Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-20

world hanging on his wordi Cesar, 1t
whose breath forty legions marched and
changed the fate Of peopIesi Cesar, the
cold! the far-secingl the hero! Caesar. to
fall Hike q ripe fruit into false girls lapi
Why, in the issue, Of what common clay
was this Roman Caesar, and how poor .
thingp'
But sepa looked at me and shook his
head.
ssBe not 80 rash, Harmachis, and talk not
with 80 proud voice. Knowest thou not
that In every suit Of mail there IL Q joint.
and WOO to him that wears it IL the sword
should search It out. For woman, In her
weakness, is yet the strongest force upon
the earth. She is the helm Of all things
human; she comes in many shapes and
knocks at many doors; she Il quick and
patient, and her passion 10 not ungoverD-
able like that Of man, but as q gentle steed
that she can guide cen where she will, and
as occasion offers can now bit up and now
give rein. She hath q captains eye, and
strong must be the fortress Of the heart
wherein she finds no place Of vantage.
Doth thy blood beat fast in youth? she will
outrun it, nor will her kisses tire. Art
thou set toward ambition3 she win unlock
thy inner heart, and show thee secret roads
that lead to glory. Art thou worn and
weary2 she hath comfort in her breast.
Art thou TALENT she can lift thee up,
and to the illusion of thy sense gid
defeat with triumph. Ay, Harmachis,
these things she can do, for Nature
ever fights upon her side; and the while
she does them she can deceive and shape q
secret end In which thou hast no part. And
thus woman rules the world. For her are
wars; for her men spend their strength in
gathering gains; for her they do well and
i'll, and seek for greatness and find forgetful-
ness. And all the while she sits like yonder
Sphinx, and smiles and no man hath ever
read all the riddle Of her smiles or known
all the mystery Of her heart. Mock noti
mock not! Harmachis; for strong indeed
must he be who can defy the power OF
woman, which, pressing round him like the
general air, is ofttimes most present when
the senses least discover it."
I laughed aloud. s'Thou speakest earn
estly, o, my uncle Sepa," said; ''almost
might one think that thou hadst not come
unscathed through this fierce fire Of tempta-
ton. Well, for myself, fear not woman
and all her wiles; naught know of them.
and naught do / wish to know; and still
hold that this Caesar was q fool Had /
stood where Cesar stood, to cool its wan
tonness that bale of rugs should have been
rolled adown the palace steps, even into the
harbor of mud"
sNay, ceasel ceaser' he cried aloud.
civil is It to speak thus; and may the gods
avert the omen and preserve to thee this
cold strength whereof thou boastesti o
man, thou knowest not!-thou in thy
strength and beauty that is without COM
pare, in the power of thy learning and the
sweetness of thy tongue-thou knowest
noti The world where thou must mix is
not sanctuary as that OF the divine Isis.
But there-it may be sol Pray that thy
hearts ice may never melt, SO shalt thou be
great and happy and Egypt be delivered.
And now let me take up my tale-thou
seest, Harmachis, even in so grave a story
woman claims her place. The young
Ptolemy, Cleopatra's brother, being 1oosed
of Cesar, treacherously turned on him.
Thereon Cesar and Mithridates stormed
the camp OF Ptolemy, who took to flight
across the river. But his boat was sunk by
the fugitives who pressed upon it, and such
was the miserable end of Pto1emy.
Thereon, the war being ended, Caesar
appointed the younger Ptolemy to rule
with Cleopatra, and be, in name, her
husband, though she had but then
borne him son, Caesarion, and he
himself departed for Rome, bearing with
him the beautiful Princess Arsinoe to
follow his triumphs in her chains. But the
great Caesar is no more. He died as he had
lived, in blood, and right royalty. And but
now hath Cleopatra, the Queen, If my It'd
ings may be trusted, slain Ptolemy, her
brother and her husband. by poison, and
taken the child Cesar1on to be her fellow
on the throne, which she holds by the help
Of the Rome legions, and, as they say, of
young Sextus Pompeius, who hath sue
ceeded Caesar in her love. But, Harmachis,
the whole land boils and seethes against
her. In every city the children of Khem
talk Of the deliverer who is to come-and
thou art he, o Harmachis. Almost is the
time ripe. The hour is nigh at hand. Go
thou back to Abouthis and learn the last
secrets Of the gods, and meet those who
shall direct the bursting of the storm. And
then act, Harmachis-ac I say, and strike
home for Khem, and rid the land of the
Roman and the Greek, and take thy place
upon the throne of thy fathers and be q King
Of men. For unto this end vast thou born,
0 Princer'