other, linking the
whole together with the highest
class of phonetic utterance, and
with the most brilliant coloring,
thus harmonizing all these arts
into one great whole, unsurpassed
by anything the world has eel
| during the so centuries of struggle
and aspiration which have elapsed
| since the brilliant days of the great
| kingdom of the Pharoahs." But
more than 80 centuries have elapsed
since the gorgeous light of That
| glowing sunset flooded the plain
in which stood the regal city, and
had just died away into the magic
twilight. On the steps of one of
| the most conspicuous palaces, stood
a slender youth in a princely garb,
| speaking Il few parting words to a
waiting cavalcade. As he turned
to enter the lofty portal, a stately
line of g%littering officials received
| him with solemn ceremony, and he
was conducted from hall to hall,
| each more SPLENDID than the other,
until he reached "a massive closed
door, carved and gilded with elab-
crate device. Here, with a wave
| of his hand, he dismissed the last
| obsequious attendent. Over his
head swing lamps suspended by
gold chains, and the air is heavy
with incense. Crimson and gold
figures cover the walls, and colored
marbles of exquisite mosaics. form
the floor. After a moments pause
he knocks gently at the door. I'm
mediately its ponderous double
leaves unclose, with noiseless sweep,
revealing an apartment as unlike
the artificial splendor of the rest of
the palace, as Il wreath of roses is
unlike a coronet Of fretted gold and
gems. One side of the room was
entirely open with an arched ar
cade, with massive curtains drawn
back and revealing the western sky
with all its etfulgence still reflect
ing the rays of the cloudless sun
now hidden beneath the horizon.
A garden below, filled with perfum-
ed verdure is seen, but no portion
of the vast city is visible. The
room is lined with tapestry, or
rather cream colored lace of the
most elaborate patterns and work
manship. The furniture looks
like it had been carved out of straw
colored ivory, so softly, glossy and