Thomas County cat., 1889-12-12

Z. s s - . - -: r. = -
ofer himself up Tor the evil DONG Of tns
race that had dethroued him And from hin
and the Divine Nothe r,of whom al natur . u
spranR another spirit who Is the Protector
Of us on earth, as Osiris Il our justifer u
Amenti.
For this il the mystery Of the Osiris.
OF sudden, as saw the visions, these
things became clear to me. The mummy
cloths of symbol and Of ceremony thai
wrap Crisis round fell from him, and I un-
derstood the secret Of religion.
The picture passed, and once again tne
Priest, my guide, spoke to me.
"Hast thou understood, Harmachis, those
things which 1t hath been granted thee to
sect"
81 have" said. care the rites endedF'
'Nay, they are but begun. That which
follows must thou endure alone! 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 path. It is too high
for me-"
! ,OcpdFI, SIiQ, IWy SOUl - oeuAi SO AOA
knowledge. will dare it."
/ He laid his hand upon my head and
blessed me. He went. I heard the door
! shut to behind him, the echoes of his foot
steps slowly died away. Then felt 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
ho Dlo, m fqno
Of the moon that night when, a lad, prayed
upon the pylon towers. 1t gathered denser
and yet more dense till it seemed to creep
into my heart and call aloud therein; for
utter silence has a 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 as this. What was about to
see? Should die, even now, in the fullness
of my youth and strength Terrib g were
the warnings that had been given to me. I
was fear-stricken, and bethought me that
would fly. Fly!-fy whittier? The temple
door was barred; could not fly. 1 was
alone with the Godhead, alone with the
power that had invoked. Nay, my heart
was pure-my heart was pure! would
face the terror that was to come, even
though died.
Isis. holy Mother" prayed, "Isis,
Spouse of Heaven, come unto me, be with
me now faint be with me nLw."
And then knew that things were not as
things had been. The air around me began
to stir, it rustled as the wings of eagles, it
took life Bright eyes gazed upon me,
strange whispers shook my soul. Upon
the darkness were bars of light. They
changed and interchanged, they moved to
and fro and wove mystic symbols which I
could not read. Swifter and swifter few
that shuttle of the light; the symbols
grouped, gathered, faded, gathered yet
again, faster and still more fast, till my
eyes could no more count them. Now
was sfvat upon sea Of glory; it surged
and rolled, as the ocean rolls it tossed me
high, it brought me low. Glory wcs piled
on glory, splendor heaped on splendor's
head, and l rode above it all.
Soon the lights began to pale In the roll
ing sea of air. Great shadows shot across
it, lines of darkness pierced it and rushed
together on its breast, till at length only
was shape Of fame set like star on the
bosom of immeasurable night. Bursts Of
awful music gathered from far away. Miles
and miles away heard them, thrilling
family through the gloom. On they came,
nearer and more Lear, louder and more
loud, till they swept past above, below,
around me, swept on rushing pinions, terri
flying and enchanting me. They floated by,
ever growing fainter, till they died in space. |
Then others came, and no two were akin.
Some ratified as ten thousand sistra shaken
all to tune. Some rang from the brazen
throats OF unnumbered clarions. Some
pealed with loud, sweet chant OF voices
that were more than human; and some
rolled along in the slow thunder Of a million
drums. They passed; their notes were lost |
in dying echoes; and the awful silence once |
more pressed in upon me and overcame me. !
The strength within me began to il I |
felt my life ebbing at its springs. Death |
drew near to me, and his shape was 81 |
lence. He entered at my heart, entered |
with a sense of numbing cold; but my |
brain was still alive, could yet think. I |
knew thatI was drawing near the confines |
of the dead. Nay, was dying fast, and oh, |
the horror of 1t! strove to pray and could |
not; there was no more time for prayer. |
One struggle and the stiffness crept into my |
~ W. !
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