Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-02-27

great man die-sud Together, with MUCH
Soil, we bore him thence Till we came to the
foot OF the Mausoleum.
But Cleopatra, being afraid Of treachery, |
would no more throw Wide the door: SO she
st down . rope from the window and we
made II fast beneath the arms Of Antony, |
Then did Cleopatra. who the while wett
most bitterly, together with CharInion and
tras, the Greek, pull on b rope with III
their strength. whlle we lifted from below
tia tho dying Antony swung in the air,
groaning heavily, and the blood dropped
from his gaping wopnd Twice he nearly
the strength Of love aud despair, held him
TN ct length she drew him through the
window-place, while all who saw the dread
full sight wept bitterly, end beat their
breasts-an save myself and Charmion.
When he was In, once more the rope was
let down, and with some aid from Char
mion, I climbed into the tomb, drawing up
the rope after ma There I found Antony,
laid upon the golden bed Of Cleopatra; and
she, her breast bare, her face all stained
with tears, and her hair streaming wild
about him, knelta at his side and kissed him,
wlping the blood from his wounds with her
robes and hair. And lot ali my shame be
written: as I stood and watched her the old
love awoke once more within me, and mad
jealousy ragged In my heart because
though / could destroy these twain-their
love / could not destroy.
30 Antonyl my sweet, my husband and
my God!" she moaned. s'Cruel Antony,
hast thou the heart to die and leave me to
my lonely shamei Swiftly will / follow
thee to the grave. Antony, awakel
Gwaker'
He lifted up his head and called for wine,
which ] gave him, mixing therein q draught
that might ailay his pain, for it was great.
And when he had drunk he bade Cleopatra
lie down on the bed beside him, and put her
arms about him, and this she did. Then
was Antony once more o man; for forget
ting his own misery anG pain, he counseled
her as to her own safety; but to this talk
she would not listen. THE hour Is short, .
she said; s.let Is speak Of this great love Of
ours that has been SO long and may yetim-
dure beyond the coasts Of Death. Mindest
thou that night when first thou dldat put
thine arms about me and call me Iovei'
Oil happy, happy night Having known
that night, tits we'll to have ived-even to
this bitter endf"
SAY, Egypt, Imind it well and dwell upon
its memory, though from that hour hath
fortune fed from me-lost in my depth oil
love for thee, thou Beautiful. / mind it,
he gasped; fsthen didst thou drink the
pearl in wanton play, and then did that
~astrologer Of thine call out his hour-The
hour OF the falling OF the curse Of Menka-
RAJ Through all the after days those words
have haunted me, and now at the last yet
do they ring within my ears"
"Long is he dead, my love-" she whis-
pered.
eff he be dead, then am I near him. What
meant he.n
"He is dead, the accursed man line more
OF himi Oh, turn and kiss me, for thy fact
| grows white. The end is neartn
He kissed her on the lips, and for Q little
while 80 they stayed, to the moment Of
death. like lovers newly wed babbling thei1
passions in each others ears. Even to my
Jealous heart q strange and awful thing 4
was to see.
Presently I saw the Change Of Deatl
gather on his face. His head fell back.
Farewell, Egypt; fareweni-I diet'
She lifted herself upon her hands, gazel
wildly on his ashen face, and then with
great CRY, she sank back swooning.
But Antony yet lived, though the power
Of speech had left him. Then I drew near
and kneeling, made pretense to minister
u INTO him. And as I ministered / Whispered
in his ear.
"Antony," I whispered. sCleopatra wa
my love before she passed from me to thee
I am Harmachis, that astrologer who stool
behind thy couch at Tarsus; and I hav,
been the chief minister Of thy ruin. Die
Antonyit tho curse Of Asnkara hath fausni"
He raised himself, and stared upon m,
face. He could not speak, but gibbering, b,
pointed al me. Then with q groan hi
mighty spirit fed.
Thus did I accomplish my revenge upo1
Roman Antony, the world-loser.
Thereafter, then, we recovered Cleopatr,
from her swoon, for not yet was / mindet
that she should die. And taking the bod,
Of Antony, Caesar permitting, ] and Atoul
caused 1t to be most skilIfuIly embalme,
otter Jul Egyptian fashion, covering tn
face with q mask Of gold fashioned like t
the features of Antony. Also I wrote upol
his breast his name and titles, and painte'
bis name and the name of his father within
his inner coffin, and drew the form OF tn
holy Nout folding her wings about him.
Then with great pomp Cleopatra laid hir
in that sepulcher which had been mad
ready, and In a sarcophagus OF alabastel
Now, this sarcophagus was fashioned .
ond coffin, for Cleopatra was fain to lie b
Antony at the last.
These things then happened. And but
little while after I learnt tidings from on
Cornelius Dolabella, q noble Roman VIII
waited upon Caesar, and moved by tn
beauty that swayed the souls Of all VIII
looked upon her, had pity for the woes q
Cleopatra. He babe me warn her-for, q
Ter physician, it was allowed me to pass 4
and out Of the tomb where she dwelt-tha
in three days she would be sen away I
Rome, together with her children, that oh
might walk in the triumph Of Caesar. A.
cordingly I went in, and found her sitting
as now h always sat, plunged in o ha!
stupor, and before her that blood-staine
robe wherewith she had stanched Ii
wounds Of Antony. For on this she woul
continually feasther eyes.
"See how faint they grow, Olympus, ',sh
said, fitting her sad face and pointingt to th
rusty stains, land he SO lately deadi WI
Gratitude could not fade more fast. VIII
Is now thy newsa Evil tidings is writ larg
in those dark eye Of thine, which eve
bring back to me something that still slir
my mind"
I'LL is the news, OQueen,n I answered
''This have I from the lips of Dolabella, VIII
hath it straight from Caesars Secretary
On the third day from now will Cesar sen
thee and the Prince Ptolemy and Alexande
and the Princess Cleopatra to Rome, thsr
to feast the eyes Of theR Roman mob, and b
led in triumph to that Capitol where tho
didst swear to set thy throne.n
."Never, neverIn she cried, springina
her feet. "Never will I walk in chains 1
Caesars triumph What must I dos Cha
mion, tell mi what I can doIn
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