The Irish standard., 1889-10-12


The picture passed and another rose up in
ts place Once again saw the banks Oh
5ihor, and on them crowded wild faced
creatures, partaking Of the nature Of the
APE more than Of the nature Of mankind.
They fought and slew each other. The wild
bird sprang up in alright as the fire leapt
from reed huts given by foenlen's hands to
lame and pillage. They stole and rent and
! murdered, dashing out the brains Of chill
iren with axes Of stone. And, though no
voice told me, knew that saw man as he
was tens Of thousands Of years ago when
| irst he marched across the earth
| Yet another picture. Once again saw
| .he banks of Sihor; but on them fair cities
doomed like flowers. In and out their
/ yates went men and women, and laden
asses passing to and fro from wide, well
! illed lands. But saw no guards or armies,
Ind no weapons Of war. All was wisdom
prosperity and peace. And, while won-
| lered, a glorious figure, clad in raiment
that shone as fame, came from the gates of
| shrine, and the soSnd of music went be
| lore and followed after him. He mounted
an ivory throne which was set iii market
| place facing the water, and as the sun set
,alled all the multitudes to prayer With
,ne voice they prayed, bending in adora-
! ion. And understood that herein was
| shown the reign of the Gods on earth, which
| was long before the days OF Menes
/ "a change came over the dream. Still,
| .he same fair city, but other men
| men with greed and evil on their
| taces-wbo hated the bonds of righteous
| ioing, and set theiI. hearts on sin. The
evening came; the glorious hgure mounted
| ;he throne and called to prayer, but none
| bowed themselves in alteration
I've are aveary .of theer' they cried
| Make Evil King! Slay him! slay himf
and loose the bonds Of Evil Make Evil
| Xingin
| Nightly uprose the glorious shape, gaz-
| ing with mild eyes upon those wicked ones.
.'Ye know not what ye ask,'' he cried;
| but as ye will. 80 be i'll For If 4 die, by
me shall ye once again, after much travail,
| find path to the Kingdom Of Goodl''
Even as he spoke form, foul and hideous
| 70 behold, leapt upon him, cursing, slew
linl, tore him limb from limb, and amidst
She clamor of the people sat himself upon
| the throne and ruled But shape whose
face was vailed passed down from Heaven
| 0n shadowy wings, and with lamentations
gathered up the rent fragments Of tie Be.
ing. moment she bent herself upon
them, then lifted up her hands and yvept
| And as she wept, behold from her sides
there sprang warrior armed and with q
| face like the face of Ra fthe SUM- at noon.
! With shout he, the Avenger, hurled him
self upon the monster who had usurped tie
throne, and they closed in battle, and strug-
Cling ever in a straight embrace, passed up
ward to the skies.
Then came picture after picture. / saw
powers and peoples clad in various robes
and speaking many tongues. | saw them
pass and pass and pass In millions loving,
hating, struggling, dying Some few wers
happy and some had woe stamped upon
their faces; but most bore not the seal OF
happiness nor of woe, but rather of pa
tience. And ever as they passed from age
to age, high above in the heavens the
Avenger fought on with the Evil Thing,
while the scale Of victory swung now here,
| now there; but neither CONC qlered, nor was
it given to me to know how the battle
ended.
And understood that what had beheld
was the holy vision of the struggle between
the Good and the Evil powers. l saw that
man was created vile, but those who are
above took pity on him and came down to
him to make him good and happy, for the
two things are one thing. But man re-
turned again to his wicked way, and then
did the bright spirit of Good, who is Of us
called Osiris, but who hath many names,
offer himself w for the evil doing Of the
race that had dethrOned him. And from lim
and the Divine Mothe r,of whom oil natur b is
sprang another spirit who Is the Protector
| of US on earth, as Osiris is our jusJder in
| Amenti.
For this is the mystery of the Osiris.
| Of sudden, as I saw the visions, these
things became clear to me. The mummy
cloths Of symbol and of ceremony that
wrap Crisis round fell from him, and IN
derstood the secret o. religion.
The picture passed, and once again the
Priest, my guide, spoke to me.
"Hast thou understood, Harmachis, those
things which it harh been granted thee To
seer
81 have,'' said. 'Are The rites endeda''
"Nay, they are but begun. That which
follows must thou endure alonel Behold.
leave thee, to return at the morning
light. Once more / warn thee that which
thou shalt see few may look upon and live.
In all my days have known but three who
dared to face this dread hour, and Of those
three at dawn but one was found alive. Ny
self, have not trod this patti 1t is too high
for me.n
depart | said; my soul ls athirst for
knowledge. / will dare it,
He laid his hand upon my head and
blessed me- He went | heard the door
smut 20 Dehlnl nlm, the echoes OF his foot
steps slowly died away: Then i Ifelt that /
was alone, alone in the Holy place with
things which are not of the earth! Silence
fell-silence deep and black as the darkness
which was around me- The silence fell; it
gathered as the cloud gathered on the face
Of the moon that night when, a lad, 4 prayed
upon the pylon towers 1T gathered denser
and yet more dense till it seemed to Green
into my heart and call aloud therein; for
utter silence has voice that is more terri
BILE than the voice Of any cry. / spoke; the
echoes of my words came back upon me
from the walls and seemed to beat me down.
The stiffness was Lighter to endure than an
echo such rs this. What was 1 about To
see2 Should die, even now, in the fullness
Of my youth and strength? Terrib g were
the warnings that had been given to me.
was fear-stricken, and bethought me that /
would fly. Flyi-fy whittier? The temple
door was barred; I could not ly. was
alone with the Godhead, alone with the
power that had invoked. Nay, nv heart
was pure-my heart was pureI I would
face the terror that was to come, even
though died.