Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1895-11-15

breaches been filed,
IN On but the audi
W ences have over
flowed into the adjoining streets to an
extent that has rendered them impas-
sable. Similar scenes were enacted at
to-day's services when the preacher
took for his subject: Handwriting on
the Wall" the text chosen being Dan.
5: 80. I'm that night was Belshazzar,
the king OF the Chaldeans, slain"
Night was about to come down on
Babylon. The shadows of her two hun
dred and fifty towers began to lengthen.
The Euphrates rolled on, touched by
the fiery splendors of the setting sun;
and gates of brass, FURNISHED and gilt
tering, opened and shut like doors Of
flame. The hanging gardens of Baby
Ion, wet with the heavy dew, began to
pour, from starlit flowers and dripping
leaf. a fragrance for many miles around.
The streets and squares were lighted
for dance and frolic and promenade.
The theaters and galleries of art in
yited the wealth, and pomp, and gran
deur of the city to rare entertainments.
Scenes of riot and wassail were min
gied in every street; and goddess mirth,
and outrageous excess and splendid
wickedness came to the kings palace,
to do their mightiest deeds of dark
ness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings
palace! Rushing up to the gates are
chariots. upholstered with precious
cloths from Dedan, and drawn by fire.
eyed horses from Togarmah, that rear
and neigh in the grasp of the chariot
GERS, while thousand lords dismount,
and women, dressed in all the splen-
doris of Syrian emerald. and the color
blending of agate, and the chasteness of
coral, and the sombre glory of Tyrian
purple, and princely embroideries,
brought from afar by camels across the
desert, and by ships OF Tarshish across
the sea.
Open. wide the gates and let the
guests CONE in. The chamberlains and
cup-bearers are all ready. Hark to
the rustic of the silks, and to the carol
of the music, See the blaze of the jew
els! Lift the banners. Fill the cups.
Clap the cymbals. Blow the trumpets.
Let the night go by with song, and
dance, and ovation; and let that Baby
lonish tongue be palsied that will not
say, 20, King Belshazzar, live forever"
All! my friends, it was not any COM
mon banquet to which these great peo-
pie came. All parts of the earth had
sent their richest viands to that table.
Brackets and chandeliers flashed their
light upon tankards of FURNISHED gold.
Fruits, ripe and luscious, in baskets
OF silver, entwined with leaves, pluck
ed from royal Conservatives Vases,
inlaid with emerald and ridged with
exquisite traceries, filed with nuts that
were threshed from forests Of disant
lands. Wine brought from the royal
watts, foaming in the decanters and bub-
bling in the chalices. Tufts of cassia
and frankincense waiting their sweet
ness from wall and table. Gorgeous
banners unfolding in the breeze that
came through the open window, be-
witched with the perfumes of hanging
gardens. Fountains rising up from in
closures of ivory, in jets of crystal, to
fall in Gathering rain of diamonds and
pearls. Statues Of mighty men look
ing down from inches in the wall upon
crowns and shields brought from sub
dued empires. Idols of wonderful work
standing on pedestals of precious
stones. Embroideries STOPPING about the
windows and wrapping pillars of cedar,
and drifting on floor inlaid with ivory
and agate Music mingling the thrum
of harps, and the clash of cymbals, and
the blast of trumpets in one wave of
transport that went ripping along the
wall and breathing among the garands,
and pouring down the corridors, and
thrilling the souls of thousand ban
queters. The signal is given, and the
lords and ladies, the mighty men and
women of the land, come around the
table. Pour out the wine. Let foam
and bubble kiss the rim! Hoist every
one his cup and drink to the sentiment:
20 King Belshazzar, live foreveri" Be-
starred head-band and carcanet of royal
beauty CLEAN to the uplifted chalices.
as again, and again, and again they
are emptied. Away with care from the
palace! Tear royal dignity to tatters!
Pour out more wine! Give us more
light, wilder music, sweeter perfume!
Lord shouts to lord, captain ogles to
captain. Goblets clash; decanters rat
tie. There come in the obscene song,
and the drunken hiccough and the slav-
ering lip, and the guffah of idiotic
laughter, bursting from the lips Of
princes, flushed, Keeling, bloodshot;
while miugling with it all hear, Hug
What is that on the plastering of the
wall? Is It spirit? Is it phantom?
Is ii God? The music stops. The COB
lets fall from the nerveiess grasp.
There is thrill. There is a start. There
Is a thousand-voiced shrek of horror.
Let Daniel be brought in to read that
writing. He comes in He reads it:
weighed in the balance and found
wanting"
Meanwhile the Modes, who for two
years had been laying siege to that
city. took advantage of that carousal
and came In. | hear the feet of the
conquerors on the palace stairs. Mas
sacre rushes in with a thousand gleam-
ing knives. Death bursts upon the
Il A.