The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-04-10


another peculiarly, but it was proof
of exceptional merit He had de-
scended from long line of royal sculp-
tors, heightening in genius in the last
three. In the line of his ancestors be
counted q king, and from that royal
sire he had his stature.
The sculptor, rapidly and without eff
fort, worked OUT with his pen on a
sheet Of papyrus the detail of frieze.
Tiny profile figures, quaint borders Of
lotus and mystic inscriptions trailed
after the swift reed in multitudinous
and bewildering succession. AS he
worked a young man entered the door
way from the court and, advancing
few steps toward the table, watched
the development Of the drawings with
interest.
This young Egyptian, nearly eight
cen. was grown and powerful with The
might Of mature manhood. A glance
at the pair at once established their
relationship as father and son. The
features were strikingly similar, the
stature the same, though the young
frame was supple and light, not mas
sive.
The hair was straight, abundant,
brilliant black and cropped midway
down the neck and just above the
brows.' There was no effort at parting.
It was dressed from the crown Of the
head as each hair would naturally lie
and was confined by a circlet Of gold,
the token of the royal blood Of his
mothers house. The complexion was
the hue Of a healthy tan, different,
however, from the brown Of exposure
in that it was transparent and the red
in the cheek was dusky. The face was
the classic type OF the race, for be it
known there wereltwo physiognomies
characteristic Of Egypt.
The forehead was broad, the brows
long and delicately penciled, the eyes
softly black, very long, the lids heavy
enough to suggest serenity rather than
languor. The nose was Of good length,
aquiline, the nostril thin and sharply
chiseled. The cut of the mouth and the
warmth Of it's color gave seriousness,
sensitiveness and youthful tenderness
to the face.
Originally the young man had been
gifted with breadth Of shoulder, depth
of chest, health and vigor. He would
have been strong had he never vaulted
a pole or run a mile. To these advan-
tages were added the results Of wise
and thorough training, SO wise, so thor
ough, that defects in the national ply
sique had been remedied. Thus the
calves were stanch and prominent,
whereas ancient Egypt was as fat
legged as the negro; the body was
round and tapered with proper athletic
rapidity from shoulder to heel, without
any sign Of the lank attenuation that
was characteristic of most Of his coun-
uymen.
The, suggestion Of his presence was
power and bigness, not the good ma
tured size that Is hulking and awk-
ward, but bigness that is elegant and
fine fbered and ages into magnifcence.
"Hast thou caught some great idea
on the wing OF hast thou the round Of
actual labor to perform?" he asked.
His attention thus hailed, the sculp-
tor raised himself and answered:
"a1eneptah hath temple to Set, the
war god, in mind; indeed he hath
stirred up the quarries for the stone
am told, and I am making ready, for
! I shall be needed"
Hath the sun shone on architecture
or sculpture since Meneptah succeeded
to the throne?" the young man asked
Mentu's e.,es frightened wrathfully,
but the yo ing man laid soothing
palm over the hand that gripped the
reed.
81 do not mock thee, father. Rather
am full Of sympathy for thee.''
Somewhat mollifed, Mentu went on
with his work. Presently the young
man spoke again.
81 came to speak further Of the sig
net Of The Incompatible Pharaoh"
''What, after three years. Kenkenes?:"
'The sanctuary Of the tomb is never
entered, and it is more than worth the
journey to Tape (Thebes) to search for
the scarab again"
But you would search in vain," the
sculptor declared. "Rameses has re-
claimed his own
"But we made no great search for it.
How may we know Of surety If it be
gomez"
Because of thy sacrilege," was the
prompt and forcible reply. "Osiris,
with chin in hand and a look Of mysti-
fcation on his brow, pondered over the
plisdeeds Of a soul. Thou didst af-
frel4, the sacred walls Of the royal
tomb and call it the judgment Of the
dead. Not one law Of the sculptor's
ritual but thou hadst broken In the
sacrilegious fresco.''
The scarab may have caught on tt
chisel and broken from its fastening. .
1.-THE hand Of the insulted Pharaob