Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-01-23

e&HDNm lA9 anu for awhile lay
" SEG II silent, gathering up
9Ey( my siren to
eE&S speak. But Char
Em TSEEE mion came and stood
@IlHAs1 TfsM over me, aid / felt
E5AAFia{ o. great tear fall from
her dark eyes upon
EE H heavy Any dsss 11ss' Of s' rsis .hs faii: si:
- ~ from a stormy cloud.
-I "Thon goest," she whis-
~ pered-"thou goess fast whith.
er / may not follow. OHarmachis,
- how gladly would give my life
- for thine!"
Then at length opened my eyes, and as
best could spoke.
s'Restrain thy grief, dear fr1end,"I said,
II live yet; !; and, in truth, feel as though
new life did gather in nv breastr'
She gave little cry Of joy, aud never
saw I sught more beautiful than the change
that came upon her weeping facei It was
las when the first lights Of the day run up
the asheu pallor of that sad sky which vaIls
the night from dawn. All rosy grew her
lovely countenance; her dim eyes shone out
Ike stars; and smile of wonderment,
more sweet than the sudden smile of the
sea as its ripples wake to brightness be-
meath the kiss Of the risen moon, broke
through her ram OF tears.
.s su livestr: she cried, throwing her.
self upon her knees besiGe my couch.
s'Ihou ivest-and / thought thee gone!
Thou art come back to me! On! what say
II How foolish is o woman's heart! 'Tis
this long watching! Nay; sleep and rest
thee. why dost thou talk!
Not ore more word, I command thee,
straightlyi Oh, where is the draught left
by that long bearded fooll Nay, thou shalt
have no draughti There, sleep, Harmachis; !;
sleepr' and she crouched down at my side
and laid her cold hand upon my brow, muir.
muring: 'S,cep, sleep. sieep!''
And when I woke up there still she was,
but the lights of dawn were peeping through
the easement. There still she kne t, one
hand upon my forehead, and her head, in
all its disarray of curls, resting upon her
outstretched arm. ''Charmion," / whis-
pered. shave sleptr'
Instantly she was wide awake and gaz
ing on me with tender eyes. 'sYea, thou
hast slept, Harmachis.''
'!How long, then, have slep.i"
SHINE hoUrs.'
"And thou hast held thy place there, al
my side, for nine long hoursF'
"Yea, 1t Is naught; l also have slept-I
feared to waken thee if stirred"
'Go rest thee" said. sit shames me to
think OF this thing. Go rest thee, Char.
nionr'
"Vex not thyself," she answered-"see,
will bid a slave watch thee and to wake
/ me II thou needst aught; sleep there, in
| the outer c'iamber. Peace-I gor' and she
strove torise, but, so cramped was she, fell
straightway on the floor.
Scarce can tell the sense of shame that
filed me when saw her fall Alas! could
not stir to help her.
s'ft is naught,' she said s'move not, did
but catch my foot Therel" and she rose,
again to fall-"a pest upon my awkward.
nessi why-I must be sleeping.-'tis well
now. I'll send the siave," and she stag
gered thence like one o'ercome with wine.
And after that, once more / slept, for
was very weak. When woke it was af.
mion brought me.
Iatel 'sThen die notfn said.
"Nay," she answered, with O toss Of her
head, ''thou wilt live. In truth, did waste
my pity on thee"
"And thy pity did save my life" I said,
wearily, for now remembered.
ut is naught," she answered, carelessly.
"After all, thou art my cousin; also, love
nursing; tits q woman's trade. Like
enough had done as much for any slave.
Now, too, that the danger is past, I leave
thee"
"Better hadss thou done to let me die,
Charmicn," said after awhile, "for life to
me can now be naught but one long shame.
Tell me, then, when sails Cleopatra for
Ciliciaf's
SIN twenty days she saiis, and with such
/, pomp and glory as Egypt hath never seen.
found the gold to gather in this store OF
splendor, as a husbandman gathers his rich
fruits.''
But !, knowing whence came The wealth
groaned in bitterness of spirit, and made
no answer.
"Goest thou also, Charmionr' I asked,
presently.
"Ay, and all the Court. Thou, too-thou
goest"
! ~ goi Nay, why is thiss"
"Because thou art her slave, and must
march In gilded chains behind her chariot,
because she fears to leave thee here in
Khem; because it is her will, and there Is
an endn
"Charmlon, can not escape.'
Escape, thou poor sick mani Nay, how
canst thou escaped Zen now most strictly
art thou guarded. And il thou didst es.
cape. whittier wouldst thou f1yi There s moi
an honest man in Egypt but would spit on
thee in scorni''
Once more groaned in spirit, and being
30 weak felt the tears roll a-down my
cheek.
sweep notr' she said. hastily. and turn
ing her face aside. "Be man, and brave
frrt iea hoe
must thou reap; but after harvest the
waters rise and wash away the roots, and
then once more comes seed time. Per-
chance, yonder in Cilicia, q way may be
found when once more thou art strong
whereby thou mayst fy-if in truth thou
canst bear thy life apart from Cleopatra 8
smile, then in 8 me far land must thou
dwell till these thi.gs are forgotten. And
now my task is done. so fare thee well. At
times will / come and see that thou needest
/ naughto
So she went, and thenceforwa-d was ]
nursed, and that skillfully, by the physician
and two women slaves; aud as my wound
healed SO my strength came back to me,
slowly at first, then most swiftly. In four
days from that time left my couch, and iu
three more could walk an hour in the pal
nee gardens; another week and could
read and think, though went no more tc
Court And at length one afternoon Char.
mion came and bade me make ready, for in
two days would the feet sail, first for the
coast of Syria, and the1ee to the gulf of
Issas and Cilicia.
Thereon, with all formality, and in writ
ing, IcraSed leave OF Cleopatra that might
be left, urging that my health was even
now SO feeble that could not travel But
In answer message was sent to me that
must come. And SO on the appointed day
was carried on litter down to the boat
and together with that very soldier who had
cut me down, the Captain Brennus, and
Others OF his troop (who. indeed. were sent
to guard mel, We rowed aboard the vessel
where she lay at anchor with the rest OF the
great feet For Cleopatra was voyaging 9
though to war In much pomp, and escorted
BY o mighty feet Of ships, whereof her
galley, built Ike o house and lined through.
out with cedar and silken hangings, was the
/ most beautiful and costly that the world
hos ever seen. But on this vessel " wept
not, and, therefore, 1t chanced that saw
not Cleopatra nor Charm,on till we landed
at the mouth of tho River Cydnus The
signal being made, the feet set sail; and
tho wind being fair, on the evening Of the
second day we came TO Joppa Thence we
sailed slowly with contrary winds up the
coast Of Syria, making Cesarea and Ptol.
emass and Tyrus and Berytus and past
Lebanen's white brow crowned with
hin crest OF oedars, on to Hernclea
and across the Gulf OF Issua to the mouth
OF Cydnus. And ever al we journeyed
the strong breath OF the SEA brought back