Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-09
CleOpatra's Needle.

Cleopatra's needle, lately erected 10
Central Park, New York, is not such a
needle as we used to sew with it is great
stone--soinetimes called an obelisk-nearly
seventy feet long and about seven feet
square at the base on which it stands. It's
sides gradually taper from the bottom until
az the TOP IL ends in a small-pointed four
sided pyramid 1t is of red granite and the
sides are covered all over with pictures of
birds, animals and other things cut into the
stone. 1t is called needle because il is 30
long and slender But why it should be
called Cleopatra's needle is not quite so
clear. Cleopatra was famous queen who
lived in Egypt a little while before the birth
OF Christ. She was very beautiful
woman, and well educated but she did
many foolish things, and some very wicked
things, and, as such people often are, she,
though great queen, was at last so very
unhappy that she wickedly put an end to
her own life.
This obelisk was at first erected by
Thothmes III, one of the old kings of Egypt,
at Heliopolis about thirty-six hundred years
ago. 1t was taken from that place to Alex
andria, where Cleopatra lived, not long
after his death by the Roman Emperor A1-
gustus Caesar, as trophy of his victory over
the kings of Egypt, and it was called
IT,, - ~ IL, We suPpo''' lueieiy III
Ed,vrt IL s',r,,nsod 70 IL oi,,.. .;...
T.; az, p,,orId M Ii, - ~ t naS Sio1
pharaobs and man - ,ho,., W 90 'a'Isu ,
great and nowerfnI So,na ,raro ,,r,o, 10y ,y
Tiors others were oreat hriIJasa hniI J".
~ nvramids c;ties tau,,las an5 ahaI;lis
They were verv vain Of tbo;r L. onJ
they were great boosters, fond of inscribing
their names and deeds on stone. Cleopa-
Which one of these pbaraoh5 toS a.a5
nlaced one m each s;da of tho ana.ou,o at ~
The temnle If the snn 81 uaI;ouni;a IT, w
ETvntians ,vorob;nad ,ho an, ~ . IL Gn n9
under tba namo NJ Re- aud tha a. ~ -
Pharaoh hv which The E,ynt;an I,;ne's 49,
known. means g a son If ~ snn {" "0''
The Pbaraobs aid great bnnor % than
sun.god. as thew thought tbsv were he obii
| dren. The Temnle az the SIM Of ual;oroi;s
WAS the greatest in all Egvnt and ;ts 80
now cover nearly a mile in eytent Tbotbn,as
| created these obeliaks at tbe entrance 70 tb;s
Temple of tbe SIM. nartlv in honor 10 tba
sun.eod. and partlv 10 honor bimself 90 be
wrote his own history mn and down H. s;das
of the obelisk not in letters sncb % me- ne
bnt in nictnres of birds animate ard ~,
things. which kind of writing thesa oId
Egyptians used. and we call them biaro-
gyphics. This obelisk stood a great nnanv
years near the door of this temnle at ua lS
olis-or. as it il called in Tie Ribla s.tho
citv of Onn-,vbera II ,,,as n. e. asIo,, ''0
Some If tbe children no az n,oS e,eo.eI,
few weaks a%o in tha yoa',i"r S'i tna'
school Lesson i, ia said tbat s.pharaoL a.atso
to ,Josenb in msrriaga Aseno,b tha d.sa aLe
ter of Poti.nherah nr;est Of o. TS;r
poti.nharab yyss tha h;,h inIe
great man in Egvnt and iived IN ,ha IT,
ple of the SIM az On And II 10 o,;,e ELL,
that This very obelist stood bafora lie ~ -.
an the dav that Jose,b ,,arr;a,, h;a -
tor Asenafh And II Tho ia 90 10 U - 81,
vonderfnI that The ,reat s,ona ~ - ~ nSo
olI TONS on which J9se'J, ,oan b snao IesuS
m his wedding dav 5do vears H ano sIo
now no in a con1try o9o Ills 49,, &c
mich the old Egvnt;snS nev,sr hasrd "a -,
/. il not s.ill mora ,yondarf,I tbat mil, ~
cbildren in Tho Snnday.oohooi IS hos 49,
should he studv;rg thar reanlar Rihla Iess ,o'
shout Josenh,s ms,r;age tS;s rat ohai;SI,
rhat s,ood at tha dnor 81 he Ser a T., I.',,
bonse should he Iv;na in tba Streat q. ,ha
door of one of onr schools on ;ts wav ~
Central park in New York
Rnt now yve mnst toll Won hour ,b;s c,roa,
ohaI;sL oa', 20 ~, hre,:h ~ n ~; ''li' s.ea'
Onai;sks orc (,reat onr;os;,;os WI srSosn
onIv fevv Iarsa ones in tba world Thase
al ysad to ha IN Ee,vat snd ,ha Ea,,',;e uoe
| ibougbt great deal Of them RI ~ p,'n u.
five of these were taken AZ diffsrent t;n,as
without leave of the neon,e Of FSr Vr 90
different countries in Enrane Tw9o' r s,sn "a
in Rome. one in Constantinonls on nsa i,
Paris. and one in London. NV Nahayna.
Ali. the late kbedive of Egvnt had a sraat
liking for America, He t6opSbt tbat tha
limited States had treated him batter th bau
the European nations; and il seems 10 him
that we ought to have an chalet as Ill H. -.
the other nations Of Enrone And H. ,b s
American consul asked Tor one ha sod al
will think of H." II was snnnosed be rui,bt
give us little one. Rnt no one evar tbonSbt
of asking for g Cleonatra,s Naadla y az A.
andria. This was one of tha largest and nos,
beautiful in ali Egypt. But il 90 hannansd
hat the ohelisk stood verv near tba 500
The waves of the Mediterranean roIled r;ab,
up TO its base, There was treat dancer Of
its being undermined II Vas tbonght al.
ready TO begin 10 lean little, Man faarsd
il would soon fall This gava tbs + hed;va
treat ANXIETY and 60 he nronosed to ramovs
Il TO another mart of the city of AIsxandr;o
But this wonld cost a Great daai Of mona1
aud the Khedive was moi at this tina r;cb :.
| citv obouI1 ra;sa b,, a, e