Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-01-04

we descended whittier shall lead ye, and
then gathering up my courage, and court.
ing death that might perchancc win so
glorious crown of life. stepped into
The flames, and behold hfe such rs sc can
never know until We feel it also Il lwed IN
10 me, and | came forth updyIng. and
lovely beyond imaeining Then did
| stretch Oui mine arms 10 thee kallikrateS,
and bid thee take thine immortal bride;
and behold as spoke, thou, blinded 10y
nay beauty, didat turn from me and throw
thine arms about the neck of Amenarlas
And then "A great fury filled me, and made
me mad, and | seized the iavein that thou
| dldst bear, and stabbed thee, so that there,
at my very feet, in the place of Lite. thou
didst groan and 20 down unto death
knew not then that had power To STAY
with mine eyes and Will, therefore IN my
madness slew with the javeln
And when thou vast dead, ah wcpt,
because | was uudylng and thou vast
dead wept there IN the place of Life
so that had been mortal any more my
heart had surely broke And she the
swart Egyptian-she cursed me by her
gods Aud after wards / sent her-the
Egyptian--away through the swamp', and
il seems that she lived 20 bear sou and TO
write the tale that should lead thee, her
husband, back to me, her rival and muir
dereSs
Such is the tale, my love, and now is
the hour at hand that shall set crown up.
on it. Like all things on the earth, it is
compounded of evil and good-mOre OF
evil than of good, perchance-and writ in
have | hidden from thee. Kalhkrates.
And now one thing before the final mo-
ment of thy trial We go down into the
presence OF Death, for Life and Death are
very near together, and-who knOwsy
what might happen which should separate
Us for another space Of waiting. But this
know-for learned from the lips of the
wise man Noot-that my life is but pro-
longed and made more bright. 1t can not
live for aye Therefore before We 90, tell
me- OH Kallikrates, that of truth thou
dost forgive me, and dost love me from thy
heart. Yes, have snned-but yet do |
know the good .frcm the evil, nor is my
heart altogether hardened Thy love, Oh,
kalhkrates, shall be the gate of my re
dempton, even aforctimc my passion was
the path Of down which ! ran 10 evil. For
deep love uusatistied is the hell of noble
hearts and portion for the accursed, but
love that IS mirrored back more perfect
from the soul of our desires doth fashion
wings To lift Us aboye ourselves, aud make
US what we might be- Therefore, Kallik-
rates take me by thy hand and lift my
veil with no more fear than though | were
some peasant girl and not the wlsest and
and most beauteous woman in the world,
and look me IN the eyes, and tell me that
thou dost forgive me with all thine heart
and with all thine heart thou dost worship
me
She paused, and the strange tenderness
IN her voice seemed TO hover round US like
memory. | know that the sound Of 1t
moved me more even than her words ii
was so very human so very womanly.
Leo. too, was strangely touched. | saw
ms eyes filled with tears, and gazing into
her deep eyes, said aloud.
"Ayesha, love thee with all my heart,
and so far as forgiveness is possible, for
give thee the death of Ustane. For the
rest, is between thee and thy Maker; |
know naught of it. | only know that |
love thee AS | never loved before, and that
| viii Cleaye TO thee TO the end
Now, answered Aycsha with proud
humility-"now when my lord doth speak
thus royalty and give me SO free a hand,
1t can not become me to lag behind in
words and be beggared OF my generosity.
Behold in token of my submission do
bow me to my lord Behold, in token Of
my wifely love do kiss my lord. Behold
| by tue sin | sinned, by my lonely centur.
les of waiting wherewith II was wiped out,
i ny lLt -ltdl lONC WlltltW III 4 lONtf dllil
by the Spirt-the Eternal Thing that doth
beget all life, from wnom it Gibbs. to whom
it doth return again. swear,
Il swear, even in this most holy hour
of completed Womanhood, swear that
will abandon Evil aud cherish Good |
swear that | will be ever guided by thy
voice ia the straightest path of Duty
swear that ! will eschew Ambition, aud
through all the length of endless days set
! Wisdom over guiding star to lead me
unto truth and knowledge of the Right.
| swear also that | will honor and will
cherish thee Kallikrates. who hath been
swept by the wave of time back into my
arms, ay, till the very end, come 1t soon
or late | swear-nay, | will swear no
more, for what are words? Yet shalt
thou learn that Aycsha hath no false
tongue So | have sworn, and thou, my
| Holly. art witness 10 my oath Here. too