The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-05-18

IssssSss the dust and dir
ss#S - which had accpm
ulated. And as though this filthy con
dition was not enough annoyance +
the priests, whose religious rites an
ceremonies required such rigid bath
ing and cleansing, the stencil arising
from the heaps of dead frogs in tn
open spaces about the temple hlled tn
air and made the situation almost I'm
bearable.
James and Jambres, the chile
priests of the temple, were in any
thing but an amiable mood, and al
they passed through the court of TIL
temple on the way to their apart
ments, they lifted their white liner
robes high that they might not b.
smirched by the filth on the pavement
and grumbled as they went. Noticing
the slow movements of one of the at.
PENDANTS, Jambres angrily exclaimed:
Faster! You will never get this
filth cleaned out at such a pace az
that"
The poor fellow, too weary almost
to feel resentment, tried to hasten his
efforts, and James, with more feeling
than his colleague, said:
But they have been laboring day
and night to rid the place of the
frogs, and it is no wonder they are
weary. Curses be upon the Hebrews,
who have brought this upon u.s."
Aye, but we may be thankful that
the king IS more than ever i~ncensed
against them, and it is certain that
he will not let them go, as they have
requested" responded Jambres.
Had we not boldly withstood him
though after he had pleaded with
Moses to ask his God to remove the
loathsome pests, | fear he might have
yielded"
Yea, but did we not tell him that
just as the bloody waters of Egypt
would recover their freshness, so
would this plague subside? Are the
gods of Egypt dead that we should
listen to a despised Hebrew"
They had nov entered their private
apartments, which they found as filthy
as the other portions Of the temple.
Seating themselves, they continued
their conversation.
They had just returned from the
palace, where they had been discuss
ing the situation with Pharaoh. The
feeling of hatred against Moses and
Aaron burned 1ercely in their breasts,
for they secretly feared their growing
power and were apprehensive of their
next move.
Where obtained he this skill?"
James exclaimed, at last, while he
poked with his staff in the dust on the
floor in an aimless sort of way.
Never before have any possessed
such powers outside of the priesthood
of Egypt, and thou knowest how such
skill is obtained by us only after the
most painful and persistent practice"
well, if our plot had not fallen
through just when we were on the
eve of success" exclaimed Jambres,
savagely, there would be no Moses
now to trouble US. But the fellow who
bungled the job won't spoil any more
of our carefully laid plans, that's sure.
But what's that?" he cried, pointing
excitedly at the dust through which
James still continued to poke his
staff.
1t appeared to become suddenly ami
mated and the thick covering upon
the floor and furniture about the room
became a wriggling, moving mass.
With a startled cry of mingled fear
and horror, the two men, forgetful of
their priestly dignity, sprang upon the
chairs where they were sitting, but
even there the squirming mass fol-
lowed them, and the rustic of their
robes started up a cloud of dust that
was transformed in Its flight into the
same little green mites, and these set
tied upon them-upon their heads, and
hands, and faces, and covered Their
robes and quickly burrowed within
and crawled over the flesh of the
body.
Their disgust and terror was now
by the pain caused by the
creeping, crawling, biting things, and
with a cry of distress they rushed
from the Don and into the outer
court. But there there wa even great
confusion. The attendants, who
had been busily cleaning the temple,
jumping and running about as
mad. They were tearing their
scant attire from them and slapping
and rubbing their bodies first here
and then there. The temple was fair
y alive with the loathsome mites.
The floor was literally a rolling,
5quirming sea of them, and the men as
Shiny and slippery mass.
At that moment a runner burst into
heir midst, calling loudly that the
ling had sent for his magicians, de-
handing that they come at once to :
he palace, for he was in distress.
Despite their discomfort, James and
Tambres started at once. As they
,assed the apartment where the sa-
red cats were kept, the most horrible !
was heard, and as they opened :
he door leading thereto, there sped {
'ast them like a flight of arrows scores I
4 the beasts, maddened by the fri I
ating lice. The sacred bull could be G
card %snorting and rearing about in J
is quarters, and the rattle and snap s
I its silver and gold trappings told
be story Of its frantic moves. Along
he way they saw the people excitedly
about and trying frantically c
D rid themselves of the little pests Il
hat covered them. And they, too, :
'ere fighting the lice, desperately n
rushing and shaking to drive them :