Telegram-herald., 1889-10-14


vie. ard lncu 1 s1W that herbs were
xrowinz twl1L The stoues, where 10 herbs
~ grown for ages Wat cCud this oei
Vas TIE Temple deserted Azys hoW cCg-d
the worship 0t the eternal G1ds haYs
ceased that fcr thousands 0f years lad
cay Oy day. been Onered Ia the hoy
plaeef " a., thea, my father ceadi Il
wei mignt be. AID yet, why this sleneei
where were tae priestsi where tue
wcrsnipersl No more could I bear tns
doubt 0ut as the sln sank red / crept ike
q hguted iackal through the open gates,
and ca III / reached the first great Hal q
Pillars. Here 1 paused and gaLed around
me--n0t slgnL, n0t = sound 10 the din and
holy pace Ga With q beating heart 1 went
70 the second great hal OF 50 and-JhlrLy
pillars, here had been crowned Lord of
al the Land; stlu net sight or sound
Thence, half fearful OF my own football, 50
terrible did u echo In the silence OF the de
serted H0les, passed down the passage Of
the names OF the Phara0ns toward my IA
TIERS chamber. Taere stu swung the cur
tain Ger the doorway; but what would
there be wlthlni- also emptinessl lifted
u, and noiselessly passed in, and there ia his
cgrven chair at the table whereOn his long
white beard flowed down, sat my father,
Amenemhat, clad IN his priestly robes. AT
first / thought that he was dead, so still he
sat but al length be turned his head and l
saw that his orbs were white and sightless.
de was blind, and his face was thin as the
face OF dead man, and woeful with age and
grief.
stood stin and felt the blind eyes was-
dering over me. could not speak, dared
not speak 10 him; | would go and hide my
self afresh
Already had turned and grasped the cur
tain, when, ia deep, slow voice, my father
spoke:
Come hither, thou who vast my son and
art traitor Come hitler, thou Harmachis,
whereon Khem builded up her hope Not
in vain, then, have I drawn thee from far
away Not in vain have held my life in
me TIL heard thy football creeping down
these empty Holes, Ike the football OF a
theft
"Oh! my father" gasped, astonished.
Thou art blind; how knowest thou mer'
How do l know theel and askest thou
that who hast learned Of our lorei Enough,
| know thee and | brought thee hither
Would, Harmachis, that knew thee not
would that / had been blasted OF the in
visible ere | drew thee down from the
womb OF Nout 10 be my curse and shame,
and the last woe Of Khemw
"Oh, speak thou not thus ~ moaned, sis
not my burden already more than / can
beari Am | not myself betrayed and utterly
outcast- Be pltiful, my father"
''Be pitifull be pitiful to thee who hath
shown so great pityl Thy pity twas which
gave up noble Sepa to die beneath the hands
of the tormentOrs
ooh, not that-not that" cried
LAY, traitor that to die in agony, with
his last poor breath proclairnlng thee, his
murderer, honest and lnnocentl Be pitiful
20 thee, who gaveth all the flower of khem
as the price Of a wantOn's arms l-thinkest
thou that, labOring in the darksOme desert
mi0es, those noble ones In thought are pitt
ful 10 thee, Harmachisl Be pltiful 10 thee,
BY whom this holy Temple of Abouthis hath
been ravaged, its LANDS seized, its priests
scattered, and l alone, old and withered, left
TO count out its ruin to thee who hath
poured the treasures of Her into thy leman s
lap, who hath forsworn tbyself, thy country,
thy birthright, and tiny Godsl Yea, thus
AN l pitiful ;-Accursed be thou, fruit of
my loins l-Shame be tuy portion, Agony thy
end, and He'll receive thee at the last
Where art thou, Yea, / grew blind with
weeping when l heard the truth-sure, they
strove 10 hSie it from me. Let me find thee
that may spit upon thee, thou Renegade
thou ApOstatei thou Outcast i'-and ne
rose from his seat and staggered like a Nv
ing wrath toward me, smiung the air with
MS wand. And as he came with Outstretched
arms, awful % see, suddenly his end found
him, aud with cry be sank down upon the
ground. the red blood streaming from his
lips. / ran 70 him and lifted him; and as lie
died. he babbled:
"Hs was my son, bright-eyed, lovely
boy, and fun Of promise as the spring; and
n6w-aud now-oh, would that be were
deadr'
Then came pause, and the breath ratified
in his throat.
"Harnachis," he gasped, "art therei"
"Yea, father"
"Harmachis, atone l-atonei Vengeance
can still 0e VT wleaked-fOrgivenes may still
be won There's gold: I've hidden it
Atoua-she can tel thee-sh, this pain
Fareweur'
And he struggled family IN my arms, and
was dead Thus, then, did l and my holy
father. tde Prince Ameuemhat, meet togeth-
or for thc las, time in the desh, and for the
last tile part.