The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-09

win the prize Of earthly womani And, now
dare not again to utter the Word Of Powel
till these things be donei Harmachis, fol
this season, fare thee we'll"
As the last note Of the sweet voice dice
away, the fiery snake climbed into the hear
Of the cloud. Now the cloud rolled from
the horns Of light, and was gathering int
the blackness. The vision OF the crescent
moon grew dim and vanished. Then as the
Goddess passed, once more came the fain,
and dreadful music of the shaken sistra
and all was still.
hid my face in my robe and, even then
though my outstrefched hand could touch
the chill corpse Of that father who had died
cursing me. felt hope come back into my
heart. knowing that ! was not altogether
lost nor utterly rejected Of Her whom had
forsaken, but whom yet loved. And then
WEAKNESS overpowered me, and slept.
l woke, the faint lights OF dawn were
creeping from the opening In the roof
CHASTITY they lay upon the shadowy sculpt-
ured walls and CHASTITY upon the dead face
and long white beard Of my father, the
gathered to Osiris. started up, remenl-
bering all things, and wondering in my
heart what / should do. and as rose heard
. faint football creeping down the passage
Of the names Of the Pharaohs.
ala. la la" mumbled q voice that
knew for the voice of the old wife, Atoua
why, it's dark as the House of the Dead
The holy ones who built this Temple loved
not the blessed sun, however much they
worshiped him. Now, where's the cur.
tain,'
Presently it was drawn, and Atoua en-.
tered, O stick in one hand and in the other
q basket. Her face was somewhat more
wrinkled and her scanty locks were some
what more white than aforetime, but for
the rest she was as she had ever been. She
stood and peered around with her sharp
black eyes, for because OF the shadows as
yet naught could she see.
Now where is her, she muttered.
''Osiris-glory to his name-send that he
has not wandered in the night, and he blind
Alack! that could not return before the
dark. Alack! aud alack! what times have
we fallen on when the Holy High Priest and
the Governor, by descent of Abouthis, is
left with one aged crone to minister to his
infirmityl q Harmachis, my poor boy,
thou hast laid trouble at our doors! Why,
what's thiss Surely he sleeps not, there
upon the groundl-'twill be his death
Princel Holy Father! Amenemhat! awake,
arise!" and she hobbled towards the corpse.
"Why, how is it! BY Him who sleeps he's
dead INTENDED and aione-dead! dead" ard
she sent her long wall Of grief ringing up
the scuiptured walls.
.Hush! woman; be still!' said, gliding
from the shadows.
''Oh, what art thou!" she cried, casting
down her basket wicked man, hast thou
murdered tins holy One, the only holy One
in Egypt. Surely the curse will fall on
thee, for though the Gods do seem to have
forsaken us now in our hour of trial, yet is
their arm long. and certainly they will be
avenged on him who hath SLAIN their
anointed!'
Look on me, Atoua," cried.
Look ay, l look-thou wicked wandercr
who hast dared this cruel deed Harmachis
is a traitor and lost far away, and Amen
emhat, his holy father, is murdered, and
now I'm all alone without kith or kia. l
gave them for HIM. gave them for Har-
machis, the traitor! Come, slay me also,
thou wicked one"
l took step toward her, and she, think
ing that was about to smitc her, cried out
In fear:
NAY, good Sir, spare me! Eighty and
six, by the holy Ones. eighty and six, come
next food OF Nile, and yet would not die,
though Osiris is mcrciful to the old who
served him! Come no nearer-hclp! help!
help!"
'Thou fool, be SILENT" said; "knowest
thou me not.''
'.Know thee.-can l know every wander
ing boatman to whom Sebek grants to earn
o livelihood till Typhon claims his own
And yet-why, It's strange-that changed
that scars-that stumbling
gait. It's thou, Harmachis tits thou, oh,
my boy! Art come back to glad mine old
eyesl l hoped thee dead. Let me kiss
thee.-nay. / forgot Harmachis is trai.
tor, ay. and a murderer! Here lies the holy
Amenemhat, murdered by the traitor,
Harmachis! Get thee gone! Ill have
none Of traitors and of parricides! Get thee
to thy wanton tits not thou whom did
nurse
peace. woman! peace! I slew not my
father-he died. alas even in my armsl''
LAY, surely. and cursing thee, Harmachis
Thou hast given death to him who gave thee
life! La, "a, am old, and I've seen many
a trouble: hut this is the heaviest never
like the looks of mummies; but would [
were one this hour! Get thee gone, l pray
thee!'
"old nurse, reproach me not have not
enough 10 bear.''
"Ah, true. true! l did forget! Well;
and what is thy sin. A woman was thy
bane, as women have been to those before
thee, and shall be to those after thee. And
what woman! La. la / saw her, q
beauty such as never was-an arrow
pointed by the evil Gods for destruction
And thou. young man bred as priest
on i'll training-a very i'll training! Twas
no fair match Who can wonder that she
mastered thee. Come, Harmachis: let me
kiss thee! 1t is not for woman to be hard
upon man because he loved our sex too
much. Why, that is but nature: and
Nature knows her business, else had she
made US otherwise. But this is an evil
case. Knowest thou that this Macedonian
Queen OF thine hath seized the Temple
lands and revenues, and driven away
tho Pricsts-all, save the holy Amen.
emhat, who lies here, and whom she left,
know not why; ay, aud caused
the worship Of the Gods to cease within
these walls. Well, he's gone!--ke's gone
and indeed he is better with Osiris, for his
life was . sore burden to him. And bark
tHous 4Aut AC u0lu uOt 4CIL lueS
empty handed: for as the plot failed, he
gathered all his wealth, and 1t is large. end
hid lt-wherc, / can show thee-and thine
it is by right of descent
Talk not TO me OF wealth. Atoua Where
shall l 60 and how shall hide my shamer
''Ah! true, true; here mayst thou no,
abide, for II they found thee, surely they
would put thee to the dreadful death-ay
even to the death by the waxen cloth. Nay
/ will hide thee. and, when the funeral rite.
Of the holy Amenemhat have been per
formed, We will lily hence, and cover Us from
the eyes OF men till these sorrows are for
gotten. La. Il, it is . sad world, and full
Of trouble as the Nile mud is Of beetles
Come. Harnachis, come"
CHAPTER XVI
ON TIE LIFE OF HIM WHO WAS NAMED TIL
LEARNED OLYMPUS, IN THE TOMB OF TIL
HAMPERS THAT Is BY TAPE; or HIS COUNSEL
TO CLEOPATRA; or THE MESSAGE OF CHAR
MON: AND OF THE PASSING or OLYMPU
DOWN TO ALEXANDRIA,.
.>aI v HEsE things the,
,aL-EaA came to pass. Fo
Oh yvrIuywusa6 eighty days was
NJ he -.