The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-10-09

across the wate~s OF the harbor TO guide
mariners on their way across the wine-dark
sea The vessel, for 1t was night, having
been most cautiously made fast TO the quay,
disemburied and stood wondering at the
vast mass of houses, and confused by the
clamor OF many tongues For here all lpeo-
pies seemed TO be gathered together, each
speaking after the fashion Of his own land
And as l stood a young man came and
touched me on the shoulder, asking me II
was from Abouthis and named Harmachis
l said, "Yea" Thereon, bending over me,
he whispered the secret password into mine
ear, and, beckoning TO two slaves, bade
them bring my apparel from the ship. This
they did, fighting their way through the
crowd 'of porters who were clamor-
ing for hire. Then / followed HIM
adown the quay, which was bordered with
drinking places, where all sorts Of men
were gathered, tipplins wine and watching
the dancing Of women, some Of whom were
but scantily arrayed, and some not arrayed
at all. And so we went through the lamp-lit
houses, till at last we reached the shore Of
the great harbor, and turned TO the right
along wide way paved with granite and
bordered by strong houses, having cloisters
in front OF them, the like Of which / had
never seen. Turning once more TO the
right, we came TO quieter portion OF the
city, where, save for parties OF strolling
revelers, the streets were still. Presently
my guide halted at house built Of white
stone We epassed in, and, crossing small
courtyard, entered chamber where there
was light And here at last / found my
uncle Sepa, most glad TO see me safe.
When had washed and eaten he told me
that all things went WELL and that as yet
there was no thought OF evil at the Court.
Further, he said, il having. come TO the ears
Of the Queen that the Priest Of On
was sojourning al Alexandria, she
sent for him and closely questioned
him-not as TO any plot, for Of that she
never thought, but as TO the rumor which
had reached her that there was treasure
mid In the Great Pyramid that is by On.
For, being ever wasteful, she was ever in
want Of money, and had bethought her OF
opening the Pyramid. But lie laughed
at her, telling her the Pyramid was the
burying place Of the Divine Chufu, and
that naught knew he OF Its secrets. Then
she was angered, and swore that so surely
as she ruled In Egypt she would tear 1t
down, stone by stone, and discover the
secret atits heart. Again he laughed, and
In the words Of the proverb which they
have here at AloEsndria, TOLD her that
Mountains live longer than Kings" There
on she smiled at his ready answer and let
aim go. Also my uncle Sepa told me that
on the morrow l should Gee this Cleopatra.
For it was her birthday las, indeed, it was
also mine), and, dressed as the Holy Isis,
she would pass in state from her palace on
the Lochias TO the Serapeum TO offer sac
rihce at the shrine OF the false God who
sits therein. Aud he said thereafter that
the fashion whereby should gain entrance
10 the household Of the Queen should be
contrived.
Then, being very weary, went 10 rest
hut could sleep little for the strangeness Of
the place, the noises In the streets, and the
thought OF the morrow. While It was yet
dark, rose, climbed the stair TO the roof OF
the house, and waited. Presently the suns
rays shot out like arrows, and lit upon the
white wonder Of the marble Pharos, where
OF the light instantly sank and died, es
though, indeed, the sun had killed it. Now
the rays fell upon the marble palaces Of tho
Lochias where Cleopatra lay, and lit them
up till they famed like jewel set on the
dark, cool bosom Of the sea. Away the
light flew, kissing the Soma's sacred dome,
wherein Alexander sleeps, touching the
high tops Of a thousand palaces and tenn
pies; past the porticoes Of the great mu.
scum that loomed near at hand, striking
the lofty shrine where, carven Of ivory, is
the image Of the false God Scraps, and at
last seeming TO lose itself in the vast aud
gloomy Metropolis. Then, as the dawn
gathered into day, the great food
Of brightness overbrimming the bowl
OF night flowed into the lower lands
and streets, and showed Alexandria red In
the sunrise as the mantle Of king, and
shaped as q mantle. The Etesian wind
came up from the north and swept away the
vapor from the harbors, so that saw their
blue waters rocking O thousand ships. I
saw, too, that mighty mole Of the Hepta-
stadium; saw the hundreds Of streets,
the countless houses, the innumerable
wealth and splendor Of Alexandria, set like
az queen betwixt Mareotis and the ocean,
and dominating both, and was filed with
wonder. This, then, was one city In my
heritage Of lands and citiesl Well, 1t was
worth the grasping. And having looked
my full and fed my heart, as it were, with
the sight Of splcndor, l communed with
the Holy Isis and 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.
"Sol" he said, looking at me from beneath
his shaggy eyebrows; "and what thinkest
thou Of Alexandria"
~ think 1t is like some city Of the Gods"
answered.
"Ayw he replied, fercely, "a city Of the
internal Gods-a sink Of corruption, a bub-
bling well Of iniquity, home Of false faith
springing from false hearts would that
not one stone Of II were left upon another
stone, and that its wealth lay deep beneath
yonder waters would that the gulls were
screaming across It's site, and that the
wind, untainted by a Grecian breath, swept
through its ruins from ocean to Mareotisl
o Royal HarmachIs, let not the luxury and
beauty Of Alexandria poison thy sense; for
In their deadly air Faith perishes and Rel.
gion can not spread her heavenly wings.
When the hour comes for thee 10 rule,
Harmachis, cast down this accursed city,
and, as thy fathers did, set up thy throne In
the white walls Of Memh. For ! tell thee
that for Egypt Alexandria Is but splendid
gate Of ruin, and while 1t endures 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
CT Egypt's Gods"
Imade no answer, for there was truth in
his words. And yet to me the city seemed
very fair TO look on. After we had eaten,
my uncle told me II was now time to set
out TO view the march Of Cleopatra, as she
went In triumph 10 the shine Of Scraps.
For although she would not pass till with.
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