The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-28

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IN small, arched cham
kf1 her, paved and lined
VI kNXINNA with great blocks Of
1NAkXA the granite stone Of
LIZ 6RAHR Syeue. There before
kk NaSH 8e us-hewn from single
IW AsAVF mass Of basait shaped
" like q wooden house
- .i|,,,, and resting on . sphinx
FZL 2lIpp' with face Of gold
49, N\h was the sarcophagus Of
N@S3lyy the divine Msnka-ra.
ISH,SN8 Awed, we stood and gazed,
E@O for the weight OF the silence
50 and the solemnity Of that holy
e place seemed to crush u. Above Us,
cubit over cubit in it, mighty measure, the
Pyramid lowered up 20 heaven and was
kissed Of the night mir. But we were deep
IA the bowels Of the rock beneath its base.
Wewcre alone with the dead, whose rest
wc were about to break; and no sound OF
the murmuring cir and no sight OF life
came to dull tho awful edge Of solitude. /
gazed on the sarcophagus; its heavy lid
had been lifted and rested at Its side.
Around 1t the dust Of ages had gathered
thick, and there In the dust was the stamp
Of human feet. Then / trembled, for knew
that / looked on the footprints OF that fore
father of mine, who, generations gone, last
Of living men, had visited this holy place.
Long bad hc been gathered 70 Osiris, and
vet there in the powdered dust was the
press Of his dead foot.
s.See,n whispered, pointing TO writing
danbed with pigment upon the wall In the
sacred symbols Of ancient times.
..Read Il, Harmachis," answered Cleo
paAra, in the same low voice; for / can
not.n
Then read: II, Rameses Miamun, did,
In my day and in my hour OF need, visit
this eepulcher. But though great my
need and bold my heart. dared not face
ths curse of Menlka.ra Judge, o thou who
shalt como alter me. and, If thy soul be
pure and Khem be utterly distressed, take
thou that which have left"
.Where, then, Is tho treasurer sho
whispered. SIS that SPHINX face Of goldl"
sEven there" I answered, pointing to
the sarcophagus. "Draw near and Sec"
And sho took my hand and drew near.
The lid was OF, but within the depths Of
tho sarcophagus lay the painted comm OF
the Pharaoh. blew the dust from It with
my breath and read that which was
written thereon. And this was written:
1nSIeo0 AO0AA0s sO0 Ssess0 -
HeSven.
Pharaoh Nenka-ra, Royal Son Of the
Sun.
pharaoh Menka-ra, who didst lie be-
meath the heart OF Nout
..Nout, thy Mother, wraps Thea IN the spell
Of Her holy name.
.'The name Of thy Mother, Nous. i the
mystery Of Heaven.
.Nout, thy Mother, gathers thee to the
number Of the Gods
s'Nout, thy Mother, breathes on thy foes
and utterly destroys them.
20 Pharaoh Menka-ra, who livest for
everr'
again. "Here, indeed, 10 the body Of the
divine Menka-ra; but tho ficsh even Of Pha-
raohs il not gold. and II the face of this
sphinx be gold, how may we move it.'
For answer bade her stand upon the
sphinx and grasp the upper part Of the cot.
an, while / grasped its foot. Then, at my
word, we lifted. and the lid Of the case,
which was not fixed, came away, and we set
it upon the floor. And there in the case was
the mummy Of the Pharaoh, - three thou
sand years before 1t had been laid. Alarge
mummy 1t was, and somewhat ungainly.
Nor was 1t adorned with gilded mask, %
10 the fashion Of our day, for the head was
wrapped IN cloths yellow with age, which
we're made fast with pink fiaxen bandages,
whereunder were pushed the stems Of lotus
blooms. And on the breast, wresthed over
with lotus flowers, lay plate Of gold close
ly written over with sacred writing lifted
Up the plate, and, holding It to the light, I
read:
II, Menka,ra, the Os,rian, aforetims Pharsoh
- 8 nAA - ~ SA~ A. tire
Justly and ever walked In the path marked for
my feet by the decree Of the Invisible. Vino
wss the beginning and 10 the end speak from
my tomb to these who after mo shall for IN
hour Sit upon my Throne. Behold, ], Menko-
"a. the Osi.isn, having in tho days Of my life
b en- warned Of dream that time viii come
NJ en- Khem shall fear TO fall into the hands oil
strangers. ana her monarch shall have great
ased Of treasure whcrowith 70 furnish arm cs
70 drive the barbarian back. have out OF my
Weldon done this thing. For Il having pleased
tho protecting Gods 70 give me wealth beyond
any Pharaoh who has been since the days Of
Horus-thousands OF cattle and geese. thou
sands OF camels and asses, thousands OF
measures OF corn, and hundreds OF measures
81 gold Aud gems-this wealth have ] used
sp9Singly, and that which remains have ]
baTtered tsr proc Gus stones, even for emer.
aids the m0.St beautiful and largest that are In
the world. 1lese stones, then, have stored
up against that day OF the need Of khem. Hut
because as there have been. 80 there shall be,
those who do wickedly on the earth. aad who.
u tho lustof gain. might seize this wealth that
lhavo stored and put II 70 their uses Behold,
bon Unborn One. who In tho fuilness Of time
shsss stand above I,s and read this that Ihavo
caused 70 be written. thus have stored the
pressure: even amoag my bones. Therefore,
Oh On Unborn Ono sleeping in the womb OF
SouI, this say 70 thesi II thou indeed hast
oeed OF riches 20 save Khem from the foes OF
Khan. fear not and de:sy NOT but tear me. the
Osirian, from my tomb. loose my wrappings
and rip tho treasure frol0 my breast, and al
sAall DO well with thee; Tor this only DO com
maal: That thou doss replace my bones
Within my hollow CONN But II the need be
passing aud not great or Il there be guile
sttAin thy heart, then the curse OF Menks 70
20 On thcei On theo Be the surso that shall
snife lin who breaks IN upon tho dead.s
1t must DO remembered that the a.
,innt Egyptians held tho dead in greater
Awe and sanctity than the living. After
asata the body was still visited by tho soul,
M they locked forward 70 Its personal