The Somerset reporter., 1896-12-08
PRINCESS LILITH.

Now, when Jesus was born IN Bethlehem Of
JudTa, in the days Of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east to Jerusa
lem,
Saying, Whore IL he that is born King of the
Jews For we have seen his star in the east and
IRE come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things,
he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief
priests and serbes Of tho people togf Their he
demanded OF them where Christ should ho
born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem Of
Jud@a.
Then Herod. when he had priyily called the
wise men, inquired Of them diligently what
time the star appeared
And he sent them 10 Bethlehem and said Go
and search diligently for the young child and
when ye have found him, bring me word again.
that may come and worship him also.
Being warned IF God in a dream that they
should not return to Herod they departed
into their own country another way
Then Herod, whom he saw that he was mock
ed of the wise men, was exceeding wroth.-
Matthew ii, lilo
The Princess Lilith, daughter of King
Herod, unused as she reclined upon a
bed of parple, and the negress Noun
waved IA fan Of feathers over her fore
head, and the eat Astaroth slept at her
feet.
Princess Lilith was 10 years of age.
Her eyes We're as deep as the water of a
cistern, and her mouth was like a eye
lamcn flower.
She unused of her mother, Queen Mir
lam, who died when Lilith was still
little more than baby. She did not
know that her father had killed her in
fiji of jealousy, but she knew that he
kept her body in the depths of secret
chamber, embalmed in honey and
spices. and that he still wept for her.
She unused upon her father, King
Herod, taeiturn and always i'll. Some
times lac shut himself up in his cham
Der, and there one could hear him
scream aloud 1t was because he
thought he saw those whom he had
caused to die-his stepbrother, Kosto-
bar; his wife, Miriam; his Sons, Arts
tobulus and Alexander, Lilith's broth
ers; his stepmother, Alexandra; her
son, Antipater; the doctor of law. Ba-
baben Bouta, and many others. AL
though Lilith knew nothing of all this,
her father always inspired her with
great terror.
She unused upon the Messiah looked
for by the Jews and of whom she had
heard so much from her nurse, Egla,
now dead. And, although the Messiah
would be king lin Herod's place, she
said to herself that she would very
much like to see him.
Lastly she unused upon little Hozael,
the son of her foster sister, Zebonda,
who lived in Bethlehem Hozael was a
year old. He laughed merlily and was
beginning to talk Lilith loved him
tenderly, and almost every day she or
dered her mules to be harnessed into
her cedar chariot and went with the
negress Noun to visit the little Hozael.
Lilith unused upon all these things,
and then it seemed to her that she was
very much alone in the world and that
without little Hozael she would be very
sad.
presently LINN went INTO the garden
to walk under the great sycamores.
There she met old Zabulon, who had
been formerly captain of the kings
guard. Herod had replaced his Jewish
guard by Roman soldiers, but having
confidence in old Zabulon he had given
him the care of that part of the palace
inhabited by Lilith.
Old Zabulon, who had been feeble
for many years, sat summing himself
upon stone bench. His back was so
bent with age that his long beard
reached to his knees.
Lilith said to him, "Thou art sad,
old Zabulon.
Eyes, Princess Lilith, because | have
learned from centurion that the king
has given orders to kill tomorrow morn
ing at dawn all the children in Bethle-