Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-28

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EE augurles. For at this time Cleopa-
ira was much troubled about matters
3 political And not knowing how the
great struggle among the Roman factions
would end, but being very desirous to side
with the strongest, she took constant coun-
sci with me as TO the warning of the stars.
These1 read to her in such manner as best
seemed TO fit the high interest of my ends.
For Antony, the Roman Triumvir, was now
in Asia Minor, and, rumor ran, very wroth
because it had been told TO him that Cleo
patra was hostile to the Triumvii ate, in that
her General, Serapion, had aided Cassius.
But Cleopatra protested loudly to me and
others that SerapIon had acted against her
viii. Yet Charmion told me that, as with
Allienus, it was because of prophecy Of
Dioscorides, the unlucky, that .he Queen
herself had secretly ordered Serapion SO to
do. Nevertheless, tEis did not save Scrap
ion, for, to prove to Antony that she was IN
nocent, she dragged the General from the
sanctuary and slew him. Woe be to those
who carry out the will of tyrants if the scale
should rise against themi And so Scranton
persisted.
Meanwhile all things went well with us,
for the minds of Cleopatra and those about
her were SO set upon affairs abroad that
neither she nor they thought of revolt at
home. But day by day our party gathered
strength in the cities OF Egypt, and even in
Alexandria, which is to Egypt as another
Hand, all things being foreign there. Day
Iby day those who doubted were won over
land sworn to the cause by that oath which
lcan not be broken, and our plans of action
more firmly laid. And every other day
went forth from the palace to take counsel
with my uncle Sepa, and there at his house
Irno n ha
were for the party of Khem.
| OF Cleopatra, the Queen. 1 saw much,
and never was l more astonished at the
wealth and splendor of her mind, that for
richness and variety was as a woven cloth
Of gold throwing back all lights from its
changing face. She feared me somewhat,
and therefore was fain to make a friend of
me, asking me many matters that seemed
10 be beyond the province Of my Office. OF
the Lady Charmion also I saw much
Indeed, she was ever at my side, so that
scarce knew when she came and when she
went. For with that soft step Of hers
would she draw nigh, and would turn me
to find her at hand and watching beneath
the long lashes of her downcast eyes.
There was no service that was too hard for
her, and no task too long, for day and night
she labored for me and for our cause. But
It should be had in mind in that time which
was ut hand, she stamped her foot and
pouted with her lips like an angry child,
saying that, among all the things which
had learned, this had l not learned-that
Loves service asked no payment and was
its own guerdon. And being innocent in
such matters and foolish that l was, hold
ing the ways Of women as Of small account,
read her sayings in the sense that her serv-
ices to the cause of Khem, which she
loved, brought with them their own reward.
But when / praised so fine spirit she
burst into angry tears and left me wonder
ing, for knew naught Of the trouble at her
heart. j knew not then that, unsought,
this woman had given me all her love and
that she was rent and torn by pangs of
passion fixed like arrows in her breast 1
did not know-how should 1 know it, who
never looked upon her otherwise than as
an instrument of our joint and holy causel
Her beauty never stirred me; nay, not even
when she leaned over me and breathed
upon my hair, never thought of it other
Iwiss than as man thinks OF the beauty of
% statue. What had to do with such de-
lightsi i who was sworn to Isis and dedi
Gated TO the cause of Egypt. o, ye Gods,
bear me witness that am innocent of this
thing, which was the source of all nv woe
and the woe of Khemi
How strange is this love Of woman, that
It is SO small in its beginning and in its
end 50 greatl See, at the first it is even as
the little spring of water yelling from a
mountains heart. And at the last what is
S iti 1t is mighty river that foweth ar
gosies Of Joy and makes wide lands to
smile. Or. perchaBcei it Is a torrent to wash
In q Hood of ruin across the fields of Hope
bursting In the barriers of design, and
bring to turlbled nothingness the tenemen,
Of mans purity and the temples of his
faith. For when the Invisible conceived
the order Of the universe, He set within its
plan this seed of woman's love that by its
most unequal growth Is doomed to bring
about equality of law. For now it lifts the
low to heights untold, and now it brings the
noble TO the level of the dust. And thus
while woman, that great surprise Of Nature
IL, Good and Evil can never grow apart
For still she stands, and, blind with love
shoots the shuttle Of our fate, and pour.
sweet water into the cup Of bitterness, aui
poisons the wholesome breath Of life witt
the doom Of her desire. Turn this way anf
turn that, she Is at hand to meet thee Hel
weakness Is thy strength, her might is tn,
Iundoing. OF her thou art, to her tho,
goest She is thy slave, yet holds thee
fcaptive; at her touch honor withers, lock.
Iopen, and barriers fall. She is infinite a.
tocean, she Is variable as heaven, and heI
name Is the Unforeseen. Man, strive not t,
tescape from woman and the love of woman
for, dy where thou wilt, she Is yet thy fate
and whate er thou buildest thou buildest 4
for herl
And thus IL came to pass that I, Harma
CHS. who had put such matters far frou
me, was yet doomed to fall by the thing
held Of no account For, see, this Char
mloni she loves me-why, knew not o
her own thought she learned to love me
aad OF her love came what shall be told
Butt, knowing gnaught, treated her even as
sister, walking Is IL were hand in hand witt
her toward our common end
And so tho time passed on till at length
I'll things were made ready.
Mwas the night before the night whe1
the blow should fall, and there -sTa reve
tngs In the palace. That very day had see
Bepa, and with him the CAPTAINS Of q ban
Of Ave hundred men, who should burst Int
the palace nt midnight on the morrow
wAsn had slain Cleopatra the Queen, an
put the Roman and the Gallic legionarie
- the sword. That very day had / sui
eEnsd the Captain PA1tus, who, since A.