The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-05-30

EEg lIllIlII& tower, whence looked on
gEZISS-47A the stars and drew their
vi angurles. For at this time Cleopa-
ira was much troubled about matters
u political And not knowing how the
great struggle among he Roman factions
would end, but being very DESTROYS to side
with tho strongest, she took constant coun-
sci with me as to the warning OF the stars.
These read TO her in such manner as best
seemed to fit the high interest of my ends
For Antony, the Roman Triumvir, was now
in Asia Minor, and, rumor ran, very wroth
because it had been told 10 him that Cleo
patra was hostile to the Triumvii ate, in that
her General, Serapion, had aided Cassius.
But Cleopatra protested loudly to me and
others that Seraplon had acted against her
will. let Charmion told me that, as with
ALicnus, it was because Of prophecy OF
Dioscorides, the unlucky, that .hc Queen
herself had secretly ordered Serapion so to
do. Nevertheless, this did not save Scrap
ion, for, to provo to Antony that she was in.
rocent she dragged the General from the
sanctuary and slew HIM. Woe be to those
who carry out the will CT tyrants if the scale
Should rise against them! And so Serapion
persisted.
Meanwhile all things went we'll with US,
for the minds of Cleopatra and those about
her were SO set upon affairs abroad that
neither she nor they thought of revolt at
home. But day by day our party gathered
strength in the cities Of Egypt, and even in
Alexandria, which is to Egypt as another
land, all things being foreign there. Day
by day those who doubted were won over
and sworn to the cause by that oath which
can not be broken, and our plans of action
more firmly land. And every other day l
went forth from the palace to take counsel
with my uncle Sepa, and there at his house
met the mobiles and the great priests who
were for the party OF Kheni.
OF Cleopatra, the Queen, I saw much,
and never WAS | more astonishad at the
wealth and sp!endor Of her mind, that for
richness and variety was Us q woven cloth
Of god throwing back all lights from its
changing face. Shc feared mo somewha;,
and therefore was fain to make a friend of
me, asking me many matt rs that seemed
to be beyond the province Of my Office. OF
the Lady Charmion also | saw much
indeed, she was ever at my side, so that
scarce knew when she came and when she
went. For with that soft step of hers
would she draw nigh, and | would turn me
to find her at hand and watching beneath
the long lashes of her doWncast eyes.
There was no serves that WIGS too hard for
her, and no task too long, for day and night
sho labored for me and for our cause. But
when l thanked her for her loyalty and said
it should be had in mind in that time which
was at hand, she stamped her foot and
poutcd with her lips like an angry child,
saying that, among all the things which
had learned, this had / not learned that
Loves ser'ice asked no payment and was
its own guerdon. And being innocent in
such matters aad foolish that was, hold
ing the ways of women as of small account
read her sayings in the sense that her serv-
ices 10 the cause of Khem, which she
loved, brought with them their own reward
But when l praised so fine "a spirit she
burst into angry tears and left me wonder
ing; for knew naught of the trouble at her
heart | knew not then that, unsought
this woman had given me all her love and
that she was rent and torn by pangs of
passion fixed like arrows in her breast
did not know-how should know it, who
never looked upon her otherwise than as
an instrument Of our joint aud holy causel
Her beauty never stirred me; nay, not even
when she leaned over me and breathed
upon my hair, never thought of it other
wise than as a man thinks Of the beauty Of
statue. What had to do with such de-
lightsl who was sworn to Isis and dedi
Gated to the cause Of Egypt. o, We Gods
bear me witness that am innocent of this
thing which was the source of all my woe
and the woe of Kheml
How strange is this love OF woman, that
it is so small in its beginning and in its
end so great! See, at the first it is even as
the little spring of water yelling from G
mountains heart. And at the last what is
gosies of joy and makes wide lands Il
smile. Or, perchance it is atorrent to wasl
in flood of ruin across the fields of Hope
bursting in the barriers Of design, ano
bring to tumbled nothingness the tenement
of mans purity and the temples of hi!
faith. For when the Invisible conceived
the order of the universe, He set within it.
plan this seed of woman's love that by it!
most unequal growth is doomed to bring
about equality of law. For now it lifts thu
low to heights untold, and now it brings tn,
noble to the level of the dust And thus
while woman, that great surprise Of Nature
is, Good and Evil can never grow apart
For still she stands, and, blind with love
shoots the shuttle of our fate, and pour
sweet water into the cup Of bitterness, ant
poisons the wholesome breath of life witt
the doom Of her desire. Turn this way ant
40. III l., 20 hoa Ia
weakness is thy strength, her might is tn.
undoing. OF her thou art, to her tho'
goest. She is thy slave, yet holds the'
captive; at her touch honor withers, lock-
open, and barriers fall. She is infinite O
ocean, she is variable as heaven, and he
name is the Unforeseen. Man, strive not
escape from woman and the love of woman
for, fly where thou wilt, she is yet thy fate
aud whate'er thou buildest thou buildest
for heri
Aud thus 1t came to pass that I, Harms
cLis. who had put such matters far fror
me, was yet doomed 10 fall by the thing
held Of no account. For, see, this Char
mion; she loves newly, knew not. o
her own thought she learned to love me
and Of her love came what shall be told
Butt, knowing nsught, treated her even as
sister, walking as II were hand in hand wit
her toward our common end.
And so the time passed on till, at length
all things were made ready.
II was the night before the night whe
the blow should fall, and there were reve
ings in the palace. That very day had see
Sepa, and with him the captains Of a ban
Of five hundred men, who should burst int
the palace at midnight on the morrow
when had slain Cleopatra the Queen, an
put the Roman and the Gallo legionarie
70 the sword. That very day had I sui
orned the Captain Paulus, who, since DIRE,
him through the gates, was my willis slave
Half by fear and half by promises Of grea