The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-16

been thy lot, Harmachis; but ut least tho
hast been free. and many is the time that
have envied thee the quiet of thy haunte
cave"
ado perceive, o Charmion. that thou ar
mindful Of thy oaths; and ii IS well, TO
methinks the hour Of vengeance is at hand
II am mindful, and in all things have
worked for thee in Secretion thee, and TO
the utter ruin Of Cleopatra and the Roman
have famed his passion and her jealousy
! have egged her on TO wickeiness and hin
4 70 folly, and Of all have caused report to b,
brought TO Caesar. Listen! thus stands tn,
| matter. Thou knowcst how went the figh
at Actium. Thither with her feet wen
Cleopatra. sorely against the will of Antony
| But, as thou sendcst me word, / entreatct
HIM for the Queen, vowing to him, Will
tears, that, did he leave her, she would di,
| OF grief: and he, poor slave, believed me
And SO she went, and in the thick OF thu
fight, for what cause know not, she made
signal to her squadron, and, putting about
fed from the battle, sailing for Pelopon
nesus. Ard now mark the end. Wher
Antony saw that she was gone, he. in his
madness, took galley, and, deserving all
followed hard after her, leaving his feet tc
be shattered and sunk, and his great army
in Greece of twenty leglons and twelve
thousand horses without leader. And oil
this would no man believe, that Antony,
the smitten Of the gods, had fallen SO deep
in shame. Therefore for awhile the army
tarried, and but now tonight comes news
brought by Canidius, the General, that,
worn with doubt and being at length sure
that Antony had deserted them, the whole
Of that great force hath yielded to Caesar. =
"And where, then, is Antonyr
ION little isle in the Great Harbor hath
he built him habtation and named II
Timonium; because. forsooth, like Timon,
he cries out Of the ingratitude Of mankind
that hath forsaken him. And there he lies
smitten by fever of the mind, and thither
must thou go at dawn, SO wills the Queen,
to cure HIM OF his ills and draw him to her
arms: for her he will not see. nor knows he
yet the full measure of his woe. But first
my bidding is to lead thee instantly to Cleo
patra, who fain would ask thy counsel"
II come" answered. rising Lead thou
on"
And so we passed the palace gates and
along the Alabaster Hail. and presently
once again stood before the door Of Cleo
patra's chamber, and once again Charmion
left me to warn her Of my coming.
Presently she came back and beckoned to
ME. make strong thy heart" she whis-
pered, land see that thou dost not betray
thyself, for still are the eyes of Cleopatra
keen. Enter
keen, indeed, must they be to find Har-
machis in the learned olympus! Had l not
willed 1t, myself thou hadst not known me,
Charmion," made answer
Then l entered that remembered place
and listened once more to the splash Of the
fountain. the song Of the nightingale, and
the murmnr of the summer sea. With
bowed head and hating gait came, till at
length stood before the couch of Cleopatra
that same golden couch wherein she had
sat the night she did o'ercome me- Then
gathered my strength and looked up.
There before me was Cleopatra, glorious as
Of old, but, oh. how changed since that
night when l saw Antony clasp her in his
arms AT Tarsus! Her beauty still clothed
her like garment: the eyes were yet deep
and unfathomable as the blue sea. The face
still splendid in its great loneliness. Aud
yet all was changed. Time. that could not
touch her charms, had stamped upon her
presence such look of weary grief as may
not be written. Passion, beating ever in
that fierce heart of hers, had written his
record on her brow, and in her eyes shone
the sad light of sorrow
Low bowed before this most royal wom-
an, who once had been my love and my de-
struction. aud yet knew me not.
She looked up YEARLY, and spoke in her
slow. aforementioned voice.
$50 thou art come at length, Physician.
How cailest thou thyself-Oiympus. It's
name Of promise, for surely now that the
Gods Of Egypt have deserted US, we do
need aid FROM Olympus. Well, thou hast q
learned air, for learning goes not with
beauty. Strange, too, there is that about
thee which doth recall what ! know not.
Say. Olympus. have we met before."
''Never, . Queen, have my eyes fallen on
thee IN the body l answered. 'Never
till this hour, when come forth from my
solitude to do thy bidding and cure thee of
thy ills =
''Strange! and even in the VOICE
Pshaw! it's some memory that / can not
catch. In the body thou sayest. then, per-
chance, know thee in a dream"
LAY, o Queen, in dreams have we met. =
.'Thou art a strange man who taikcst
thus, but If what hear be true, one well
learned; and, indeed. do mind me Of thy
counsel when thou didst bid me join my
Lord Antony in Syria, and how things befell
10 IHN k. Ski.loQ NuSI I0Ou
be in the casting of nativities and in the
law Of augurics, whereof these Alexandrian
fools have little knowledge. Once knew |
such another man, one Harmachis," and
she sighed; "but long is he dead-as l
would / were and at times sorrow for
him." She paused, while sank my head
upon my breast and stood silent.
''Interpret ne this, Olympus. In the
battle at that accursed Actium, just as the
fight ragged thickest and victory began to
smile upon us. great terror seized my
heart, and thick darkness seemed to fall
before my eyes. while in my ears voice
cried: Flu .fg or periSlp and / fed. But
from my heart the terror leapt TO the heart
OF Antony. and he followed after me, and
thus was the battle lost. Say, then, what
God brought this evil thing about!'
Nay, y Queen" answered, lit was nc
God-for wherein hast thou angered the
Gods of Egypt Hast thou robbed ths
temples Of their faithi Hast thou betrayed
the trust of Egypt! Having done none OF
these things, how, then. can the Gods OF
Egypt be wroth with thee! Fear not, twas