St. Landry democrat., 1882-09-23
Egypt.

Egypt is the most interesting of coun-
tries, because it is probably the oldest
We borrow from it nearly all our arts
and sciences. and have only improved
upon what the F Egyptians taught us
Our alphabet and the art of writing
came from the banks OF the Nile 1t was
carried to Phnncia, then to Greece and
Rome. and then to Europe and Ameri-
ca. The Egyptians invented the lever.
by which all engines are moved and
electricity and steam made useful.
Egyptian glaSs-makers, goldsmiths,
painters. weavers, builders and stone
cutters, miners, gardeners and even
poets and histor. rams, have taught their
arts to all the Western nations: Moses
studied in the Egyptian colleges. and
Joseph and his father looked upon its
pyramids and temples with wonder
The land of Egypt is deposit OF mud
brought down by the foods of the Nile
from the mountains of Middle Africa
Every year the river overows its banks,
and renews the fertility of the soil by
new deposit, and these regular inunda-
tons have been 50 prov .ded tor by en-
bankmentS and canals as to be seldom
dangerous. The Nile scarcely ever
sweeps away the tlocks and harvests of
the farmers, like the Mississippi. 1t
would be we'll if the Mississippi could
be made as useful as the Nile.
The Egyptians We're a dark-colored
race. and came probably from Asia.
They lived alone upon the banks of the
Nile, shut out from the world. All
Europe was then wilderness filled
with wild beasts and q few savage men.
All was waste and desolate. The say
age people who surrounded Egypt were
like our American Indians, ignorant
and treacherouS. Had they been able
they would have broken in upon the in
dustrous Egyptians, sacked and burned
their cities, and robbed them of all they
possessed. They would have destroyed
temples and palaces, houses and gard
ems. ships and factories. and left us
without any of the Egyptian inventions
and Improvements. But fortunately
the deserts and the sea for two thousand
wears at least kept the savages away.
The country grew rich and tlourishing;
the banks of the Nile were lined with
fine farms as fertile as those of Kansas
or Dakota The wheat was full and
white. The gardens of Egypt produced
beans, onions. cabbages, and were filed
with flowers. Countless towns and
cities sprang up along the Nile. Some
OF them were as large, perhaps, as Chi
cage or New York, The rich land
swarmed with people. The families of
the Egyptians lived in comfortable
houses; the children were usually
taught in the temples to read and write;
all were taught to work; they were well
dressed and very neat; and when
Joseph governed the land with discre-
ton and good sense, there was no part
of the Western world that could equal
the intelligence and civilization Of
Egypt. Its cities, temples, palaces.
farms and gardens were the wonder of
the ancient historians.
To-day Egypt is an impoverished
country, distracted by civil war; Alex
andr!a, once one of the most magniti-
cent cities OF the world. lies in ashes,
and the people throughout the land are
suffering all the horrors of famine
amidst their tplundered and ruined
homes. Long ages Of misrule and ig-
norance have brought the fruitful and
prosperous land to this terrible condi-
ton. In the days of Joseph the armies
of Egypt might have withstood the
world. Now the conqueror is at her
gates, disorder RACES within, and peace
and prosperity can return to her bord-
ers only under the protection of for
eign power. l-Eugcne La,cre'sce. IN Har-
pef's Young People. oi ''-' ~