The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-28

Il great number. were clad in white
5 and wore upon their heads a gauZe-like
veil that fell down to their knees, and
was held in place by a golden fillet sur
mounted by the symbol of a crescent
neon. Instead of the golden rods, how
ever, each Of them held in her left
hand a growing stalk of maize, from
the sheathed cob of which hung the
bright tassel of its bloom, while to her
right wrist a milk-white dove was fas-
tened by a wire, both corn and dove be-
ing emblems Of that fertility which,
under various guises. was the real OBJ
ject of the worship of these people. The
sight of these white-Veiled women,
about whose crescent-decked heads the
doves nuttered wildly, striving to be
free, was very strange and beautiful.
as they advanced, also singing a low
and melancholy chant. Aziel searched
their faces with his eyes while they
passed slowly toward him, and pres
emily his heart bounded, for there
among them, clasping the dove she bore
TO her breast, as though to still its
frightened nutterings, was the Lady
Elisa lie noticed that as she went
beneath the palace walls she glanced
at the window place of his chamber,
but without seeing him, for he was
seated in the shadow. Presently the
long line OF Driestesses, followed by
hundreds of worshipers- had vanished
through the tortuous and narrow en-
trance. of the temple, and Aziel leaned
back to think.
There. among the principal votaries
of a goddess the wickedness of whose
worship was u scandal and a byword
even in the ancient world, walked the
woman to whom he felt SO strangely
drawn and with whom, if there were
any truth in the visions of ISsachar and
the mysterious warnings of his own
soul. his fate was intertwined. A sud-
den revulsion filed his heart as he
thought of it. She was wise, and she
seemed beautiful and innocent, but
Issachar was right; this girl was the
minister of an abominable creed, nay,
for aught he knew. she was herself de-
filed with its denominations, and her
wisdom but an evil gift from the evil
powers she served. Could he, a prince
OF the royal blood of the house of
Israel, and of the ancient Pharaohs of
Khem, desire to have anything to do
with such a one. he, child of the
chosen people, d worshiper of the true
and only God2 Yesterday she had
thrown a spell upon him, spell of
black magic, or the spell of her i'm
perial beauty, which it mattered not
but today he was the lord of his own
mild and would shake himself free of
it and her. ~
In the market place below the LeV1te
1ssachar had also watched the passing
of the priests and priestesses of Ell and
Baaltis.
Tell me, Metem," he asked of the
Phoenician who stood beside him, his
head respectfully uncovered, what
nunnery is this ?''
1T is no nunnery, worthy Issachar,
but a ceremony of sacrifice, which is to
be offered in the temple yonder. for the
recovery from her sickness of the Lady
Baaltis. the high priestess."
Where, then, is the offering? 1 see
none. unless it be those doves that are
tied to. the wrists of the women
Nay. Issachar," answered Metem,
smiling darkly, the gods ask nobler
blood than that of doves. The offering
is within and it is the first born child
of a priestess of Baaltis."
20. God of heaven said Issachar,
lifting UP his eyes. how long will you
suffer that this murderous and accused
race should defile the face of the
earth?''
Softly, friend broke in Metem. 81
set out in them that your forefather
Abraham was commanded to offer up
his first born in such a sacrifice?"
'Blaspheme not" answered the Jew
He was commanded. indeed that his
heart might be proved, but his hand
was stayed. The God whom I worship
delights not in the blood of children"
Here Issachar broke off, suddenly rec
ogniZing the Lady ELISA among the
white-robed priestesses. Watching her,
he noted her glance at the window of
Aziel's chamber. and saw, what she
could not see, that the prince was seat