New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-22


Mary off alone the pedestal of the second colossus
While they two bent the SCARED stone, absorbed
in pecing together the sentiments OF some ancient
tourist. their party not noticing their absence had
remounted their donkeys and ridden to the Nile
ferry.
Looking about to call Abdul Mary saw him some
distance from the statues, with Rameses' bride on
his arm. earnestly talking to Zanab, who looked
away the sunset The youthful figures of the des-
ert lovers enveoped in the rosy glow of the de-
parting In the midst of the quiet valley. now
deserted save by few patient ellahS tending sheep.
lingering their abors in the field they seemed
to Mary the central figures of the painting of a peas
ant love tryst for which all this peaceful scene was
but background.
WILL you not sit here with me by Mennon and
w watch the sunset" said Hamilton. AS Mary
turned to answer, she knew though Hamilton
looked only at her now, that he had Abdul and
Zainab, and that he understood. She had meant to
go; but now the very air seemed leaden weights to
hold her.
Sitting on the sand at Memnon's feet. they
watched the sun sinking behind the palms on the
bank of the Nile. Above the treetOps piled
huge cloud ingOts of translucent gold, rich and
lavish evening reckoning of the gods treasure
Golfers Above the bars of gold. the soft, feecy
clouds took exquisite pink tintS and,
Elected in the Nile dyed the great river incarnadine
AS Mary watched in silence the glory in the sky,
there shone another glory greater in her heart The
earth and the air and the sky COmminged, fused
into ecstatic element which envelOped her like
divine ether She felt the thrill of the universal con-
sciouSness. Her heart beat in unison with divine
music A sweet, tremulOuS chord low, Eolian,
breathing of love, came to her from patient. waiting
MemnOn.
Thus did Old Egypt speak the old message to the
daughter of the New World.
KARNAK stood glorified in the golden splendor of
~ the full moon that hung low the Nile. Its
piercing ObeliSkS and giant columns ShOne like a
thick white forest stiled in deep. dreaming calm.
The two long of sphinXeS that lined the
to the massive portal seemed alive and CrOuching In
the moonlight, ready to spring if any impiouS one
dared to prOfane the temple they guarded. In the
vast silence that had fallen the immensely of the
ruins of karnak stood the beautiful alabaSter
statue of the Theban god AmmOn, lately walked
from his centuries sleep beneath his temple His
eyes and meditative his lips smiling and
winning if his house had never fallen in ruins
about him and buried him beneath the altar where
he had been worshiped by Kings and conquerorS.
Anmon smiled in the moonlight as If speaking to
friend. 1t good to be freed from the letters OF
earth that had held him longl 1t good to be
host i'll his own house again and to receive once
more the admiration and worship of the world.
Did he miss the incense that had once been burned
within his sanctuary the songs that had been
Chanted to his divinity the procession OF white rObed
priests and flower laden maidens the visits of Kings
with sumpuouS retinueS the yearly journeys in his
sacred boat the Nile to the great neighbOring
temple while all Thebes shouted and made holiday
on the banks.
If Ammon did, he wise god and made
sign. All things revealed to his divine vision.
He knew that old orders had passed away while he
slept and new customs and new peoples had arisen.
Since the recent day when the Psychologist had dug
him up in his old sanctuary he had looked graCiouSly
on these hOrdeS of strange new peoples who
thrOnged his sand flOOred courts and rOofeSs halls
and fingered long in worshpful admiration before
himself. Beauty Is divine. and thought Is gOdlke.
AmmOn smiled on glOriousv for he knew that the
stupendOus grandeur of his colonnaded temple and
the sheer OVeneSS of his alabaSter image would pre-
serve his through the changing ages.
But when the last ardent traveller had closed his
guidebOOk and clattered away on his donkey and
thousand Arab lltOTeTS he