Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-27


follows must thou endure alonei Behold,
1 leave thee, to return at the morning
light. Once more / warn thee that which
thou shalt see few may look upon and live.
In all my days have known but three who
dared to face this dread hour, and of those
three at dawn but one was found alive. Ny
self, have not trod this path. It is too high
for me.'
"Depart," I said; s'my soul Is athirst for
knowledge. 1 will dare it.''
He laid his hand upon my head and
blessed me. he went. I heard the door
shut to behind him, the echoes Of his foot
steps slowly died away. Then / felt that
was alone, alone in the Holy place with
things which are not of the earth. Silence
fell-silence deep and black as the darkness
which was around me. The silence fell; it
gathered as the cloud gathered on the face
OF the moon that night when, a lad, prayed
upon the pylon towers. 1t gathered denser
and yet more dense till it seemed to creep
into my heart and call aloud therein; for
utter silence has a voice that is more terri
Bile than the voice of any cry. I spoke; the
echoes OF my words came back upon me
from the walls and seemed to beat me down.
The stiffness was lighter to endure than an
echo such as this. What was I about to
seea Should die, even now, in the fullness
Of my youth and strength Terrible were
was fear-stricken, and bethought me that
would fly. Fly!-fy whittier? The temple
door was barred; 1 could not fly. was
alone with the Godhead, alone with the
power that had invoked. Nay, my heart
was pure-my heart was purel 1 would
face the terror that was to come, even
though died.
Isis, holy Mother" I prayed, ''Isis.
Spouse of Heaven, come unto me, be with
mi I a hQ
And then knew that things were not as
things had been. The air around me began
to stir, it rustled as the wings of eagles, it
took life. Bright eyes gazed upon me,
strange whispers shook my soul. Upon
the darkness were bars of light. They
changed and interchanged, they moved to
and fro and wove mystic symbols which
could not read. Swifter and swifter flew
that shuttle of the light; the symbols
grouped, gathered, faded, gathered yet
again, faster and still more fast, till my
eyes could no more count them. Now
was a1Oat upon sea of glory; it surged
and rolled, as the ocean rolls; it tossed me
high, it brought me low. Glory was piled
on glory, splendor heaped on splendor's
head, and l rode above it all.
Soon the lights began to pale IN the roll
ing sea Of air. Great shadows shot across
it, lines of darkness pierced IL and rushed
together on its breast. till at length only
was a shape of fame set like star on the
bosom of Unreasonable night. Bursts of
awful music gathered from far away. Miles
and miles away 1 heard them, thrilling
family through the gloom. On they came,
nearer and more near, louder and more
loud, till they swept past above, below,
around me, swept on rushing pinions, terri
flying and enchanting me. They floated by,
ever growing fainter, till they died in space.
Then others came, and no two were akin.
Some ratified as ten thousand sistra shaken
all to tune. Some rang from the brazen
Threats of unnumbered clarions. Some
pealed with loud, sweet chant of voices
that were more than human; and some
rolled along in the slow thunder of a million
drums. They passed; their notes were lost
in dying echoes; and the awful silence once
more pressed in upon me and overcame me.
The strength within me began to fail. 1
felt my life ebbing at its springs. Death
drew near to me, and his shape was ST.
lence. He entered at my heart, entered
with sense of numbing cold; but my
brain was still alive, could yet think. 1
knew that was drawing near the confines
of the dead. Nay, I was dying fast, and oh,
the horror of 1t! strove to pray and could
not; there was no more time for prayer.
One struggle and the stiffness crept into my