Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-14

q thus torn, painting, my white garments
stained with the blood that had rushed
from the mouth and nostrils of the mighty
Nubian, l for the first time saw Cleopatra
face to face. Her chariot was all Of gold,
and drawn by milk-white s;eeds. Therein
she sat with two fair girls, clad in Greek
attire, standing one on either side tanning
her with glittering fans. There she sat in
the splendid car. On her head was the COW
ering Of Isis, the golden horns between
which rested the moons round disk and the
emblem OF Osiris throne, with the urRus
twined around. Beneath the covering was
the vulture cap of gold, the blue enameled
wings, and the vulture head with gemmy
eyes, under which her long, dark tresses
flowed toward he feet. About her round
ed neck was u broad collar Of gold studded
with emeralds and coral. Round her arms
and wrists were bracelets Of gold studded
with emeralds and coral, aud In one hand
she held the holy symbol of life {crux ansa-
tai fashioned of crystal, and in the other
the golden rod of royalty. Her breast was
bare, but under was q garment that glis-
tened like the sealy covering Of a snake,
everywhere sewn with gems. Beneath this
robe was a skirt of golden cloth. half hid by
a scarf of the broidered silk of Cos, falling
in folds even to the sandals that, fastened
with great pearls, adorned her white and
tiny feet.
All this / discerued at a glance, as it
were. Then / looked upon the face-that
face which seducea Caesar, ruined Egypt
and was doomed to give Augustus the
scepter of the world. l looked upon the
fawless Grecian features, the rounded chin,
the full, rich lips, the chiseled nostrils and
the ears fashioned like delicate shells. /
sawt the forehead, low, broad and lovely, the
crisped, dark hair falling in heavy waves
that sparkled in the sun, the arched eye
brows and the long bent lashes. There be-
fore me was the grandeur Of her imperial
shape. There burnt tire wonderful eyes,
hued like the Cyprian vlolet-eyes that
as night broods upon the desert, and yet as
the night to shift, change and be illumined
by CLEANS of sudden splendor born within
their starry depths. ALI those wonders l
saw though 1 nave small skill in telling
them. But even then / knew that it was
not in these charms alone that the
might of Cleopatra's beauty lay. Rath-
er was it in a glory n a radi-
ance cast through the feshy covering
from the fierce soul within. For she was a
Thing of flame like unto which no woman
hath ever been nor ever will be. Even when
she brooded, the fire of her quick heart
ShOne through ner. bUl when sue Woke,
and the lightning leapt suddenly from hSr
eyes. and the passion-laden music Of her
speech chimed upon her lips, ali! h who
can tell how Cleopatra seemed? For in her
met all the s%plendors that have been gwen
to woman for her glory, and all the genius
which man has drawn from Heaven And
with them dwelt every evil OF that greater
sort which fearing nothing and making a
mock of laws, hath taken empires for its
place of play, and, smiling, watered the
! growth of it's desires with the rich blood
of men,. In her breast they gathered, to-
gether fashioning that Cleopatra whom no
man may draw, and yet whom no man, hav-
ing seen, ever can forget. They fashioned
her grand as the Spirit of Storm, lovely as
Lightning, cruel as Pestilence, yet with a
heart; and what she did is Known. Woe to
the world when such another comes tocurse
it!
For a moment 1 met Cleopatra's eyes as
she idly bent herself to find the tumult's
cause. AT first they were somber and dark,as
though they saw, indeed, butthe brain read
naught. Then they awoke, and their very
color seemed to change as the color
of the sea changes when the water Is
shaken. First, there was anger written in
them; next, an idle noting; then when she