Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-26
CHAPTER Iy-Continued.

I9y. After his servants had waited upon
him and robec him. bringing him milk and
fruit to eat. he dis missed them and sat
himself down by the easement of his cham
her 10 think awhile. Below him lay the
city of hat-rocfed houses, inclosed within
a double wall. without the ring of which
were thousands of straw huts, shaped like
beehives wherein DIV lt the natives Of the
country. slaves or servants of the conquer
ing Phcenician race. To his right, and not
more than a hundred paces from the gov
erncr's house, in which he was. rose the
round and mighty hattlements of the tenn
pie. where the follow ers of Ell and BaaItis
Horshipped and tie gold refiners carried on
their business. At intervals Oh lis fiat
topped walls stood towers of observation,
alternating with pointed monoliths of gran
lite and soapstoDe columns suppo; ting vul-
lures. rudely carved, emblems of Baaitis.
BE tween these towers AIMED soldiers walk
ed continually, watching the city below
and the plain beyond, fer though the mis-
sion of the Pkoenicians here was one of
peaceful gain, 1t was evident that they
cor sidered it necessary to be always pre-
p@red for war. On the hillside above the
great temple lowered another fortress of
stone, citadel dec med to be impregnaDle
even should the temple fall into the hands
of an enemy, while the crest of the pre-
Cipitous slope. stretching as far tC the
IlSnl ana lelt as Inc eye cOulQ rcGGl. were
many smaller detG fortrcSSes.
The scene bereath him was q busy one.
for market was being held in open
square in the city Here. sheltered from
the sun by grass matched booths. the
Phoenician merchants who had been his
companions in his lcng and perilous jour
ney from the coast were already in treaty
with numerous customers. hoping. not in
vain. to recoup themselves amply for the
tolls and dangers which they had survived.
Beneath the booths were spread their
goods: Silks from Cos, bronze weapons
from Cyprus, linens and muslns from
Egypt. beads. IDOLS caryen bowls. knives,
glass ware, copper rods, pottery in all
shapes. ard charms made of glazed faience
or Egyptian stone. bales of the famous
purple cloth of Tyre, surgical Instruments,
jewclry and objects of toilet. scents, pots
of rouge and other ungents for the use of
ladies. in little alataster and earthenware
vases; bags of retired salt. ana thousand
other articles of commerce produced or
stored in the workshops of Phoenicia.
These We're tartered for raw gold by
weight tusks of livery, ostrich feathers
and girls of approved beauty. slaves taken
in or in some instance mlldens whom
their unnatural parents or relatives did not
scruple to sell into bondage.
In another portion of the square provis-
ions and stock. alive and dead. were being
offered for sale, for the most part by ma
lives of the country. Here were piles OF
vegetables and fruits grown in the gardens,
Sacks Of various sorts of grain. bundles oil
the walls calabaSheS full of curdled milk.
and thick native beer and trusses OF reeds
for matching. Here, again. were oxen,
mules and asses or great bucks. such as we
now know az Gland or kudoo. carried in on
rough filters of boughs, to be disposed OF
by parties of savage urtsmen, who had
shot them with arrows or trapped them
in pitfalls. Every eastern tribe and ma
ton seemed TO be represented in the motley
crowd. There stalked savages naked ex-
cept fer their girdles. and armed with huge
spears. vino gazed with bewilderment on
the wonders OF the mart of the white man.
There moved grave. long-bearded Arab
merchants or Phoenicians in their pointed
caps. or bareheaded. white-robed Egyp-
tians half-bred mercenaries clad In mail.
There was no end to their variety, while
from them came a very babel of different
tongues they cried their wares, bar
gained and quarreled.
AZlel gaZed at this novel sight with in
tersst. till, as he was beginning 10 weary
OF it. the crowd parted to right and left,
leaving a clear lane across the market
place TO the narrow gate of the temple.
Along this lane advanced a procession of
the priests of Ell. clad in red robes. WITH
tall ca DIS upon their heads, beneath which
their hair hung down to their shoulders:
in their hands were gilded rods and around
their necks hung golden chains, to which
were attached emblems of the god they
worShipped. They walked two and two to
HE number of fifty, chanting a melancholy
dirge. one hand of each priest resting upon
his fellows shoulder. and as they passed.
with the exception of certain Jews. all the
spectators uncovered, while some of the
more pious of them even fell upon their
knees.
After the priests came a second process
sion. that of the priestesses of Baaitis.
These women, of whom there were a
great number. were clad in white and wore
upon their heads a gauze-like veil that fell
down to their knees and was held in place
by golden hllet surmounted by the SYM
Dol of a crescent moon Instead of the
golden rods, however. 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 fastened
by wire. both corn and dove being en-
blemS of that fertility which. under various
guises. was the real worship of these peo-
pie. The sight of these white-veied wom-
en-. about whose creScent-decked heads the
doves huttered wildly. striving to be free,
was very strange and beautiful as they
advanced, also singing a low and melan-
choly chant AZiel searched their faces
with his eyes while they passed slowly
toward him. and presently his heart bound
ed. for there among them, ClaSping the
dove she bore to her breast. though to
still its frightened futterings, was the Lady
ELISA He noticed that as she went be-
meath the palace walls she glanced at the
wfndow place OF his chamber. but without
seeing him. for he was seated in the shad-
Ow- Presently the long line of priestesses.
followed by hundreds of worshippers had
Vanished through the tortuous and narrow
entrance Of the temple. and Aziel leaned
back TO think.
There. among the principal yotaries of
goddess, the wickedneSs of whose wor-
chip was scandal and a byword even in
the ancient world, walked the woman to
whom he felt so strangely drawn and with
whom. II there were any truth in the Wis
ions of IssaChaT and the mysterious warn
fngs Of his own soul, mis- fate was inter
twined- \ sudden revulsion filled his heart
- he thought Of it She was wise and
she seemed beautiful and innocent. but
lssachar was right; this girl was the mini
lister Of an abominable creed. nay, for
auSht he knew. she was herself defled
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 an one he a
child of the chosen people, a worshiper
OF the true and only God? Yesterday she
had thrown a spell upon him. a spell of
black magic. OF the spell of her imperial
beauty, which ii Inattered not but today
he was the lord of his own mind and would
shake himself free of il and her
In the market place below the Levite
1ssachar had also watched the passing of
the priests and priestesses of FL and BaaI-
tbs.
Tell me. Metem.' he asked of the Phoe-
AL n Sfn