The record-union., 1897-10-24


near relations with the scientists and
and philosophers OF the Serapeum-
AT last [ have gained this much" he
said, in the end i have got to know
| thee, Timon, and now I am sure if thou
canst not solve the problem Of my life,
no one else can" Timon. who had been
watching the reflection of the new
moon on the surface Of the sea, said:
'Dost thou see, 0 CHINA, the fiocks of
/ birds which come from the dreary
north; dost thou know what they seek
in Egypt?"
Il know they seek warmth and light. ;"
The human soul also seeks warmth,
which is love, and light, which is truth.
But the birds know where to fly for
their good; human souls fly in the des-
ert, are astray, restless and melan-
choly"
Noble Tin1on, why can they not find
the way?"
Formerly people found peace and
rest in the gods, but now faith in the
gods is burned out like the oil in the
lamp. Later they thought that philoso-
ply would be the sun of truth for hu-
man souls-to-day, as you know best
/ SOCA SNIIs On tie IulI1S Ill 1AOIHG, III I1e
academy at Athens and here, sit the
skeptcs, and it seems to them that they
! have brought peace, but they have
brought only unrest. For to announce
the warmth and light is to leave the
soul in darkness. which is restlessness.
So with outstretched hands We groping-
ly seek the exit
Have you found it yourself?"
!
soughtest it in luxury, I in meditation,
and both Of us are surrounded with
darkness Know, therefore, that not
only thou sufferest, but that in thee
suffers the soul of the whole world. No
doubt, long ago thou didst cease to be-
lieVe in the gods
I'm Rome they worship the gods still
publicly and even get new ones from
Asia and Egypt, but perhaps only the
vegetable venders, who in the morning
come from the country to the city, be-
lieve sincerely in them'
And they alone are peaceful"
Just as they who here bow to cats
and onions
Just as the animals who, after gorg-
ing themselves, desire sleep"
In such a case is life worth living?'
do you know where death will bring
us?''
80 what is the difference between the
skeptics and you?"
"Skeptics accept the darkness or they
pretend to accept, while 1 am tortured
in it."
And you see no salvation?'
Timon remained silent for a time,
then answered slowly and with a certain
hesitation, Il wait for it"
Where from?"
'I do not know
He leaned his head upon his hand and
as influenced by the silence that reigned
upon the terrace he began to speak in
a low, gentle voice.
1T is a wonderful thing, and it seems
to me sometimes that if the world had
contained nothing more than that which
we know, and if we could be nothing
more than THAT which we now are, rest
lessness would not be in US. Thus, in
sickness we have the hope of health.
The faith in Olympus and philosophy is
dead, but the health is perhaps some
new truth which know not
Contrary to his expectation, to CHINA
this conversation brought great relief.
Learning that not only he, but the
whole world, was weighed down with
sin and sorrow, he experienced the feel
ing as if heavy load were taken from
his shoulders and shared by thousands
of others.
Since then the friendship between
CHINA and the old Greek became closer.
They visited each other more frequently
and shared their thoughts as bread is
divided at a, feast. Although CHINA felt
that sense of WEAKNESS which always
follows enjoyment, still he was too
young a man for life to lose all its at
fractions, and such an attraction he
found in Anthea, the only daughter of
TimOn.
Her fame in Alexandria was not less
than that of her father. She was adOred
by honorable Romans, who visited the
house of Timon. She was adored by the
Greeks, she was adored by the philoso-
piers of the Serapeum, and she was
adored by the people. Timon did not
shut her up in the gynaceum as other
women were confined, and he carefully
instructed her in all his knowledge.
Soon CHINA found that he loved her
with a great and unconquerable love, as
different from any feeling awakened be-
fore as Anthea was different from all
other women. He wanted to possess her
only to worship her. For this he was
ready to give his life. He felt that he
would rather be a pauper with her than
Caesar without her And, as the vortex
of an ocean whirlpool engulfs with its
irresistible power all that approaches
it's circle, so Cinna's love absorbed his
soul. heart, thoughts; his days, nights
and all that composed his life.
At last this great love engulfed An
thea.
"Tu felix CHINA" said his friends to
him. "Tu felix CHINA" he repeated to
himself And when at last he welded
her and her divine lips had uttered the
sacramental words, Where thou art
Caius. there am |, Gaia" then it SEEM
ed to him that his happiness would be
as an inexhaustible and limitless sea.
"
A year passed and the young wife
continued to receive honor and hon.
age as if accorded to one divine. She
was to her husband as the apple Of
his eye. love. wisdom, light But CHINA
comparing his happiness TO the sea for
got that the sea ebbs and flows. After
a year Anthea. was afflicted with
cruel and unknown disease. Her dreams
changed into terrible visions which ex-
hausted her life. In her face died out
the light of dawn and there only re-
manned the transparency of the pear
ly shells; her hands became translu-
cent, her eyes sank away, and the rosy
lotus became as white as marble
statue. 1t was observed that the buzz
yards hnva1sed over Cinna,S house