The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-05

Of whom such things were prophcsied
Therefore, my father shut the doors, and
caused all those who were there to swear
upon the holy symbol OF hts Office, and by the
name OF the Divine Three, and by the soui
Of her who lay dead upon the stones beside
them, that naught Of what they had seer
and heard should pass their lips.
But among the company was the old wife
AtOua, who had been the nurse Of my moth
cr, and loved her well; and in these days,
though know not how il hath been in the
past, nor how it shall be In the future. there
is no oath that can bind wOman's tongue
And 80 it came about that by and by, when
the matter had become homcly in her mind
and her fear had fallen from her, she spoke
Of the prophecy to herdaughtcr, who nursetl
me at the breast now that my mother was
dead. This she did as they walked together
in the desert carrying food to the husband
Of the daughter, who WAS sculptor, and
shaped the pictures OF the holy gods In the
tombs that are fashioned in tho rock-tell.
ing the daughter, my nurse, how grea,
should be her care and love toward the child
that one day should be Pharaoh and drive
the Ptolemies from Egypt. But the daugh-
ter, my nurse, was 30 filled wi h wonder 81
what she heard that sho could not keep the
tale locked within her breast, and in the
night she awoke her husband, and, In turn.
whispered Of 1t to him, and thereby com
passed her own destruction, and the de-
struction Of her child, my foster-brother
For the man told his friend, and the friend
was spy Of Ptolemy's, and thus the tale
came to Pharaoh's ears. Now. Pharaoh was
much troubled thereat, for though when he
was full Of wine he would make Q mock OF
the Gods Of the Egyptians. and swear tina,
the Roman Senate was the only God to
whom he bowed the knee, yet In his hear,
was he terribly afraid, as ] have learned
from one who was his physician; for when
he was alone at night he would scream and
cry aloud to the great Scraps, who, indeed,
is no true God, and To other Gods. fearing
lest he should be murdered and his soul
handed over to the tormentors. Also. when
he felt his throne tremblc under him, he
would send large presents to the temples,
and ask message from the oracles, and
more especially from the oracle that Is at
Phile. Therefore, when It came to his ears
that the wife Of the High Priest Of the great
and ancient temple Of Abouthis had, ere she
died. been filled with the Spirit Of Prophecy,
and prophesied that her son would be
Pharaoh, he was much afraid, and sum-
Greeks, feared not to do sacrllege-he dis
patched them by boat up the Nile with or
ders to come TO Abouthis and cut OF the
head OF the child of the High Priest and
bring it to hin, in basket.
But, as it CHANGED, the boat wherein the
guards came was of deep drauRht, and the
time Of their coming being at the lowest
ebb of the river, it struck and remained
~ n hrn IF M ho< e iHn
the mouth Of the road that runs across to
the plains of Abouth;s, and as the north
wind was blowing very fiercely it was like
to sink. Thereon the guards of Pharaoh
called out to the common people, who la
bored at lifting water along the banks OF
the river, to come with boats and take them
on: but seeing that they were Greeks of
Alexandria. the people would not, for the
Egyptians love not the Greeks. Then they
cried out that they were on Pharaoh's bust
ness. and still the people would not, asking
what was the business. Wherein a eunuch
among them, who had made himself
drunken In his fear. told them that they
came to slay the cLild of Amenemhat, the
High Priest, Of whom it was prophesied
that he should be Pharaoh and sweep the
Greeks from Egypt And then the people
feared TO stand longer In doubt, but
brought boats, not knowing what might
be meant BY the mans words. But one
there was among then-a farmer
and an oyerscer of canals-who was Q kina-
man OF my mothers and had been present
when she prophesled: and he turned and
ran swiftly for three parts Of an hour, till
he came TO where l lay in the house that
is without the north wall Of the great tenn
pie. Now. as it CHANGED, my father was
away in that part Of the Place Of Tombs
which is to the left Of the large fortress,
and Pharaoh's guards, mounted on asses,
were hard upon us. Then the messenger
cried to the old wife, Atoua, whose tongue
had brought about the evil, and told how
the soldiers drew near to slay me. And
they looked at each other, not knowing
what to do; for, had they hid me, the guards
would not have stayed their search till
was found. And the man, gazing through
the doorway, saw little child at play.
"Woman. he said. '.whose is that child ~
1T IS my grandchiid,' she answered,
''thc foster brother OF the Prince Harma-
CHS; the child to whose mother we owe this
evil case"
"Woman," he said. ..thou knowest thy
duty; do it." and he again pointed at the
child. Il command thee, by the Holy Name ~
And she trembled exceedingly, because
the child was Of her own blood: but, never
theless. she took the boy and washed him
and set On him robe Of silk and laid him
on my cradle. And me she took and
slneared with mud to make my fair skin
darker, and took my garment from me, and
set me to play in the dirt OF tho yard, which
] did right gladly.
Then the man hid himself, and presently
the soldiers rode up and asked of the ole