Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-15

sylvanus felt the fear OF that death
but not It's remorse. when I'm tn,
silence OF the night Herods constant
moan OF pain changed 10 a plerclne
shrek OF agon2ed remorse, as the
images Of his victims rose before hin
In his delirium, Sylyanus saw the blood
OF the murdered innocents. and heard
the agonlzed shrieks OF the defenseless
mothers. Time and again did his cry
OF terror echo Herod's; time and again
did he rush trembling to the couch, fall
down before H. and vainly seek for
comforting companlOnshlp from the
olher victim OF fear and remorse. And
when az length his watch was relieved.
ne would hasten into the refectory of
the palace and there strive 10 drown I'm
wine and bolsterous companionship the
phantom Of his guilt.
one night as Sylvanus and some other
officers Of Herod were watching at the
bed OF death, the king asked, half in
delirium
Think ye the Jews VIII mourn my
| death?"
IL was a difficult question for servile
hatterers of royalty 20 answer. AS they
| hesltatcd, Herod watched them with a
smile of derlsion and contempt. Know
| ye not?' he said at length.
! that / understand the feelings Of the
| Jews toward me? Mourn? WHY.
/ they viii laugh with glee Songs and
| prayers OF gratitude 20 God viii ascend
! IRON every synagogue and every house
! VIII be q sanctuary Of praise"
For a moment he was silent: then ne
| continued In a low voice, which the
watchers gathered close around the bed
TO hear. But / would he incurred. |
would have 1t said that never did king
pass away amid such universal sorrow.
Nalllng and weeping and wrlnging of
hands must follow my departure,
Again he paused, and a CLEAN Of de-
moniac JOY Illuminated his countenance.
IL was as II the prince OF devils was
incarnate In him. bringing about the
contamination OF all the hendish ac,
tons of a lifetime. Again he spoke
and his voice was still lower: Listen
SylVanus and Alexas. Let all the chief
men OF the Jews In all the provinces
De gathered together In the hippodrome
at Jericho, TO await the hour OF my
death As soon as my death Is an
nounced, let all these Jews be nut TO
death, and word Of the slaughter spread
throughout the land. In every province.
IN every village, nay, In every house, |
hold, there win be mourning az the |
death Of Herod And II mourning Is |
dear to the departing soul. mine shall /
leave the earth with sweetest incense 1
OF tears and grief"
Accustomed though those men were /
70 Herod's acts OF blood, they stood
aghast at so appalling a command. |
hundreds OF innocent men to be slain.
thousands OF unfOrtunates bereaved. to
SATISFY the vanity Of a dying mad-mant
D. ttsNt /
they breathlessly awaited his further
orders
Again he spoke this time with stnl
greater difficulty: ITO thee, Sylvanus.
is intrusted the prescription. Thou
must prepare the lists and gather my
death-comrades together Not a word
OF this must be uttered, lest they divine
my purpose To thee. Alexas Is in
trusted the slaughter. Let not pity or
remorse turn thy hand and heart from
the task. Though the hippodrome run
with blood, as never before. and that
blood the best among the Jews nv
fellow travellers shall be noble enough !
to deserve to bear me company"
The edict had gone forth II Il was
TO be obeyed, no time must be lost.
Herod had but a few more weeks OF
life. II would take time 10 send The
summons into all Jewry, and gather
The leaders of the Jews. Therefore Svl-
anus must 90 about his work az once.
Dark and thoughtful was his face az
he left the death-chamber. Suddenly
his brow lightened with a CLEAN of low
ana resolution And why not?" he ex-
'laimed beneath his breath rs not the ,
prescription In my hands2 Have / not
received from Herod fun authority2 7
Why should | hesitate? Does Ezra /,
stand between me and my hopes? Then :
mould ! remove him Does he poison Z
iirlam's mind against me? Then must =
he die. II he makes me appear TO her I
IS an apostate jew, capable Of des- 4
roying not only helpless innocence. but h
he promised Christ as well. she win :
old me In adherence Is not my justi- r
.catlon great enough? That she may /
oYe me, she must understand me: that {
he may understand me, my maligHer fl
must die, There Is no other way" And
.zras name was added TO the list OF
ictims.
Mingled wonder and dismay spread
throughout the land. as letters bearing
lerods seal were received by all the
'aders Of the Jews, commanding them q
nder pain OF death and the confsca- "
on OF all their property. TO assemble q
the hlppOdrOme at Jericho a.
Ezra carried his summons 10 Miriam. az
nd together they considered its i'm al
)rt. Almost Involuntary they asso- Il
ated II with Sylvanus and that assoc a
alton made II evil II seemed strange n
Ezra that he a humble. obscure OF
)ung man OF Nazareth, should be sum
oned with the noblest and greatest h
en OF his own and other cities. This m
.ct also tended 10 make the whole ca
oyement suspicious In his eyes. III
iriam shared his fears and sus- hi
cions, and contrary TO HIS earnest pa
lshes. she determined 10 share his NJ
te' whatever that might be- Accord ar
gly when he journeyed to Jericho. en-
e went with him all
II Is unnecessary and Il would be ar
.inful TO the reader 70 describe the st,
ath Of Herod. He died, as every i'm an
oral tyrant must, with naught but
morse behind him and fear OF retribu- lar
IN 10 come. But these feelings did sic
I prompt him 70 revoke the cruel or sol
7 he had given for the destruction sol
the Jewish leaders When his spirlt icf
I Its decaylng tenement and went M
its reward, that prospective slaurh- int
was left TO go with past murders INF
q bIacken his memory. To the last gel
'ment OF consciousness he had urged thu
oihcers not 20 neglect his wishes re- FOR
riding the universal mourning.
'roWded into the great circus were SOL
Jews who had been gathered from ere
parts OF Palestine. AS they con- an,
'sed upon the strange events which
re occurring, conjecture was an lea
cred by conjecture. but no one yot
ong them knew the truth. bal
% passed the few weary DAYS before am
tyrants death. But though the the
soners In the circus were necessarily Mi
cuYe, and incapable OF discovering her
design concerning them, there was the
outside who was using an the re- the
rces OF her woman's wit 10 wiring emit
m Herod's officers the secret. wa,
was the night Of Herod's death n
yanus had watched at his bedside No,
II brain and nerves ached and tingled ana
h the burden Of the vigil. Coming strT
OF the room, he went 10 the foun. wbs
which played In the outer court Voc,
layed head and hands IN its cool fcv
waters. Passing from thence lee,
entered a darkened passage. which was
to the spacious banquet hall. Here o.,
e assembled, as usual. number az lone
ana women. attached 10 the court toicl
ierod and intrusted with the duty bnIyd