The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-09-04

on p pile Of soft cushions, and in N,
1 near gave thanks to Isis in that
mad attracted to myself the looks q
TINS royal lady. Slaves filed oul
| goDlets with wine and our plates
with rarest dellcacies; the musicians
I Drought forth sweet music from their
ms trumlents while they chanted
words OF love, and fair dancers from
sD)lospolis, with their slow and Ian.
I guorous movements gave pleasure
to our sight.
Towards the end of our repast the
Princess Nabis, fixing searching
look upon my eyes, held a lotus
Hover close to my face SO that |
must needs inhale it's heavy perfume;
little by little I felt my head grow
dull and heavy, and that was Slow
~ losing my senses.
1hlen, all at once, as [ sank down
upon the cushions, she beckoned two
OF her Nassamon slaves, and cried to
them: Garry him in the house of
Ihetmosis, the embalmer!' What
could these strange words signify?
Did the princess believe that [ was
really dead? Was it.some lest on
her part? Upon her lips [ could see.
or fancled that | could, strange,
ironical smile.
!. ). Inc two slaves approached and
lifted me upon a screen of reeds. T
could see. could understand. and
l could hear and vet [ could NOT
make a movement, speak a word, or
let them know that | was ind eed
alive. A sort of numbness had seiz-
ed upon my will, and to all appear
ances | was dead. With my eyes
wide open and fixed, my limbs stiff
and cold, my heart pulseless, the
slaves carried me towards the quar-
ter OF the city called Mennonite.
We crossed through the heart of
Memphis; on all sides was life and
health and strength; the children
played about the streets, the mer-
chants cried their wares; some labor
ing men, sweating with their toll,
cast towards me looks of envy.
doubtless thinking Of the long sleep
and rest before me, but l could see
that their jealousy was only transi-
tory and soon forgotten in the mere
satisfaction of living Some young
girls, dressed as if for fete, and full
Of life and coquetry, paused for a
moment in their laughing chatter
and cast upon me some flowers thew
carried in their hands.
1t was with a feeling OF the deepest
horror that / noted our arrival at.
Mennonite district almost wholly
given up to those whose business lay
IN the disposition of the dead. On
all sides rose a thick, reddish vapor
issuing from watts Of boiling inter:
the very air one breathed was nau-
Serious with it's admixture of btu
men, naphtha, palm-oil, gum and
myrrh. In every nook and corner
were gloomy emblems of death
cases tor mummies, sarcophagi of
basalt and granite, alabaster urns
to hold the vital parts and wrappers
OF cardboard covered in funeral
pictures.
The quarters of Thethmosis, the
royal embalmer, were distinguished
from all others by their magnifcence
and ornate decorations. Thanking
the entrance were two rows of mum
my cases, on which rich paintings
and golden hieroglyphics show
through thick coats OF varpish; on
either side stood urns of precious
perfumes.
The Nassamons laid me down up
on a granite table in a small cham
Der walled with glazed tiles; then
they departed and in great uneasi-
ness | awaited the coming of the
proprietor of this. sinister establish
ment.
A young Nubian attendant stood
close by bearing the instruments
which we're to be used upon me; a
long piece of iron bent as hook, a
sharp and pointed blade of stone,
and several vases filed with various
perfumes for my emhalmment.
Thethmosis, taking in his hand an
instrument Of bent iron, pushed it
up one ofmy nostrils until
it seemed to touch my brain. The
pain was frightful l lost all con-
sciousness. Was real death coming
to my aid?
When | regained my senses saw
that was no longer in the chamber
where the Nasamons had carried me.
Such daylight as could struggle
through q small circular window
showed me that was in a low-ceil-
inged cellar, and that my body, with
the exception Of my head, had been
plunged into an oblong bath, filled
to the brim with inter. For how
long had been there? Would DEATH
have naught to do with me, or was
this after-punishment for the faults
Of all my life? Terrible mystery! Per-
haps was, indeed, dead.
Suddenly a voice broke upon my
ears, and [ could hear the opening of
a door.
"Ha! ha! By the divine Osiris, but
ne makes a splendid mummyP'
ehuckled Thethmosis, as he examined
me: "a fine dry skin, muscles like
cords-it is time to think Of the body
,loths.''
The bantering manner in which the
81 Il ot>.,1 L.