The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-07
CHAPTER VI.
THE HALL OF AUDIENCE.


THE HALL OF AUDIENCE.
Reaching her chamber on the break
up of the procession, ELISA threw her
self upon her couch and burst into a
passion of tears. Well might she weep,
for she had been false to her oath as a
priestess, uttering as a message from
the goddess that which she had learned
from the lips of man. More. she could
not rid herself of the remembrance of
the scorn and loathing with which the
Prince Aziel had looked upon her, or
of the bitter insult of his words when
he called her girl of groves and a
murderess of children"
So far as she was concerned. they
were utterly untrue indeed, for none
could throw a slur upon her, and as for
these rare human sacrifices, she lcathed
the very name of them. nor would she
have been present had she guessed
that any such Offering was intended
Like most of the ancient religions, that
of the PhOenicians had two sides to it,
a spiritual and a material side. The
spiritual side was worship of the far
off unknown divinity. sympolized by
the sun and planets and visible only
In their majestic movements and in the
forces of nature. To this she chung,
knowing no truer god, and from those
\
for her heart was deep. Lonely invoca-
tions to the goddess beneath the light
OF the silent moon appealed To her, for
from them she seemed to draw strength
and comfort, but the outward ceremo-
MES of her faith, or the more secret
and darker of them, were already an
abomlnation in her eyes. And now
what if the Jew prophet spoke truly?
What if this creed of hers were a lie
root and branch, and there did live in
the heavens above a God. who heard
and answered the prayers OF man, and
who did not seek of them the blood
of the children he had given? A great
doubt took hold of her and shook her
being, and with the doubt came hope.
How was tiff her faith We're true
that when she took the name of the
goddess IN vain. nothing had befallen
her? She desired to learn more of this
matter; but who was to teach her? The
Levite turned from her with loathing.
as from a thing unclean, and there
remained, therefore. but the Prince
Aziel, who had put her from him with
those bitter words of scorn. Ali why
did they pain her so, piercing her heart
as with a spear? Was it because-be-
cause-she loved him, and so soon?
Yes, that was the truth of it She
had learned it even as he cursed her;
all her fierce southern blood was alieht
with a new fire, the like of which she
had never known before. And not her
blood only-it was her spirit-her spirit
that yearned to his. Had il not leaped
within her at the first sight of him as
to one most dear. one long lost and
found again? She loved him and he
lover her. and oh, her lot was hard
As she lay broodinS thus in her pain,
the door of her chamber opened, and
Saxon, her father, entered.
what IS IL that has CHANGED yon-
der2" he asked, Ter he had not been
present in the sanctuary, and, daugh-
ter, why DO you weep?"
L weep, father, because your guest,
the Prince Aziel. has called me u Girl
of the groves and q murderess of chill
dren.' " she replied.
Then, by my head, Prince that he is,
ne shall answer for it to me- said the
governor, Srasping at his sword hilt
Nay. father, since to him 1 must
have seemed to deserve his words. Lis
ten and she tCld him all that had
passed. hiding nothing.
Now, It seems that trouble is heaped
upon trouble, said the Phoenician