Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-08-22

,VaCc except myself alQ my lOur
brides They were tall and lovely wom-
en-, all Of them clad in white bridal robes
starred over with gems and flowers and
wearing on their brows the cmblems OF
the four .goddesses, but Otomie was the
stateliesr and most beautiful Of the four
and seemed in truth goddess. One by
one they drew near to me, smiling and
sighing. and kneeling before me kissed
my hlnd saying:
II have been chosen to be your wife for
space, Tezcat, happy maid that / am.
May the gods grant that I become pleasing
to your sight, so that you may love me as
worship you
Then she who had spoken would draw
back again out Of earshot, and the next
would take her place.
Last of all came Otomie She knelt and
said tho words, then added in low voice:
''Having spoken to you as the bride and
goddess to the husband and the god Tez-
cat, now, o Teule, speak as the woman
to the man. You do not love me, Teule;
therefore, II it Is your will, let us be d.
vorced of OUT own act who were wed by
tho command Of others, for 30 I shall be
spared some shame These are friends to
me and will not betrey ua" And she nod
ded toward her companion brides
"As you will, Otomie," I answered
! briefly.
II thank you for your kindness, Teule, I"
she said, smiling sadly, and Withdrew,
making obeisance, looking 30 stately and
30 sweet as she went that again my heart
was shaken as though with love. Now,
from that night till the dreadful! hour o,
sacrifice no kiss or tender word passed be-
tween me and the princess Of the Otomie-
And yot our friendship and affection grew
daily, for we talked much together, and I
sought to turn her heart to the true king
Of heaven. But this was not easy, for,
like her father Montezuma Otomie clung
to tho gods Of her people, though sfo hat
ed the priests, and, save where the victims
were tho foes Of her country, shrank from
the rites Of human sacrifice, which she said
were instituted by the pabas, since In
tho early days there were no men Offer
ed on the altars Of tho gods, but flowers
only. Daily it grew and ripened till, al-
though scarcely knew 1t, at length in
my heart, after Lily, loved her better
than any one on earth. AS for the other
womon, though they were gentle and beau.
tiful, soon learned to hate them. Still
| feastcd and reveled with them, partly since
1 must, or bring them to miserable death
because they failed to please me, and part
ly thnt might drown my terrors In drink
and pleasure, for lot 1t be remembered that
the days left me on earth were few, and
tho awful ond drew near.
Tho duy following tho celebration OF my
marriage was that Of tho shameless mas
sacrc Of 100 Of the Aztec mobiles by tho or
der Of tho hidnlgo AlvarIdo, whom Cortcs
had left in command OF the Spaniards
! for et this time Cortes was absent on the
coast lands, whithcr he hnd gonc to make
war OH Narvacz, who had been sent to sub.
due him by his enemy. NolGsqucz the
| govcr::Cr Of Cuba
On this dny was celebrated the feast OF
| Hui:zrl. that WAS held with sacrifice, songs
aud dances in the great court of the teui-
pie, that court which was surrounded by
a wall carved over with the writhing
shapes of snakes 1t chanced that on this
morning before he went to join in the fcs-
tival Guntomoc the prince, camo TO sec
me OH u visit of ceremony.
| TO BE CONTINUED.