Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-01-27
At the Gates Of the City.

NJ IuV uQLOO VI lllG Vlly.
In the brave days of old, in the
days when va!or consisted of impair
ing vast numbers Of ones enemies
upon pixies and spears, there resided
In Syria youth named Tyra.
Now, Tyra was not unlike many
youths of to-day, inasmuch as he took
great delight in tales of warfare and
slaughter. 1t is true he was not given
to the perusal of Observation-Disclosures
novels, but this virtue was due only
to the fact that the printing press had
not as yet been invented, and the high
price of parchment made liberal dis.
tribution Of lurid literature imprac-
ucable.
But Tyra was possessed Of a good
pair of ears and vivid imagina. Pm,
and he made use of the forr ITO
listen to and of the latter to ,ellish
the numerous stories of thu ssyrlans,
Persians and Macedonia ~ And it
may be stated in all candor that Tyra's
early education on these lines was not
neglected.
Before Tyra had even the sugges-
ton of mustache he had achieved an
enviable reputation among the Sy.
rians as juvenile terror. Scarcely
Q playmate had he from whom, at one
time or another, he had not taken, by
sheer force Of muscle, divers articles
beloved to childish hearts, and left in
their places sundry cuts and bruises
as mementoes Of the occasion.
Indeed. Tyra's own father yielded
up his life as the result of spear
thrust inflicted by the youth in 70
taliation for certain chastisement
administered at time when Tyra was
barely able to walk, and his mother
likewise, died of broken heart and
fractured skull, loudly lamenting
that she had not been sufficiepsly de-
voted to Moloch to lay her first born
IN the arms OF tho .red-not god.
After the untimely demise. Of his
parents Tyra entered upon SO crimson
career that the residents of the city
wherein he dwelt, familiar though
they were with deeds of valor and vio-
lence, decided that the youth was too
great man for their quiet and peace
full city, and that his talents would be
better appreciated by them If exer-
cised outside the walls of the city.
And 80 he was banished.
With many curses upon Syria in
general and this city in particular,
Tyra set forth literally to carve out
his destiny. And he succeeded ia
mously.
Now, in the city upon which he thus
disdainfully turned his back, there
dweN one upon whom he had be-
slowed all his young affection. This
was the orphaned maiden, Leodesia.
Frail she was. with hair of jet and
eyes that ever were dreaming. And
Tyra loved her. To him she was the
one object in the universe worth, the
worshiping.
Nor was his affection wasted upon
this maiden of Syria, the chords OF
whose heart were bound around her
handsome. dashing lover. Life with.
out his smiles seemed as barren as
the AssyTian Desert
She loved him with all the passion
and devotion of her semi-barbaric ma
ture, and when. at the urgent invita-.
ton of his neighbors, Tyra took his
departure from the city, she put her
trusting hand in his and promised to
wait for him until he should return
Then she threw herself upon the burn.
ing sands by the gates of the city and
wept, and would not be comforted.
After he had gone the good people
Of Syria, conscience stricken perhaps
Of the unusually harsh treatment they
had accorded her lover, bestowed such
unlimited affection and kindness upon
Leodesia that the poor girl actually
learned to love them as she loved He1
own life.
Contrary to the predictions of the
Syrian wiseacres, Tyra did not throw
himself upon the desert and die mis-
cradle death. The trouble with Tyra
was that, like many great men of to
day, he was without honor only in his
own country.
Along the Euphrates he found many
wild and adventurous spirits, who
flocked to his standard with amazing
loyalty. He did not care that his fol
lowers were not rich in jewels ant
precious stones. They could speed the
arrow and hurl the javelin with most
deadly accuracy, and that pleased him
far more.
So 1t was that in few years Tyrs
had a mighty army at his back, ant
. merry time they had, knocking a
the doors of tottering empires and rob
bling princes and potentates. Before
his advancing columns armies fled
Like mighty avalanche he swept
triumphantly from the Tigris toward
the Dead Sea-pillaging, robbing
slaughtering.
And finally he was come near unto
the land of Syria. Already the cit,
of his birth was visible in the i.list,
distance. Upon the face of Tyra {
smile was cleaning, and in his hear
wild exultation ran riot. Vengeance
was marked upon his brow; vengeance
glistened in his eyes; vengeance pull
stated in his veins.
But his fame and the news of his
approach had preceded him, and lout
were the lamentations in the city from
which he had been banished.
"Oh! woe untp Syria" the womer
cried; "oh. woe unto us this day."
The male inhabitants gathered 4,