The Russellville Democrat., 1885-05-14

Gsrfs xho were pretty snd girls whs were uOf sat together on 8 long st0ns bench closely relied and utterly silent- 2 h. auc1 oneer w2lked atous with zE ar os 5mroraaHre Anxzgms parents V wFssspsrd s0 she chfidrea- An oS4 man. w5rh scnv xf5se beard. cAuexled to assnnsesf 0ver 8 nax of r0sd i r8cr sua7. rssase reHssSss.s were kE0wA so a, Ea5F5on. sh0mxn be was vSEszous and O. rusod csa~a fer scaemaiy sta-y~i as she lltfae crooked 9gzrre 0f Gsssz. vho had eore |, he ii c. her oEn accord. and who. 6oustless, would br ng tle grpz.ss. ss1-n with her.
 The gTeen and white rxsbe. belt | with embossed silver zb uf she taper wsiss of AStaea- the white hands. ske xor-eo : arr1lets. the long earrings of r5ca gold Gsss7ry yrished Aithea rom her compen- ians. thongh sha was closely yelled
 Those wao wera nnvers were rerrris- ted 10 sxseak fo she m=sdens A-Ezces approached Alma sirst
 Ii all my soT1uae must be paid 1c. thee I w II win thee. beautiful Al lsea. he whispered
 She answe1ea hv $ biste- lsngh- Then. trembling and pale. BaiEnea came for ward.
 s.Alshez, bess hes0ved.- he uhss- p@rsd. s.I hare sold all l hare. bot the sum ls mere triae shall lose thee. sog thou ars fairey tran all the women os BabyIon. ArEs2ees will hare thee Fare well When thou art his I will kill rnyself:' but Althea caught him by the wrist
 ..ISsten. Balinea. : she said s.When the time comes Arbzres will have none of ne Then thou rlso uayest refuse 10 take me IL is poSs 5le- Remain. but swear that thoH wilt keep silence until I place my hand thus upon the other. Then, if still ttou wouldsf have me. err ont. safsive ne Alfhea- If nos. go thy way. and wilI live maiden in rny fasher's home f0reyersr
 w hat dost thou mean. AEthea" cried B2linea tut she made no answer.
 And now the crowd was biddea to silence and driven back to 6 certain distance and crier spoke thns.
 1.-The rulers of Babylon. believing that woman should be wed, for that they are feeble. helpless creatures. unfit 10 labor for themselves, unlearned and weak of VIII. so that they need protec- tors and directors, have instituted this auction of ma dens. that 10 woman in Babyion need lack husband For the beautiful must great price he paid, but with the ill-Ezvored we give the sum paid for the others, that each man may have some advantage. To-day, our highest price t asked for Althea. daughter of our good citi7en Beleses and his wife Nassrs- Althea. unveil thyself
 AIthea- at this bidding, arose and ad- yanced- She lifted her white hand and tore the veil from her head 4 shEiek arose as she did 30. and the lookers-on stood petrIied- Instead of the beauti- ful face they expected to see, they saw torn and bleeding conntenanee; and 2 head destitute of every hair. Two great braids. which she cast on the stones al her feet. alone remained of her plente- ous tresses.
 :. People of Babylonr" she cried. ..this have I done that may not wed man hate. How now. Arbaces9 Wilt thou bid for mes''
 4 roar arose from the crowd and Ar baces fell forward in swoon, and was borne away by his friends. balinea started forward, but was checked by the soldiers.
 Again the erier spoke:
 :" She who was ioyeiiest is now be come the most hideousi Vel myself, Alfhea.
 Then another name was called. The sale proceeded. Vast sums were paid s.., f~.- others Even Gissa, with her little pointed face and pretty hair and eyes, was not too ugly in the eyes of the man who received 3 fortune at her hands Only Althea remained unsought-too hideous for any to desire. And now she lifted her hand, and a. the signal Bali nea strode forward
 "Give me Althea," he said" Althea who has done this for me-Alfhea, beau tiful forever 10 my heart. Give her to me. and keep your base gold. I'll none O. it.
 But Althea. giving him her hand. and still remaining yelled, spoke quickly ;
 "I claim my portion," she said. 'fSuch is the law of the Babylonian sale of maidens" And she gathered the gOEd ihto Hti ftli dS HeI iofcE leu nTf away.
 And so sayeth tradition. the gods smiled upon the lovers; and all Althea' 2 beauty returned-the lovely hair grew long again, the wounds healed without a scar, and the constant Balines had a lovely wife as well as fortune. And though old Beleses might vex himself. he could alter nothing. for the woman who was sold at the yearly auction of maidens could not be taken from her husband And they lived and loved for many happy years in the old city ol Babylon. Mary Kyle Dallas, n N r.