Thomas County cat., 1890-02-06

IA ililtlt,l'\ the swinging lamps o
H !illllIllvS scented oil, the pic,
n llIilIllIW ured tapestries, th'
IA llliiliW rich Syrian rugs
q lIlltA and, amid all this lux
@ IjLEY ury, bethought me Of th'
ENElGW tomb of the Harpers that il
fSlK0[4 at Tape. and Of the nin'
~ long years of dark lAeli
ness and preparation. / sat. and crouched
upon a rug. nigh to the door, lay the agec
Atoua. White was her hair as snow
and shriveled with age the wrinkleC
countenance of the woman who, when al
deserted me, had yet chung to me, in hel
great love forgetting my grea: sins. Nine
years! nine long years! and now, once
again, / set my foot in AleXandrial Once
az in in the appointed circle Of things
came forth from the solitude Of preparation
TO be fate to Cleopatra; and This second
time came not forth to fail And yet how
changed the circumstance! ! was out OF
the story; my part now was but the part OF
the sword in the hand Of Justice; 20 more
might hope to make Egypt free and great
and sit upon my lawful throne. khem was
host, and lost was I, Harmachis. In the rush
and turmoil of events the great plot, where
Of had been the pivot, was covered up and
forgotten; scarce did memory OF it re-
main. The curtain Of dark night was clos
ing in upon the history # my ancient race
its very Gods W re tottering to their fall /;
already could !, In the spirit. hear the
shrek of the Roman eagles as they tapped
their wings above the furthest banks of the
Sihor. Presently reused myself and bade
Atoua go search a mirror and bring it TO
me, that nigh: look therein.
And this l saw: face shrunken ami
palIid whereon no smile came; great eyes
grown wan with gazing into darknes loo
ing out, beneath the shaven head, emptily
as the hollow eye-pits Of the skull; a
wizened, hating form wasted by aosli
nence, sorrow and prayer; a long, Wild
beard Of iron gray; thin, blue-veined hands
that ever trembled like leaf; bowed shoul
ders and lessenei limbs lime and grief
had done their work, indeed; scarce could
] think myself the same as when, the Royal
Harmachis IN al the splendor of NV
strength and youthful beauty-1 first had
looked upon the woman's ,cvel.ness tina;
did destroy me. And yet within me burned
the same fire as of yore; yet was not
changed, for time and grief had no power
70 alter the Immortal spirit of man. Sea-
sons may come and go; Hope, like bird, may
fly away: Passion may break its wings
against the iron bars OF Fate; illusions may
erumble as the cloudy towers Of sunset
fame; Faith, as running water. may slip
from meath our feet; Solitude may stretch
itself around Us like the measureless desert
sand; Old Age may creep as the gathering
night over our bowed heads grown hoaryin
their shame; yea, bound to Fortunes wheel,
We may Taste OF every turn OF chance-.now
rule as Kings, now serve as slaves; now
love, now hate; now prosper and Eow. per
Nd. But still, through all, we are the same;
for this is the marvel of Identity.
And as sat and thought these things In
bitterness, there came o knocking at the
anerjj aeFjpen s,ouar, , sad
She rose and did my bidding; and .
woman entered, clad in the Grecian robes.
It was Charmion, still beautiful as Of old,
but sad-faced now and very sweet to see,
with patient fire slumberlng in her down.
east eye.
She entered unattended; and, speaking
no word, the old wife pointed to where l
sat, and went
"Old man." she said. addressing me.
"lead me to the learned Olympus. l come
upon the Queens business"
/ rose, and, lifting my head, looked upon
her. She yazed, and gave little cry.
''Surely." she whispered. glancing round,
"surely thou art not that" And she
paused.
''That Harmachis whom once thy foolish
heart did love, o Charmionl Yea, I am he,
and what thou seest, most fair lady. Yet
Is Harmachis dead whom thou didst love;
I'LL lDl
upon thy words!'
"Ceaser' she said, s'and of the past but
one word, and then-wiy, let it lie. Not
we'll with al Thy wisdom canst thou know
q true woman'S heart if thou dost believe,
Harmachis, that it can change with the
changes of the outer form, for then as
suredly could no love follow its beloved to
that last place OF change-the Grave
Know thou, learned Physician, am of that
sort who, loving once, love always, and be-
Ing not beloved again, go virgin to the
death"
She ceased'and, having naught to say,
bowed my head in answer. Yet, though
naught said, aud though this woman's
passionate folly had been the cause Of all
our ruin, to speak truth, in secret I was
thauAfu to her who, wooed Ct all and living
In this shameless Court, had still through
the long years poured out her unreturned
love upon an ouicast, and who, wnen that
poor broken slave of Fortune came back in
such unlovely guise, did yet hold him dear
IT heart. For what man is there who does
not prize that gift most rare and beautiful.
That one perfect thing which no gold can
buy-a womau's unfeigned lovei
II thank thee that thou didst not an
Dwer." she said; "for the bitter words which
Ihou didst pjur upon mo in those days that
long are dead, and far away iu Tarsus, have
not lost their poisonous sung, and in my
heart is no more place for the arrows Of thy
Dcoru, new venomed through thy solitary
ycars. So let It be. BcholdI Iput it from
ne. tha: wild passion Of my SOUL" and she
)ooked up and stretched out her hands as
though to press some unseen presence back
II put It from me-though forget it may
loti There. 'tis done, Harmachis; no more
.hali my love trouble thee. Enough Tor me
hat once more my eyes behold thee, before |
lleep seals thee from their sight Dost re-
member how when would have died BY thy |
lear hand, thou wouldst not slay, but didst |
bid mo live 70 pluck the bitter fruit Of |
vim - occurred bv visions ~ 49,