The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-21
CHAPTER "
THE DREAM OF IssAcHAR.

; The DREAM Ot lSSACHAR-
! For moment there was silence. which
Axle yroke. saying
1T seems to me, issachar, that you are
somewhat over jealous for my welfare -
Il think otherwise. prince replied the
Levite sterniy. Did not your great
grandsire, Solomon. give you into my
keeping, and shall l not be faithful TO my
trust and TO a higher duty than any he
could lay upon me-
3 Your meaning. Issachar?''
1T is plain, prince, but 1 win set it out:
solomon SAID to me- yonder in the haH OF
his golden palace, Behold, TO others.
men of war, have given charge OF the
body of this, my grandson, TO keep him
safe To you, Issachar, L give charge
over his soul TO keep it safe-a higher
! task and more difficult. Guard him. Is
sachar from the temptation of strange
+ doctrines and the whisoerings of strange
gods. but guard MIN most of all from the
wiles of strange women who bow the
/ knee to Baai, Tor such are the gate OF
/ gehenna upon earth, ana those who en-
Tophet.'
Truly. my grandsire should be able to
speak Wisely on this matter as on all
others. answered Aziel. but stu L do
not understand
Then 1 will speak more clearly, prince.
How comes it that l md you alone with
this beautiful 'SOrceress, this WorshiDDer
OF the she-deyil, Baaltis. with whom you
should scorn even to speak. save such
words as courtesy demands"
Is it, then. forbidden to me?' asked
AzieI. angrily, TO talk with the daughter
of my host, girl whom / CHANGED TO
save from death. of the customs OF her
country and the mysteries of Worship
The mysteries OF worship, answered
Issachar. scorn1ully. 'Ay, the myt5ries OF
the worship of that fair body of hers, that
ivory chalice filed with foulness, whereof
if a man drink his faith shall be rotted
and his soul poisoned. The mysteries of
you b-t now to lean toward this woman
as though to embrace her. with words of
love upon your tongue if not between your
lips? All these sorceresses of Baaltis
know their tlade well; fun they are of evil
gifts and of the wisdom given TO them
by the fiend they serve. With touch and
sigh and look they can stir the blood of
youth, having much practice thereto. till
it seethes within the veins and browns
the conscience in its flood. Nay, prince,
hear the truth. Till moonrise you had
never seen this woman. and now you love
her Deny it, if you can-deny it on your
honor and 1 viii believe you, for you are
no liar
Aziel thought moment and answered.:
.Issaehar, on this matter you have lit
tie right TO question me, yet since you
have adiursd me by my honor, 1 viii
be open with you. l know not if love
this woman, who, as you say, is
stranger to me, but it is true that my
being turns toward her like a flower to
the sun. Till today l had never seen her,
yet when my eyes first fell upon her face
yonder in that accused grove. it seemed
to me that / had IN born only that
/ might find her. /. seemed 10 me that
for ages L had known her, that forever
she was mine. and that L was hers. Oh.
tell me, lssachar. what is that? Is 1t but
passion born of youth and the sight OF
fair woman? That cannot De. for have
known others as falr and nave passed
through some such fires. Tell me, lssa-
char, you who are old and wise, and have
seen much, what is it that overwhelms
me?'
What is it? 1t is witchery. 1t is the
vile of Beelzebub waiting TO snatch your
soul, and if you hearken to il you will
pass through the rire-through the fire
TO AIoloch, if not in the flesh, then in, the
spirit. which is to all eternity. oh, not
in vain do fear for you, my son. and
not without reason was 1 warned IN IL.
dream. Listen. Last night, as l lay
in my tent ypnder upon the plain, |
dreamed that some danger oVerShadowed
you, and in my sleep 1 prayed that your
destiny might be revealed to me. as l
prayed thus 1 heard voice saying, 1ssa-
char, since you seek to learn the future,
know that he who is dear to you shall
be tried in the fire, indeed. Yes. because
of his great love and pity ho shall fore
swear mis- faith and with death end sor-
row he shall pay the price of sin
Then L was troubled, and besought
heaven that you, my son, might be saved
from this unknown temptation, but the
voice answered me-:
OF their own will only can they who
We're one from the beginning be held
apart. Through good and ill let them
work eacn others woe or veal The goal
is sure, but they must choose the road.
Then, as I wondered what these say
ings might mean the darkness opened
and | saw you, AZiel standing in a grove
OF trees while toward you, with out
stretched hands drew a yelled woman,
who bore upon her brow the golden bow
of Baaltis- And fire ragged about you,
and in the fire 1 beheld many things
which [ have forgotten, and moving
through was the Prince of Death. who
slew and slew and spared not; and l
awOke heavy at heart. knowing that
there had fallen on me who love you
shadow of doom to come.
In these latter days any educated man
world set aside iSsachar wild vision as
the Vaporings OF mind diStraught But
Aziel lived IN the time of solomon, when
men of MS nation guided their steps By
the light of prophecy. and believed that
Ii was the pleasure of God, by means of
dreams ard wonders and through the
mouths of his chosen SeerS, to declare his
Will upon earth. TO this faith indeed. we
still hold fast. at least so far as that
period and people are concerned, seeing
that we acknowledge Isaiah, David and
their company, to have been inspired
from above. OF that company 1ssachar
the Levite was one. for TO him. from his
youth up, voices had spoken in the
watches of the night, and often he had
poured his warnings and denunciations
into the ears of kings and peoples, tell
Ing them with no uncertain voice of the
consequences of sin and idolatry, and of
punishment to come This AZiel. who
had been his ward ana pupil. knew well,
and therefore he did not mock at the
priests dream, or set ii aside as naught.
but bowed his head and listened.
Il am honored. indeed" he said. with
humility. that the destiny of my poor
soul and body should be a thing of weight
to the cherubim on high.
cot your poor soul Aziel.' broke in
Issachar know that soul of yours OF
which you speak SO lightly. is of as great
value in the eyes of him who made it as
that of any cherubim who still looks upon
his face. The angels who fell were the
first and greatest of the angels. and
though now We BE- clad in mortal shape IN
and glorified we. can become among the
mightiest OF their hosts. Oh. my son, l
beseech vel. turn from this woman while
there yet Is time, lest to you her lips
should be Il cup of woe and your soul pay
the price of them sharing the he'll of the
worshipers of Ashtaroth."
1T may be so, said AZiel but ISsa-
char what said the voice? That this the
woman of your dream and l wers one
from the beginning. Issachar you believe
that the Lady ELISA is sha of whom the
voice spoke, and you bid me turn from
her because she will bring me to sin and
punishment. In truth, If 1 can 1 will obey
you. since rather than forswear my faith.
az the voice foretold. l would die a hun
dred deaths. Ncr do / believe that for any
bribe of mans love l shall forswear it in
act or thought. Yet If such things come
about. 1t is fate that drives me on. no
my willard what man can flee his fate
But even though this lady be she whom
am doomed 20 love. you say that be-
cause she is heather l must reject her.
Shame upon the thought. for if she is
heather II is through ignorance. and IL
may be mine to; change her heart. Be
cause stand in danger shall l suffer her
who was ard Is and shall be of me. to
be lost in the hell OF Baal. whereof yor
speak? Nay. your dream IS false. | viii
not renounce my faith, but rather vii
win her TO share ii, and together We shall
triumph. and that l swear to you, Issa-