The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-04-20

AShur and Chilmad. Where now the
CLEAN of her towers? Where the roar
of her chariots? Where the masts of
her ships? Let the fishermen who dry
their nets where once she stood, let the
sea that rushes upon the barrennes's
where once she challenged the admira-
tion of all nations, let the barbarians
who set their rude tents where once
her palaces glittered. answer the ques-
tions. She was star, but by her own
sin turned to wormwood. and has
fallen.
Hundred gated Thebes. for all time
to be the study of the antiquarian and
hieroglyphist; her stupendous ruins
spread over - miles; her sculptures
presenting in figures of warrior and
chariot the victories with which the
now-forgotten kings of Egypt shook
the nations: her obelisks and columns;
karnak and Luxor, the stupendous
temples of her pride. Who can imagine
the greatness of Thebes in those days.
when the hippodrome rang with her
sports and foreign royalty bowed at
her shrines and her avenues roared
with the wheels of professions in the
wake of returning conquerors? What
dashed down the vision of chariots and
temples and thrones? What hands
pulled upon the columns of her gloryo
What ruthlessness defaced her sculp-
tured wall and broke obelisks. and left
her indescriba bic temples great skele-
tons OF granite? What spirit of de-
sfruction spread the lair of wild beasts
in her royal sepulchers and taught the
miserable cottagers of to-day to build
huts in the courts of her temples and
sent desolation and ruin skulkinp be-
hind the obelisks and lodging among
the sarcophagi, and leaning against
the columns. and STOPPING under the
arches, and weeping in the waters
which go mournfully by. as though
they were carrying the tears of all
ages: Let the mummies break their
long silence and come up to shiver in
the desolation and point to fallen
gates and shattered statues ard de-
faced sculpture. responding: ''Thebes
built not one temple to God. Thebes
hated righteousness and loved sin.
Ihebes was star. but she turned to
wormwood and has fallen.''
Babylon. with her $50 towers and her
brazen gates and her emhattled walls.
the splendor of the earth gathered with
in her gates. her hanging gardens built
by Nebuchadrezzar TO please his bride.
Amytis, who had been brought up in
mountainous country and could not en-
dure the fiat country round Babylon.
These hanging gardens. built terrace
above terrace. till at the height of 400
feet there were woods waving and foun-
tains playing. the verdure. the foliage,
the glory looking as if mountain were
on the wing. On the tiptop king walk
ing with his queen. Among the statues.
snowy white, looking up at birds
brought from distant lands and drink
ing out of tankards of solid gold or
looking off over rivers and lakes upon
nations. subdued and tributary. crying:
"1s not this great Babylon which have
built?"
What battering ram smote the walIso
What plowshare upturned the gardens,
What army shattered the brazen gates?
What long. fierce blast of storm put out
this light which illuminated the worldo
What crash of discord drove down the
music that poured from palace window
and garden grove and called the ban
queters to their revel and the dancers to
their feet? l walk upon the scene of
desolation to find an answer. and pick
up pieces of bitumen and brick and
broken pottery, the remains of Baby
ION. | hear the wild waves saving:
Babylon was proud. Babylon was i'm
pure. Babylon was star. but by sin
she turned to wormwood and has
fallen"
From the prosecutions of the pilgrim
fathers and the Huguenots in other
lands God set upon these shores ma
ton. The council fires of the aborigines
went out in the greater light of a free
government. The sound of the war
whoop was exchanged for the thousand
wheels of enterprise and progress. The
mild winters and fruitful summers. the
healthful skies. charmed from other
lands race of hardy men. who loveo
God and wanted to be free Before the
woodman's AK forests fell and rose
again into ships masts and churches
pillars. Cities on the banks of lakes be-
gan to rival cities by the sea. The land
quakes with the rush of the rail car,
and the waters are churned white with
the steamers wheel. Fabulous bushels
of western wheat meet on the way fab.
ulous tons of eastern coal. Fruits from
TIE north pass on The rivers fruits from
the south. and trading in the same
market are Maine lumbermen and
South Carolina rice merchant and Ohio
farmer and Alaska fur dealer. ane
churches and schools and asylums scat
ter light and love and mercy and saliva
ton upon 900 people.
Pictures Through Insect Lenses.
One of the later marvels of little
things is the taking of pictures
through the lens of an insects eye. Wa
are filed with astcnishmen:. saws Mr.