Thomas County cat., 1890-02-06

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"wuO IS THIS NAN WHO CONES TO GAZE ON
FALLEN ANToNY"
he should die as yet; since. had he died at
that hour, Cleopatra had made her peace
with Caesar. who rather wished the death
OF Antony than the ruin of Egypt.
cart mad, Antony! Art indeed a cow
ard!" cried Charmion, "that thou wouldst
thus escape thy woes and leave thy partner
to face the sorrow Out alone!"
"Why not, woman. Why noti She would
not be long alone. There's Caesar to keep
her company. Octavianus loves a fair
woman in his cold way, and still is Cleopa-
ira fair. Come now, thou Olympus! thou
hast held my hand my dealing death upon
myself, advise me of thy wisdom. Shall /,
then, submit myself to Caesar, and /, Tri-
umvir, twice Consul, and aforetime abso-
lutte Monarch of all the East, endure to
follow in his triumph along those Roman
ways where myself have passed in tri-
umph?"
'Nay, Sire,"I answered. IF thou dost
yield, then art thou doomed. All last night
l questioned of the Fates concerning thee,
ouu ShIS i So". w hSA Suy otoA uI avs
to Cesar's it pales and is swallowed up;
but when it passes from his radiance, then
bright and big it shines, equal in glory to
his own. All is not lest, and while some
part remains, every thing may be regained.
Egypt can yet be held, arm es can still lie
raised. Caesar hath withdrawn himself;
he is not yet at the gates Of Alexandria. and
perchance ma be appeased. Thy mind IN
lis fever hath fred thy body; tn u art sick
and canst not Judge Alright See here,
have a potion that shall make thee whole.
for well skilled ami in the art of medicine"
and held out the phial.
"A potion, thou sayest, mani" he cried.
"MOre like 1t is poison, and thou mur-
derer, sent by false Egypt, who would faiu
be rid OF me now that l may no more be OF
service to her. The head Of Antony is the
peace Offering she would send to Caesar
she for whom have lost ALL Give me thy
draught. By Bacchusi will drink It,
though it be the very elixir Of Deathl"
''Nay, noble Antony; it is no poison, and
NO murderer am I. See, will taste it, if
thou wilt" and held forth the sub. lie po-
tion that has power 10 Gre the veins Of men.
Give it me, Physician. Desperate men
are brave men. There!- Why, what is this
Yours is q magic draught! My sorrows
seem to roll away like thunder clouds ne-
fore the southern gale, and the spring OF
Hope blooms fresh upon the desert Of my
heart Once more am Antony, and once
again see my lcglons' spears arsparkle in
the sun, and hear the thunderous shouts Of
welcome as Antony-belovcd Antoryl-
rides in his pomp of war along his deep
formed linesi There's hopei there's hopei
Yet may see the cold brows Of Cesar
that Caesar who never errs except from
policy-robbed Of their victor bays, and
crowned with shameful dusts"
"Ay," cried Charmion, ''there is yet hope,
II thou wilt but play the mani Omy Lord!
come back with US; come back to the loving
arms of Cleopatrai All night she lies upon
her golden bed, and fills the hollow dark /!
ness with her groans for Antony = who, en- |
amored now Of Grief, forgets his duty and |
his lover'
II comet comet Shame upon me, that !
Jared to doubt herl Slave, bring water,
and purple robe; not thus can be seen |
of Cleopatra. Even new come"
In this fashion, then, did we draw Antony |
back to Cleopatra, that the ruin Of the |
.wain might be made sure.
We led him up the Alabaster Hall and !
nto Cleopatra's cham Der, where she lay. her |
cloudy hair about her face and breast, and
ears flowing from her deep eyes.
20 Egypt" he cried, "behold me at thy
eetr
She sprang from tho couch. Sand art
hou here, my lover she murmured; ''then
nee again are all things well. Come near,
md in these arms forget thy sorrows and
urn my grief to Joy. Oh, Antony, while
owe is left to US, still have we allr'
And she fell upon his breast and wildly
issed him.
That same day Charmion came to me and
'sde me prepare a poison Of the most dead
= power. And this at FIRST woul not do,
caring that Cleopatra would Herewith
make an end Of Antony before the time.
sut Charmion showed me that this was not
o, and showed to me also for what pur-
ose was the poison. Therefore ] sum-
noned Atoua, the skilled in simples, and
II that afternoon we labored at the deadly
vork. And when it was done, Charm:on
anne once more. bearing with her chaplet
I fresh roses that she bade me steep in the
olson.
This then did.
That night at the great feast Of Cleo
atra sat nigh TO Antony, who was ct her
ide, and wore the poisoned wreath. Now,
. the feast went on, fast flowed the wine,
III Antony and the Queen grew merry.
md she told him Of her plans, and Of how
ven now her galleys were being drawn By
be canal that leads from Bubsstis on the
'eIusiac branch Of the Nile, % Clysma at
be head Of the Bay Of Hieraopolis For 1t
ras her design, snould Cesar prove stub
orn, TO hy with Antony and her treasure
own the Arabian Gulf, where Cesar had
o deet and seek some new home in India,
'hither her foes might not follow. But,
,deed, this plan came to nothing, for the
Arabs Of Petra burnt the galleys, melted
hereto by Q messseo sent hy The Jews Of