The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06

pleasure of gods. that vanishes like a
 meteor"
 Nay. I will show you that which you
 have never seen." said Mephistopheles.
 "Go with me. l will be your servant,
 your serf. And all that you need
 promise in return is to do the same for
 me when we meet in the beyond"
 If l can ever be satisfied. if you
 can ever trick me into the belief that
 I am content with myself you may
 have me. Be that my last day. If I
 say to the passing moment, Oh. stay,
 remain, Thou art so fairp then you
 shall fetter mel Then do I welcome
 destruction! Then may my knen be
 toued! The clock may stop. the hand
 may drop. When I become content I become a slave. What matters it if yours or any other's?"
 No measure shall be set for your de- sire" said Mephistopheles. You may ] taste, seize take whatever pleases youl handl''
 T do not desire pleasure" said Faust. My breast once healed from its burning l thirst for knowledge, shall feel the lot ! common to all mankind. My spirit shall comprehend humanity's heights and l depths. I will broaden my own self to i theirs and perish with them in the end" Mephistopheles spread out his cloak and 1 beckoned to pr. Faust to step on it. "A . little fiery air." muttered he "A little ] fiery air. Now up we go and I congrat- | ,s1a ta Before the scholars senses compassed 1t he found himself in roaring scene. such as had been strange to him for 30 years. The Satanic equipage had taken his companion and himself into Auer- bach's famous drinking cellar in Leip- sic.
 Mephistopheles advanced to a table where sat a noisy band of gallants with slashed sleeves and silken hose. They were drinking wine from great goblets; and their roaring songs and wild cries and laughter gave evidence to the magni- tude of their previous potations. Faust observing them curiously and with disdain, sat down by them while Mephistopheles retorted to their impudent l salutations with replies still more im- pudent that brought anger and laughter | together from the drunkards. Soon he was hail fellow with them. They sang songs and drank to each other; and at l last Mephistopheles brought forth an auger and bored holes into the table, stop ping them up with waxen shoppers. Ask ing each man what wine he preferred he told him to draw a stopper and hold his Al.
 wine Tokay gushed forth, according to
 the demand of the thinker.
 The drinking bout turned into a bestial revel Faust gazed on it with disgust, l but Mephistopheles delighted in it. He urged the senseless band to drink still more. Suddenly one spilled his wine. The instant the fluid touched the floor flames burst from it and licked at him. Help! Helpi Hell burnsl' cried the frightened toper.
 "Be peaceful, element" said Mephis- topheles, and the flame vanished This time" said he turning to the party. "'twas but a drop of purgatory."
 Let us have no more of your hocus- poous here" said another. drawing a stopper. Immediately fire gushed out instead of wind T burni I burnr he | screamed.
 Thrust at him. Thrusti The knave is a soroererl" exclaimed the rest. closing in with their daggers.
 Mephistopeles waved his hands and uttered an incantation. The revelers stopped, looked dazed and grasped each | others noses. crying:
 What glorious grapesw Each man raised his dagger to cut off his nigh bor's nose, when Mephistopheles cried Clear your eyesi And henceforth re- member how the devil cracks 1okssr' The drunkards, suddenly sobered and pale, sank helplessly and trembling to their seats and glared with fearful eyes at Mephistopheles The next mo- ment they saw him swing himself astride of one of the great wine casks and beckon to Dr. Faust to do the some Tn ere was flash and the casks leaped through the air and out of the vault like horses.
 From revel to rsvel from dissipation to dissipation, did Mephistopheles now carry Dr. Faust The blindness in separable from evil forbade him to per ceive that the excesses of humanity produced only loathing and increased l longing for ultimate knowledge in the soul that he was striving to degrade.
 At last Faust demanded that the riot of soroery cease Think you" de- manded he. that there Is cure for me ia your chaos of madness?' Mephistopheies immediately turned to new temptations. Carrying Faust to a witoh's hut, he showed him a magic 1 mirror. Reflected is 1t swam the form of woman whose beauty of face and form was unearthly and fieshly at the 1 same time.
 through all his vanished youth on folios ] and crucibles, felt sensations in Ills heart and brain that he could not un- derstand with all his wisdom What" cried he. "Is 1t true that woman is as fair as this? Is there such | beauty on the earthT'
 T know where I can find you such a one.' said Mephistopheles. Drink but the potion showed you by this old | dame"
 | Faust lifted the bowl to his mouth A | pale flame rose from 1t. Drink! Drink" urged Mephistopheles and Faust drained the vessel Immediately 1t was as if the flame had entered his blood. The years