The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-10-10

shaped as mantle. The Etcsian wind
| came up from the north and swept away the
vapor from the harbOrs, SO that saw their
| blue waters rocking thousand ships. I
| saw. too, that mighty mole of the Hepta-
stadium: saw the hundreds Of streets,
the countless houses. the innumcrable
wealth and splendor Of Alexandria, set like
queen bctwIxt Marcotis aud tue ocean.
| and dominating both, and was filled with
wonder. This, then, was one city in my
heritage Of lands and cities. Well, 1t was
| worth the grasping. And having looked
| my full and fed my heart, as it were, with
the sight of splendor, communed with
the Holy Isis ami came down from the
roof
In the chamber beneath was my uncle
Sepa. ! told him that had been watch
ing the sun rise over the city of Alex
| andria.
''So.' he said, looking at me from beneath
his shaggy eyebrows; land what thinkess
thou Of Alexandria,
Il think it is like some city Of the Gods, !"
answered.
"Ay.n he replied, fiercely, "a city Of the
internal Gods sink of corruption, bub-
bling well of iniquity, q home Of false faith
springing from false hearts. would that
stone, and that its wealth Law deep beneath
yondcr waters! would that the gulls were
screaming across its site. and that the
| wind, untanted by a Grecian breath, swept
through its ruins from ocean to Mareotis.
. Royal Harmachls, let not the luxury and
beauty of Alexandria poison thy sense; for
in their deadly air Faith pcrishcs and Reli-
gion can not spread her heavenly wings.
When the hour comes for thee to rule,
Harmachis, cast down this accursed city,
and, as thy fathers did, set up thy throne in
the white walls of Memfi For tell thee
that FOR Egypt Alexandria is but q splendid
gate Of ruin, ard while 1t endurcs all ma
tons Of the earth shall march through it to
the plumber OF the land, and all false faiths
shall nestle in 1t and breed the overthrow
of Egypt's Gods
lmadc no answer. for there was truth in
his words. And vet TO me the city seemed
very fair to look on. After VIC had eaten,
my uncle told me it was now time to set
ont to view the march Of Cleopatra. as she
went in triumph to the shine of Scraps
For although she would not pass till with
| in two hours of the midday, yet these peo-
pie of Alexandria have SO great q love Of
shows ana idling that had we not presently
set forth by no means could we have come
through the press of the mutitudes who
We're already gathering along the highways
where the Queen must ride So we went
out to take our place upon stand. fashioned
OF timber, that had been built at the side Of
| the great road which pierces through the
city, even TO the Canopc Gate. For there
in my uncle had purchased u right 10 enter,
ana that dearly.
And with much struggle we won our way
through the great crowds that were al
ready gathered in the streets. till we
reached the scaffolding of timber. which
was rooted in with an awning and gayly
hung with scarlet cloths. Here we seated
ourselves upon a bench and waited for
some hours, watching the multitude press
past, shouting, singing and talking loudly
IN many tongues. At length came soldiers
to clear the road, clad, after the Roman
fashion, in coats OF chain arfnor. After
them marched heralds enjoining silence
twhcrcat the populacc sang and shouted all
the more loudly. and crying that Cleo
patra, the Queen, was coming. Then fol-
lowed a thousand Ciliclan sixirmishers. a
thousand ThraciRns, thousand Macedo-
mans, and Il thousand Gauls, each armed
after tho fashion OF their own country
Then passed five hundred men Of those
who are called the Fenced Horsemcn, for
both men and horses were altogether COW
| cred with armor Next came youths and
maidens sumptuously draped and wearing
golden crowns, and with them images SYM
| boiizing Day and Night, Morning and Noon,
| the Heavens and the Earth. After these
came many fair women pouring perfumes
on The road, and others scattering bloom
! ing flowers. Now there rose a great shout
of Cleopatra! Cleopatra and held my
| breath and bent forward to see her who
dared to put Oh the robes of Isis.
| But at that moment the multitude SO
! gathered and thickened in front of where /
| was that could no longer clearly see. SO
IN my eagerness l leapt over the barrier of
the scaffolding, and, being very strong,
pushed my way through the crowd till
reached the foremost raIk. Aud, rs | did
| 50, Nubian slaves armed with thick slaves
| and crowned with IVY icayes ran up. strik-
ing the people. One imam more especially.
tor he was . giant, and. being strong, was
insolent beyond measure, shifting the peo-
pie without cause, as. indeed, is the won't OF
low persons set in authority. For nigh TO
me stood q woman. an Egyptian by her face.
bearing child in her arms. whom the man,
seeing that she was weak, struck on the
head with his rod SO that she fell prone, and
the people murmured. But my blood
rushed Of u sudden through my veins at the
sight, and drowned my reason. In my
hand | held q staff of olive wood from
Cyprus, and Us the black brute laughed ut
tine sight Of tho stricken woman and her
babe rolling on the ground. swung the
STAFF aloft and sElotc. So shrcwdiy did
strike that tho tough rod split upon the
giants shoulders and the blood spurted
forth, staining his trailing leaves Of ivy
Then, with q shrek Of pam and fury for
those who snitc love not that they
be smittcI-did he turn and spring
at me! And all the people round
gave back, save only the woman who
could not rise. leaving US twain in Il ring, as
IL were. On he came with rush, and, as he
came. being now mad, smote him with my
clenchcd fist between the eyes, having
naught else Wherewith to smi,c, and he
staggered like an OK beneath the first blow
Of tho priests axe. Thereat the people
shouted, for they love To see il fight. and the
man was known TO them as a gladiator vic
torlous in the games. Gathering up his
strength, the knave came on with an oath,
and. whirling his heavy staff on high, struck
ut me in such u fashion that. had not by
nimhleness avoided the bow, l had surely
been slain. But as it Glanced, the staff hit
upoh liS SioULus sAAu So nedN1iy lusAI ~ new
i'll fragments. Thereon again the multitude
shouted, and the great man, blind with
fury. rushed Ct me to smite me down. But
with cry sprang straight at his throat =
! for he was SO heavy Il man that knew
could not hope TO throw him by strength
ay, and gripped it. There cling, though
his fists battered me like biudgeons, driving
my thumbs into his throat. Round and
round we turned, till at length he flung him
self to the earth, trusting thus to shake INC
If. But held on fast as we rolled over
and over On the ground, till ut last he grew
faint for want OF breath Then !, being up
t,crmost, draye my knee down upon his
.t;est, and, as believe, should thus have
slain him in my rage, had not my uncle and
others there gathered fallen upon me anu
dragged inc fraa him.
an6 meanwhile, though | knew II rot.
'h.' .''.'-,sns wherein sat shr Queen, with