The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-13


eternal-I, who have watched Universes
wither, wane, and, meath the breath of
Time, melt into nothingness; again, to gath
er, and, reborn, thread the vast maze Of
space-still, say, shall companion thee.
Wherever thou goest, in whatever form of
life thou lvest, there shall bel Art thou
waited to the farthest star, art thou buried
in Amenti's lowest deep, in lives, in deaths,
in sleeps, in wakings. in remembrances, in
obhvions, in all the fevers of the outer
Life, in all the changes Of the Spirit-still,
if thou wilt atone and forget Me no more, I
shalt be with thee, waiting thine hour of re-
demption. For this Is the nature of the love
Divine, wherewith 1t loves that which doth
partake of its divinity and hath once by the
holy tie been bound TO it. Judge then, Har-
machis; was it well to put this from thee to
win the prize of earthly womanl And, now,
dare not again to utter the Word Of Power
till these things be donei Harmachis, for
this season, fare thee We'll"
AS the last note of the sweet voice died
away, the fiery snake climbed into the heart
of the cloud. Now the cloud rolled frem
the horns of light, and was gathering into
the blackness. The vision of the crescent
moon grew dim and vanished. Then as the
Goddess passed, once more came the faint
and dreadful music of the shaken sistra,
and all was still.
hid my face in my robe and, even then,
though my outstretched 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.
I woke, the faint lights of dawn were
creeping from the opening IL 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. I started up, remem-
bering all things, and wondering in my
heart what should do, and as rose 1 heard
faint football creeping down the passage
of the names of the Pharaohs.
"Ld, Ia ld'n mumbled a voice that /
knew for the voice of the old wife, Atoua.
''Why, tits dark as the House of the Dead :
The hGiy 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, stick in one hand and in the other
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 he!" she muttered
'Osiris-glory to his name-send thet ne
has not wandered in the night, and be blind !
Alackl that I could not return before the
dark. AlackI and alackl 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
infirmity! . Harmachis, my poor boy,
thou hast laid trouble at our doorsl Why,
what's this? Surely he sleeps not, there
upon the groundl-'twill be his DEATH
Prince Holy FatherI AmenemhatI awake,
ariser' and she hobbled towards the corpse.
why, how is it. By Him who sleeps he's
dead INTENDED and alone-deGd! dedd''' and
she sent her long wall of grief ringing up
the scuiptured walls.
Hush! woman; be stillI' said, gliding
from the shadows.
''Oh, what art thou!" she cried, casting
down her basket wicked man, hast thou
murdered this 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, vet is
their arm long, and certainly they Will be
avenged on him who hath slam their
anointedr'
"Look on me, Atoua,n cried.
''Lookl ay, / look-thou wicked wanderer
who hast dared this cruel deedl Harmachis
is traitor and lost far away, and Amen
emhat, his holy father, is murdered, and
now I'm all alone without kith or kia- /
gave them for him ! gave them for Har-
mschis, the traitor! Come, slay me also,
thou wicked one"
took step toward her. and she, think
ing that was about 20 smite her, cried out
in fear:
May, good Sir, spare me, Eighty and
six, by the holy Ones. eighty and six, come
next food of Nile, and yet would I not die.
though Osiris Is mercifuI to the old who
served himI Come no nesrer-helpi helpI
helpr'
Thou fool, be SILENT" said; '.knowest
thou me not:"
''Know theeecsu know every wander
ing boatman to whom Sebek grants to earn
. livelihood till Typhon claims his owni
And yet-why, it's strange-that changed
counteDance that scart-that stumbling
gait! Ills thou, Harmachis its thou, oh,
my boy! Art come back to glad mine old
eyesi / hoped thee dead Let me kiss
theei-nay, forgot Harmachis is a trail
tor, ay, and murderer. Here lies the holy
Amenemhat, murdered by the traitor,
Harmachisl Get thee gonei III have
none Of traitors and of parricidesl Get thee
to thy wsntou tits not thou whom 1 did
nurse"
Peace, wonsni peacel I slew not my
father-be died, alas even in ny armsr'
SAY, surely, and cursing thee, Harmachis
Thou hast given death to him who gave thee
lifeI La Ia, am old, and I've seen MANY
trouble; but this is the heaviest! never
like the looks OF uummies; but 1 would I
were one this hourI Get thee gone, pray
theei"
sold nurse, rep-oach me not have I not
enough TO bearfi
s.Ah, true, true, 1 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 a woman! Edl Ia, I saw her, q
beauty such as never was-an arrow
pointed By the evil Gods for destruction!
And thou a young man bred as priest
an i'll training-a very III training! Twas
no fair match Who can wonder that she
mastered theel Come, Harmachis; let me
kiss theei Il is not for a woman to be hard
upon a 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
the Priests-aIl, save the holy Amen
emhat, who lies here, and whom she left,
/ know not why; az, and caused
the worship of the Gods TO cease within
these walls. Wei, he's gone!-he's gone!
and indeed he is better with Osiris, for his
life was a sore burden to him And bark
LIn=---..k:-. LIZ