Evening star., 1898-02-19

of what worship wss ,a it, prince. tina.
caused you but now 70 lean toward this
words of love upon your tongue il not
ssses Of Baaltis fnox their trade well:
fuil ra they are OF esti stfts and Of the wis.,
With touch and stgh atd look they can stir
the blood Of youth, havIng much practice
thereto tn it seethes within the veins end
prince, hear the truth. Tin noonrise you
had never seen thas woman. and now you
love her. Deny II, II you can-deny it on
your honor NOR and VIII believe you. for you
AzieI thought a snori1ent aud answered:
issachar, on this matter you have little
rent 10 question, me, yet since you have
ad1ured me by my honor. will be open
with YOU know not II love this woman,
VINO, as you say, is a stranger to me, but
II IL Is true that my being turns toward her
hke hover to the sun. TIL today 1 had
never seen her. yet when my eyes first fell
upon her face yonder in that accursed
grove, 1t seemed to me that had been born
only that l might fnd her. 1t seemed to
me that for ages had known her, that for
eyer sne was mine. and that 1 was hers.
On, tell me, Issachar, what is this? Is it
but passion born of youth and the sight of
1alr woman? That cannot be, for have
known others as fair and have passed
through some such fires. Tell me. Issachar,
you VINO are old and WISE and have seen
much, what is 1t that overwhelms me?''
what Is it? 1t is witchery 1t is the
vile or Beelzebub waiting to snatch your
soul, ana II you harken to it you shall pass
tnroCgh the fire-through the fire of Moloch
II not in the flesh, then In the spirit. which
IS TO all eternity. Oh. not in vain do fear
LOT you. my son, and not without reason
was warned in dream. Listen Last
night, as l lay in my tent yonder upon the
IA do
shaooWed you, and in. my sleep I PRAYED
that your destiny might be revealed to me-
AS prayed thus l heard a voice saving
issachar, since you seek to learn the fu-
,ure' know that he who is dear to you shall
De trled In the fire. indeed. Yes, because
OF ms great love and pity he shall forswear
MS faith and with death and sorrow he
snail pay the price of sim
lhen was troubled and besought heay-
en- that you. my son, might be saved from
tnis unknown temptation, but the voice an
swered me:
OF their own will only can they who
Through good and ill let them work each
other's woe or veal. The goal is sure, but
they must choose the road
lhen as L wondered what these sayings
might mean. the darkness opened and /
saw you. Aziel. standing in a grove of
trees. while toward you with outstretched
hands drew yelled woman. who bore upon
her brow the golden bow of Baaltis And
nre ragged about you. and in the fire I be-
heid many things which I have forgotten
and moving through was the Prince of
Death. who slew and slew and spared not;
ana awoke heavy at heart. knowing that
there nad fallen on me who love you a
shaooW OF doom to come"
In these latter days any educated man
would set aside Issachar's wild vision as
the vaporings of mind distraught. But
Azlel lived in the time of Solomon, when
men or his nation guided their steps by
the light of prophecy and believed that it
was the pleasure of God by means of
dreams and 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 COM
pany, to have been inspired from above
OF that company Issachar the Leyite 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 de-
nunc1atfonS into the ears of kings and peo-
pies, telling them with no uncertain voice
of the consequences of sin and dolatry and
OF punishment to come This AZiel who
had been his ward and pupil. knew well
and therefore he did not mock at the priests
dream set it aside as naught but bowed
his head and listened.
II am honored, indeed" he said with hu-
mliity, that the destiny of my poor soul
and body should be thing of weight to
the cherubim on high.
"Of your poor soul, Aziel," broke in
lssachar. 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 cheyubim 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 punish
ment Of our sins, again redeemed and glori-
he'd we can become among the mightiest
of their hosts. Oh my son, 1 beseech you
turn from this woman while there We. is
time. lest to You her lips should be cup
of woe and your soul shall pay the price
of them sharing the hell Of the worship
ers of Ashteroth."
1T may be So" said Aziel. but Issacher
what said the voice? That this the woman
ginning. Issachar, you believe that the
Lady ELISA is she Of whom the voice spoke
and you bid me turn from her because she
will bring me to sin and punishment. In
truth, II can Will obey you, since rather
than forswear my faith. as the voice fore
told, l would die a hundred deaths. Nor
do believe that for any bribe of woman's
love / shall forswear it in act or thought
Yet If such things come about it is fate
that drives me on. not my willard what
man can flee his fate? But even though
this lady be she whom 1 am doomed to
love, you say that because she is heather
! must reject her Shame upon the thought
for if she Is heather, it is through ignor-
ance. and It may be mine to change her
heart Because l stand In danger shall
suffer her who was and Is and shall be of
me, to be lost in the hell of Baal. whereof
you speak? Nay, your dream is false. /
will not renounce my faith, but rather will
win her TO share it, and together we shall
triumph, and that L swear it you, Issa-
char"
Truly the evil one has many wiles," an
swered the Levite, wringing his hands
''and did ill to tell you of my dream see
ing that it can be twisted to serve the pur-
pose of your madness. Have you will,
Aziel, and reap the fruit of it. but of this
1 warn you-that while can find a way to
thwart it. never. prince, shall you take that
witch to your bosom to be the ruin of your
life and SOUL
Then. Issachar. this matter there is
war between us?'
"Ay, there is war;" said the Levite, and
left him.
(To be contfnued.)
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