The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-08-01

Inees wen, ana WnGC is marriages. Is 1t
the union Of the heart, that bond beautiful
as gossaIner and thaa gossamcr more light,
which BINDS soul to soul as through the
dreamy night of passion they 1.ocJ o bond
TO be, pcrchGnce melted in the dews of
dawn! Or is it the iccn link Of enforced,
unchanging union whereby f SINKS the one
the other must be dragged beneath the sea
of circumstances, there, like punished
slave, 20 perish OF unavoidable corruption.
Marrlagc ] to merry! TO FORGET free
dom and Court TIC WotsG slavery Of our sex,
which, by tic selfish will of man, the
stronger, doth still binG US to q bed grown
hatei,l and enforce service that love
mayhap no longer l.aliows Of What use,
then, to be Queen, Il thereby / may not
escape the owl % the ncanly born. Mark
thou. Harmachi3: Woman being grown
hath two Ills TO fear, Ge..th aud marriage;
and Of these TWAIN g marriage the more
vile; for IL death we n:Gy ind rest, but in
marriage, should it fail us, we must find
he'll. Nay, being above inc breath OF com
mon SANDER that would blast those who Of
true virtue viii not coaGert to stretch af-
fcction's bonds, / love, Harmaohis, but /
marry not!"
And yestc-uignt thou didst swear that
thou wouldst wed me and c1ll r1c 20 thy
side before the iaco Of Esypsp
Sand yesternisht tho red ring round the
moon did mark the coming Of the storm,
and yet the day is fairl But who knows
that The tempest may net break tomorrow
Who knows that have not ctosen the cas-
Ter path to save Egypt from tho Roman!
Who knows, Harmachis that thou SHALT not
still call me- 'wifePn
Then no longer could boar her fa,sehood,
for I saw thatshe but played with me. and
so spoke tnat which Wa1 IA my heart.
"Cleopatra,n cried, ''thou dldst swear to
protect Egypt, and thou art about 70 botray
Egypt to the Roman Thou didst swear to
use the treasures that revealed to thee
for the service Of Egypc, and thou art
about TO use them to be her means of shame
to fashion them "a fettera for her wrists
Thou didst swear to wed M, who loved
thee, and for thee gave all, and thou dost
mock me and reject! Therefore ! say
with the voice Of tho dread Gods say it.
that on thee shall fall tho curse of Menka.
ra, whom thou hast robbed indced Let
me go hence and work o2t lay doom Let
me 60, G, thou fair 9hame thou living Lie
whom have loved to MY doom, aud who
hast brought upon ne the last curse of
doom Let me hide myself and sac tny face
no moreM tI abrhRs
She rose IN her wrath, and torliblo she
was to see.
"Let thee go to stir up evil against mel
Nay, HarmGchis, thou shalt not go t. build
new plots against my throne! l say to thee
that thou, too, shalt conc to visit Antony
in Cilicia, and thcre, perchance, will let
thee go" And ere ! could answer, she had
struczupon the silver gong that hung nigh
TO where she was,
Ere its rich echo had died away there
entered from one door Charmion and tao
warning women, and from the other lille Of
guards four Of them OF the Queens body
guard, Mighty men, with winged helmets
and long, fair hair,
"Seiae that traitor" cried Cleopatra,
pointing to nc. The Captain of the guard
it was Brennus-sa luted and came toward
me with drawn sword
But l, being mad and desperate, and little
caring if they slew me, few straight at his
throat, and dealt him such heavy blow
that the great man fell headlong and his
armor clasbed upon the marble floor. And
as he fell seized his sword and target and,
meeting the next who rushed on me with a
shout, caught his blow upon the shield, and
in answer smote with all my strength.
The sword fell where the neck is set
into the shoulder and shearng through the
joints OF his harness slew him, so that his
knees were loosened and he sank down
dead. And the third, as he came,
l caught upon the point of my
sword before lie could strike, and it
pierced him and he died. Then the last
rushed On me with cry of "Taranism and
|, too, rushed on him, for my blood was
aflamc. And the women shrieked, only
Cleopatra said naught, but stood and
watched the unequal fray. We met and
struck with all my strength, and mighty
blow it was, for the sword shore through
the iron shield and shattered there, leaving
me wcOponless. With shout of triumph
the guard swung up his sword and smote
down upon my head, but with my shield
caught the blow. Again he smote, and again
Iparried; but when a third time he raised
his sword saw this might not endure, so
with cry hurled my buclller ct his face.
CHANGING from his shield 1t struck him on
The breast and staggered him. Then, before
he could regain his balance, rushed in be-
tween his guard and gcippcd him round the
middle. For full minute the tall man and
4 struggled furiously, and then, so great
was my strength in those days, lifted him
like toy and dashed him down upon the
marble hoorin such fashion that his bones
were shattered so that he spalle no more.
But / could not save myself and fell upon
him, and as 1 fell the Captain Brennus
whom had smitten to earth with my fist,
having once more found his sense, came up
behind me and smote me sore upon the
head and shoulders with the sword of one
of those whom had slain. But being on
the ground the blow fell not with all its
weight, also my thick hair and broiderec
cap broke its force; and thus it came to pas:
that, though sore wounded the life was YET
whole in me. But no more could struggle
Then the cowardly eunuchs, who had gath
cred at the sound Of blows, and stooi
huddled together like herd Of cattle, see
ing that was spent threw themselve:
upon me, and would have slain me witt
their knives But Brennus, now that wa.
down, would strike no more, but stool
waiting. And the eunuchs had surely
slain me, for Cleopatra stood like one who
watches in dream and made no sign. Al
ready was my head dragged back and theil
knife points at my throat, when Charmion
rushing forward, threw herself upon ne
and, calling them "Dogsr desperatel,
thrust her body before them In such |
fashion that smite they could not. Nov
Brennus, with An oath, seized first one ana
then another and cast them from me.
''Spare his life, Queen" he cried, h hi.
barbarous Latin. by Jupiter, he is
crave man! Myself felled like an OK In tn,