The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-17
BY HENRY B. WEEKS.
THE CITY OF SILENCE.


 Night was upon us and we were me oy the 1act that we were Iost-lost {r
 The desert. My suides, both experts
 were filled with te, TOT, and swore tha
 1t was an omen u evil 1 laughed al
 their fears and told them we would
 nave to make the best of 1t and thai the morning light would probably lead us out of our ifficulty; we finally sank 10 rest. Ju.t how long we slept Know not but suddenly. as if at some given signal. we sprang to our feet, to De confronted by an immense figure an ancient :nan-in complexion, fea- lures a.: costume an Egyptian. Al slsnt or i-lnl my guides, uttering a cry of terror. fled. and I. smitten with a nameless apprehension. would have followed. when the gentle voice of the stranger bidding me remain and fear nauRht. stayed my steps.
 You have come to look upon the temples and pyramids of the desert put give to me your faith and cour- age, and l will acquaint you with won ders Of which you hcve not dreamed. "
 As you will. mighty stranger" I re- piled. for his noble mien and counte- nance had won my trust and rever- epce, Then blackness swept over me, ana on recovering I found myself ly- ing before a city so glorious and un- common that nfhe remembrance of it will never be obliterated from my mind, It shone in the pale moonlight like semitransparent pearl, and could see that 1t was com posed wholly Of alabaster; it's architecture was beautiful and sublime. Pyramids rose like gigantic guards around the city. and battlemented walls. strengthen ed by towers, whose heads seemed pouring into heaven. enclosed multi tude of temples. obelisks and mansions whose whiteness I perceived gleamed from amidst delightful groves of luxu- rfantly foliaged trees. But silence more strange and solemn than was ever yet born of night reigned within. I felt it to be that of the grave, and recognized the gruesome fact that my companion who stood beside me was the spirit of one dead.
 "Behold!" said he. in a tone whose sadness resembled the signing of wind Behold! O mortal. the City of Silence! Arise and let us enter!"
 The gigantic portals of brass rolled back on our approach. emitting as they recoiled on their hinges a melodious sound; and. terrified at what be- held and heard. I followed my mys- terious guide into the city. And there I looked upon things which caused my heart to quail and my knees to smite each other - looked upon monstrous representations of things which have no place in heaven or earth = forms so unnatural and horrible that 1t seemed beyond belief that they were the work of mortals. I needed not to be told that they were gods, and l shiv- cred as l gazed upon them. But that which. in addition to these. over whelmed me with awe and astonish- men was my observation that the spacious streets were filled with tre- mendous f1gures resembling human be- ings apparently prosecuting their vari- ous professions. pursuits and pleas ures; but all transformed, as if by a miracle. into stone.
 Following my conductor. now en- tered a spacious quadrangle wherein the waters of fountains shone and sparkled in the moonlight; but twas not the grand beauty of the spot that transfixed my attention. but the ap- pearanoe Of numerous ranks of sol dies. all turnad-In the very act of ex- e.cising-to stone.
 Behold" said my conductor. lyon tower; that was mine own private sanctum for study. and now seat thy
 
 the story of the City of Silence.
 Know that thou" he continued. "art in the very heart of Africa, into which the enterprlsing sons of all civil lized nations have so often but vainly endeavored to penetrate.
 "Shor. the original name of the City of Silence. was the capital of a four ic hing and powerful kingdom. and had reached the pinnacle of its glory when the wise and virtuous monarch, Ko- mar. ascen1ed the nations throne.
 And beside him sat Maya. his queen who was beloved by all for her beauty, and gracious manner
 Both king and queen labored sedu- lously in acts of piety and in arts or peace. expending the public money in beautifying the city with noble works and in encouraging sublime sciences.
 But. alas. 1t came to pass that one day to the queen appeared venerable man. who said to be: O. foolish Maya. you think you possess all the joys ever known. but there Is one
 Sunday. "A FUNGUS FEUD," by Gen