The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-08-30
MORS PYRAMI ET THISBES.
A TALE OF ANCIENT BABYLON
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL
ASSYRIC
b Y PAP.

Twas night in the great city of Babylon.
The pale new moon shed subdued light on
the terrace of the King 5 palace, which was
hewn out of the solid rock, and polished
smooth and CLASSY as mirror, refracting
her rays with dazzling glare. The street
lamps had burned low, and on some COR
ners had gone out, owing to the insufficiency
of oil, for at the time our story opens gas
had not been introduced into the Assyrian
kingdom. This was many years ago. A
few stars peeped out through openings in
the tieecy clouds which at times borne slow
ly onward by the night wind, almost OBJ
scured the sky. The streets were deserted,
save now and then belatei pedestrian,
coming home from his club, would hurry
on to suddenly disappear around the cor>
ner leaving the echo of his footsteps to
linger for moment where he had passed.
This, together with an occasional rap of the
policeman's baton, was the only sound to
disturb the stiffness of the night. The
hour was late. white robed priest of
Baal had Just assembled the tower of Belus,
and stood replenishing the holy fire of fra
grant wood which blazed in its brazen tripod
on its summit. Just across the Euphrates,
which divided the city in two, and near the
intersection of third avenue and twenty
sixth streets, and opposite the royal hanging
gardens, stood n little distance apart, and
separated by high brick wall, two magni-
ficent three story residences, with brown
stone fronts. Strange, grotesque sculptures
ornamented the facades, which seemed twin |
structures, and in the dim moonlight show |
ed in bold relief sportive dolphins, winged |
bulls and eagle-headed deities, while the |
entrances from the street was guarded by
winged lions and huge bronze dragons,
perched upon buttresses on either side the
doorways.
young lady still early in her teens was
seated on a rustic bench close by the brick
wall which separated the richly ornamented
grounds of these mansions; and at small
embrasure caused by the loosening of
brick in the masonry, To say that she was
beautiful, would but feebly paint her
charms of face and figure. She was tile
model type of the Babylonish maiden,
dressed in the fashionable attire of the pc
riod, moir antique dove colored silk, fresh
from the looms of the Indus, fell in grace,
full folds from her slender waist, and from
her sitting posture half disclosing a we'll
turned ankle, which was encased in rich
balbriggan silk hose of spotless
white; pair of Damascus kid Oxford ties,
showed her pretty foot to advantage, while
4 fawn colored satin polonaise displayed
| bust that Queen Semaramis might have
snvied, rich jewels adorned her hair as it
fell in wavy tresses and rested on her ala
1aster neck, which was encircled by a trip '
,le string of priceless pearls A solitary +
yem on the foreNfnger of her left hand
iashed in the uncertain moonlight as she =
Itarted at the sound of foot steps on the
opposite side of the wall-placipg her ear a
It the small opening, she exclaimed in a |
Whisper full of animation while her brilliant I
lack eyes looked the expression Of joy
md love:
'eThe Gods be praised 'Tis be, my L
,Yn, my dear Pyramus." Ut