The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-04-18


bhe ear might catch the faint drawn
sut breath of the dreaming city. Hill,
Acropolis, and temple, the olive
groves and the dark cypress masses
Rfe drenched in moonlight. The
fountains have ceased to play; the
5cythian watchmen are asleep at the
house doors. The city, the entire
countryside, is at rest.
Young Diocles alone keeps vigil
With the night. He has pressed his
forehead against the feet of Pallas
Afhene where she rises, glorious, In
the gardens OF Academus; he has
embraced her knees, crying, Athena,
Athena, who formerly appeared to
men in visible form. hear me! Take
PITY Give ear to my prayer"
He lifts his forehead from the base
OF the cold marble and raises his eyes
to the face of the virgin, which is H.
iumine6 by a single beam. Only the
science answers him, and even the
light breeze which blows from the
sea at this hour of the night dies
away. Among the trees not a leaf
stirs.
The heart Of the young man is
possessed with an infinite sadness
and from his eyes, swollen with much
weeping, tears trace way down his
beautiful face. He continues his sup
raication:
sYou, and you alone, adore and
iong to celebrate above all other di-
vmities-you my protectress. But
you, too, have lighted the fires of de-
Bh'e which consume me, and given
me over to torture. Extinguish the
flame, Oh Divinity, or appease It'll
Grant me to know the Highest Truth,
the Truth of Truths, the Soul of all
things, that I may offer up life and
is delights as sacrifice before heri
Bor her sake / will cast off riches,
renounce youth, beauty, love, felicity.
and even that glory which mortals
@Hd as the highest good and the
greatest gift in the bestowal of the
gods"
Once more he laid his head against
the marble and the prayer rose from
hs soul as perfumed clouds mount
upward from holy censers. His en-
tire being became passionate en-
tfeaty. He lost all consciousness OF
space or time or earthly circum-
stance Swimming in estacy his soul
ifarbored but one aspiration, but a
single thought: that to so passionate
an invocation reply must surely
cbme.
And truly enough the response
came. The slender branches of the
olive trees began to stir. and the
cypress trees bent their heads, as
though the night wind had sprung
into life again. Little by little. the
rustllng of the olive branches and
the grating noise of cypress needles
Blended to form human voice which
swelled up, filling the air, filling the
garden, as II a multitude, from al
sfdes, and with one accord were
shouting, "Diocles! Dioclesl"
Snatched from the depths o
ecstasy the young man shivered, a
X with cold. Thinking that his com
fnions were seeking him, he looked
afound.
~Who calls?" he demanded.
A hand of marble weighed dow
has shoulder. "You have summone,
me-" spoke the goddess. "You
prayer has been heard. Behold me.
A divine horror seized upon Dio
des. His hair rose in fear as he fel
upon his knees. For terror and de
fight he could only repeat, you ar
near me, you, the lncomprehensiblt
the Awful, the Inexpressible One!"
The goddess, commanding him t
rise. continued: you would kno,
the Highest, the Only Truth, whic
fs the Soul of the Universe and tn
substance of all things. But / to-
you that hitherto none of the see
OF Deucalion has seen her withou
the wells that hide her and shall hid
her eternally from human eyes.
fear you may pay dearly for YOU
temerity, but since you have adjure
me at the price of life, I am ready I
aid you, If for the sake Of this Trutl
you will renounce riches, honor
love, and even that glory which, {
you have said, is the highest gift ,
the Gods"
II renounce the whole world an
the very light of the SUM-" cried Di
cles, quite beside himself
The olive trees and Expresses stoc
with bowed head, like servltors, b
fore Jove's omnipotent daughter,
she pondered over the youths VOW.
And you, too, shall not see h
all at once. Every year, on a mig
like this, will bring her into yo,
presence, and on each occasion W
must tear off one of her wells al
cast 1t behind you. My immort
power shall ward OFF death from v,
till you have withdrawn the last We
Do you agree to the conditions, Di
cles?"
"This day and unto eternity h
will be done, oh Lady OF knowledge
replied the youth.
AS he spoke the goddess tore hs
self free from her marble bont
seized Diocles in her arms, an
launching into fight. sped throu
the divine ether like one of the sta
which on summer nights furrow {
celestial vault above the sleepi
Archipelago. CIoayine the air
rapid as thought. they came'to