The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-19
A DAUGHTER OF BABYLON.
lExchange.l


 Ii was Beleses who called, in stern and angry voice, and his daughter vain!y strove to check her sobs, in order that she might answer him Tor the tears of maidens fell as easily then as now, and young hearts were as soft, and old heads as full oi plans for worldly gain and as forgeifal oi the power of love as Tn this year of our Lord 1884; though the scene vas Babylon, and the time five hundred years before the infant Jesus opened his eyes in the manager a, Bethlehem.
 aAlthea Althea!" called Beleses. again, and Aithea drew the veil of silver tissue across he face and entered the presence oi pcr .eT.
 She stood bcl, wiiiosy fig ure clad in uch .ee family out lined beneath her ve... ,n, dnsky plai.s of her .ony hair reachin. Ia ter knees, aAd with tent head mace ai.n the rever- ence a gih always made 10 her father. But she could no, speak sobs suil chokeu aeY voIce.
 Beleses looked at her with mingled emotions She was lovely as a dream, graceful as willow branch but she had resisted has command, opposed herself to hss will. He stretched out his hand in paaeDtal caress, but ere he touched her, anger overcame affection, and ne struck her, though nightly, upon the shoulder.
 "Again dropping head?' he ofied. Asain |, weeping eye. - Agaln an ;dI As tho4gh l had gwen command |. | .hoa snouid 'Si Be pu, 10 death in,.caa ai ordering al things well for thee Why. gir.. lhuu aIt seventeen and unwcd ri ayEAI og TWO thy beauty will fade Thou .ilt o< madden Tn the house oi thy ls,her and Il rcproach to thy parents. And AFoaces is man of might and rich beyond compare. Thou wilt have slaves, and lcwcls, and honor. Go to thy mother. giri, ani tell her thou hast listened 70 ny words, and bud her see that thy robes are ot the hnest and richest s,utt. 1 grud 5e nothing when gave my daughter to Ar baGcs. tor he wtli be son io be proud al, d i.lllng spouse for thee, and thou must we'd hnn.'
 But Althea, at this, uttered h,tle scream.
 Father" she cried, " will never marry Arbaces. Rather l will take my own itie. Aroaees IS rich and powerful and not Ill to look upon. but he IS noth- Ing to me. Father. l love Bellnea, and shame would be my portion should lived one man while l loved another. And my B.hnea would die-he has told me 50. Father, have pity on me
 But the old man only laughed sarcas- ncaliy.
 Thy Beinea would die :" he answer ed. !" The prale of a fortune hunter. who has made silly glrl believe that he loves her. For the sake of th,s Beiinea, who has neither money nor the esteem ot men
 nothing but the face of woman and the glit ot song, which he shares with the Sild bTds, thoa hast refused to wed more good men than can now recall by name. This time l will be obeyed. 1 will consult an oracle as to the day of thy wedding. and on that day thou shalt be- come he wife ef Arbaces."
 Noi while there Is poison in Babylon. or a nyeT about its walls" said Althea will live unxed rather than dlsobcy my father. but will be the wife of no one bui Beiinea.
 She spoke as only those speak who have formed una!terable resolutions, and her hther listened with an angry conpre- hcnsion ot the fact.
 Thou canst be rcsoluie. Al:hea," said he, hn, so can |. Mark me, fonwhat | say shall be SO. lfby tomorrow Ss,ie avn thou dost repeat what thou has, but Just uttered will send thee this year to the auction of maidens and there thou wilt be sold thou, the loveliest maiden to- day Tn Babylon-to whoso bids for thee Thou wilt bring fine ptice-a portion for some ugly and deformed woma man who has no wooers: for al this auction al maidens. wisely instituted that the wo- men oi Babylon should all have hus- bands. while Tor beauties rich men pay great sums, poor ones receive money to take tn wife uncomely creatures. and so bermc rich. Thy Belinca may go thithcr fl he pleascs and bid for the hunohbackcd Glssa. He would gain a fortune so but he will no, be able to bid tor thee his purse IS too shor, for that =
 .,her father" screamed Alihca.
 But o.d Beleses flung her rom him as she oiung to him, and lefl her lying pros- tratc on the floor Sobbing and weeping she croohed there until day faded and twilight iell Then female slave, bear mg silver lamp, entered the room, ushering m Althea mother. Nasara who, nuch alarmed. had been searching every where for her child. She ben, over the weeping girl, lifted her up in her arms and bore her away 10 her own chamber. There. among the silken pillows, she soothed her to rest and to dreams of love and Behnea. But Nasara had no power to induce her husband 10 forgive this beautiful daughter, or to give her with a suitable dowry to the man she loved.
 Time passed on and brought the day of the year on which the auction oi maid ems was held in Babylon in these days. There were fifteen maidens 10 be sold to she highest bidder that day, and grea, concourse had gathered in the open space devoted to that purpose, not only those who wanted to pay for lovely wives or receive much needed money with unpre- possess ng ones were there, ,bu; many came from curiosity, aud through the crowd went the whisper that, in his anger, Bele- ses, one of the bes, known citizens oi