The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-26

shone about the city Was black night. and
high on its bosom twinkled one tiny star.
behold the world that thou hast left"
| said the voice. ssbehold and tremble."
Then my lips and eyes were touched and
scaled with silence and with darkness, so
tina; was dumb and blind. And the gates
rolled back, the doors swung wide, and
was swept into the city that is In the place
Of Death. Swiftly was swept know not
whittier, till ct length stood upon my feet.
Again the same voice pealed:
Draw the vail of blackness from his
eyes, unseal the silence on his lips, that
Harmachis, Child OF Earth. may see, hear
and understand. and make alteration at the
| shrine of Her, that Was, and Is, and Shall
Be-
And my lips and eyes were touched once
more, so that my sight and speech came
back.
Behold! stood within hall Of blacklist
marble, so lofty that scarce even in the rosy
| light could my vision reach the great
groins OF the roof. Music walled about its
spaces, and all adown its length stood
| winged spirits fashioned in living flame, and
such was the brightness OF their forms that
could not look thereon. In its center was
an altar, small and square, and ! stood be.
fore the empty altar Then again the voice
| cried:
20 Thou that hast been, art. and shalt be;
Thou who, having many names, art yet
| without name; Mcasurcr Of Time; Guar.
dian Of the Worlds, and the Races that
| dwell thereon; Universal Mother born OF
Nothingness; Creatrix uncreated; Living
Splendor without form. Living Form with
| out Substance: Servant OF the Invisible:
| Child of Law; Holder of the Scales and
Sword of Fate; Vessel Of Life, from whom
all Life is, to whom it again is gathered:
Recorder of Things Done; Executor OF
Decrees-hear! Harmachis, the Egyptian,
| who by Thy will hath been summoned
| from the earth. waits before Thine Altar,
| with ears unstopped, with eyes unscaled,
| and with an open heart. Hear and dc.
| scend. Descend. O Many-shaped! De.
scend in Flame! Descend III Soundi DE.
scend IN Spirit! Hear and Descend.''
The voice ceased and there was silence.
Presently, moved thereto by / know not
what, l raised my eyes from between my
hands whercwith had covered them, and
saw hanging over the altar q small dark
cloud. in and out Of which q fiery serpent
climbed.
Then all the Spirits clad in fame fell upon
the marble floor, and with loud voice
| adorcd: but what they said could not un-
derstand. Behold the dark cloud came
down and rested on the Altar, the Serpent
Of fire stretched itself toward me: and
with its forky tongue touched me on the
forehead and was gone. From within the
| cloud voice, sweet and low and clear.
spoke in heavenly accents:
Depart, We Minister'S leave me with my
| servant whom have summoned"
Then like arrows rushing from bow the
fame-clad Spirits leaped from the ground
and sped away.
20, Harmachis,' said the voice, ''be not
| afraid. am She whom thou dost know as
Isis OF the Egyptians: but what else am
strive not thou to learnt is beyond thy
strength. For am all things. all life is
my spirit, all Nature is my raiment. am
the laughter of the child, am the maidcn's
love, am the mothers kiss, am the Child
and Servant of the Invisible that is God,
that Is Law, that is Fa,e-though myself
be not God and Fate and Law. When winds
blow and oceans roar upon the face of Earth
thou nearest my voice; when thou gazest
on the starry armament thou secst my
countenance: when the spring blooms out
in flowers, that is my smile, Harmachls.
For am natures self, and all her shapes
are shapes Of Me. / breathe in all that
breathes. / wax and wanc in the changefu.
moon. grow and gather in the tides. ]
rise with the Suns. flash with the light
ming and thunder in the storms. Nothing
is too great for the measure of my majesty,
nothing is so small that / can not lind
home therein"
bowed my head-I could not speak, for
was fear-smittcn.
Faithfully hast thou served me, o my
servant" went on the low, sweet voice
greatly hast thou longed to be brought
face to face with Me here in Amenti: and
greatly hast thou dared to accomplish that
desire. For it is no small thing to cast of
the tabernacle of the flesh, and, before tho
appointed time, If only for an hour, put on
the raimcnt of the spirit. And greatly, g
my servant, have l, too, desired TO look on
thee here where ] am. For the Gods love
those who love them. Dut with . wider ano
deeper love, and under One who is as far
from Me as / am from thee, mortal, am
God Of Gods. Therefore have caused thee
to be brought hither, Harmachis; and
therefore speak to thee. my servant, and
bid thee commune with Ne now face h
face, rs thou didst commune that night
upon the Temple towers Of Abouthis. For
l was there with thee. Harmachis, as / was
i'll ten thousand other worlds. 1t was !, G
Harmachis, who laid the lotus in thy hand,
giving thee the sign which thou didst seek
For thou art of the kingly blood of those
who served Ne from age to age And il
thou dost not fail thou shalt sit upon that
kingly throne and restore my ancient wor.
ship in its purity, and sweep my temples
from their defilements. But il thou dost
fail, then shall Isis become but memory
In Egypt"
The voice paused, and, gathering up my
strength, at length spoke aloud.
TELL me, 0 Holy" l said, "shall then
fail!''
"Ask Ne not answered the voice. s.that
which It 10 not lawful that should answer
thee. Perchance ! can read that which
shall befall thee, perchance 1t doth not please
me % to read. What can 1t profit the Di
vine, that hath al time wherein to await the
issues, to be eager TO look upon the blossom
that Is not blown, but which, lying seed 10
the bosom Of the earth. shall bloom in its
seasonl Know, Harmachis, that ! do not
shape the Future; the Future is to thee and
not to Ne, for II 10 born Of Law and of the
rule ordained Of the Invisible. Yet art thou
free to act therein, and thou shalt win or
thou shalt fail according to thy strength
and the measure Of thy hearts purity.
Thine be the burden, q Harmachis, as thine
In the event shall be the glory or the shame
Little do reck OF the issue, who am but
the Minister Of what Is written. Now hear
me. Always will be with thee, my servant,
Tor my love once given can never De takcr
away, though by sin it may seem lost &c
thee. Remember then this: IL thou dost
triumph, great shall be guerdoa; if thou
dost fail, heavy indeed shall be thy punish
ment, both in the flesh and in the land that
thou callest Amenti. Yet this for thy com.
fort; shame and agony shall noe be etcr-
nal For, however deep the fall from
righteousness, if but repentance holds tho
heart, there is a patha stony and q cruel
path-whereby the height may be climbed
again. Let it not be thy lot to follow it
Harmachis! And now. because thou hast
| loved me, my servant, and, wandering
through the maze Of fable, wherein men
lose themselves upon the earth, mistaking
the substance for the spirit, and the altar
for the God, hast yet graspcd clcw 81
L Trtrth ho faC