The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-08-30
NO. 49,.

n house, and public grounds were occupied
e by affairs; rich silks and elaborate EN-,
!, | broidered tapestry, adorned them; flags and
banners of the most costly material waved
! in the breeze; all places of business were
Q | closed, but the peanut vendors and boot
t blacks drove q lively business the livelong
day SO great WAS the rush of country
people to town-many of them walking
miles through the sand to witness the grand
spectacle-that the hotels were all full long
before noon.
i. The sun went down in q sea of crimson
fit color for the scenes which followed.
A signal was given, when ten thousand
torches sprang with lurid hamo from bal
cony and terrace; countless lamps burned
from every available place to hang from
bower and grove, park and palace was aglow
while from the tower OF Belus shot high
up into the heavens, flame like unto
gigantic bonfire of more modern times.
The streets were thronged with eager spec
tatOrs, attired i'll white garments, well Grim
soned undor the glare of the great illuml-
nation. Blood spouted from the throats of
oxen and sheep; great clouds of smoke as
cended from the altars and the smell of
cooked meat pervaded the atmosphere.
Blood flowed in torrents down the cutters,
and wine flowed prodigslly down the throats
of the multitude; and as they became
heated with wine, they became boisterous
in proportion, until, maddened by the smell
of blood and the fumes of wine, Babylon
became perfect pandemonium While
these scenes were being enacted, and before
the orgies were at their hight, a lady might
have been seen walking down Tigris street
in the direction of the cemetery. Her
form was enveloped in q dark mantle, while
her face was covered with a large green silk
veil, which completely forbade recognition;
| yet this was Thisbe, on her way to the
tomb of Minus, to meet Pyramus. True
to her womanly instincts of affection, with
the strictest fidelity, had she braved, unat-
tended and alone, that infuriated rabble of
idolatrous worshippers, to seek him, whom
hue uoaAly aAlt huly lofeu' auu Lc, w.
was at their trysting place, anxiously await
ing her coming. How long he had remain
ed there is not recorded in history, when ii
shrill scream of woman is borne to his
ears on the night air, followed by the roar
of lion. The truth instantly flashes
across his mind. It is his own beloved
Thisbe being devoured by those escaped
brutes of the menagerie Oh, horror he
seizes his double-barreled shot gun and
rushes to the spot from whence the sounds
proceeded, to find his worst fears realized.
There lays Thisbe's veil torn in tatters,
with spots of blood focked upon it, and
she, alas, must have been devoured by the
hungry beasts. He becomes frantic and
calls on the lions to come and devOur him
also; but they came not.
81 know" " he said, sit is the part of a
coward to wish for death, since there is but
little difficulty in finding it by ones own
hand, so l will end my life as It's worthless
since she is gone.'
Thus saying, he hastcns to the shade of
the mulberry tree, and under its protecting
limbs, he stabs himself with his dagger, and
falls to the ground. Yet Thisbe is not
dead when near the tomb of Minus she
came in sight of lion and becoming
frightened she started to run, but looking
back and finding the lion had discovered
her and was on her track, she screamed and
quickoned her pace. In her haste, the veil
which she wore dropped from her head
Knowing full well the frightfuI beast would
overtrke her, she naturally looked about
for place of refuge, and finding an open
ing in the rocks close by, she crawled in
and remained hid. The lion came to her
hiding place, but finding the opening too
small for him to enter he gave n tremen-
louus roar of disappointment, and retraced
his steps, but when near the spot where
Ihisbe had dropped her veil, another lion
attracted by the roar, met him when a fight
ansued between them, which accounts for
he blood spots on the veil but Pyramus
lear approach frightened them from the
pot Thisbe hearing their retreating cries,
It length ventured forth from her hiding
place, soon after Pyramus had decided
lpon his fate, and fastened to Minus tomb;
,ut only to find her lover stretched upon
he ground with the warm life blood fast
lowing from the fatal stab in his side She
brew herself down upon his PROSTATE form
nd bathed his paid face with her tears.
% speak to me once again my dearest
'yramusl" she cried in agony of grief.
'Tis thy own Thisbe calls thee, dearest"
His eyes opened once, and then were
losed in death; his tongue was still, no
rord, no smile of recognition could he be-
tow upon her, who loved him SO well--his
oul had passed from earth
Thisbe, kneeling by the side of her dead
'ver sees the ivory scabbard and the blood
aimed blade by its side, she grasps it and
Using her eyes to the green boughs above
er, she exclaims:
20, mulberry tree, beneath whose
ranches true lovers blood commingle,
ear witness to our people Of our death;
al as they opposed our union in life, may
icy yet permit our dust to minCle after
cath, enclosed in one urn sepulchred in
ne tomb; and from this night thy berries
nall be red as the blood which moisteps
~ roots. in commemoration of our death"
Thus saying she drove the dagger to her
cart. and fell without a moan upon the
cad body of her lover.
MORAL:
Children should not disQbey their parents.