St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-08-28


be able to reach the immense out
stretched arms and place therein the
offerings which the people brought.
| The image was hollow and was SO ar
ranged that the fire which the priests
kindled within would heat the arms
and hands to white heat, and con-
! sumo the offerings therein. Around
the great image ther3 had been erect
ed six beautiful chapels, each stand.
ing for degree in the worship of the
god. To the one offering fine flour
the door of the first and simplest chap
ell was opened and he was initiated in
to the first rites and fellowship with
the mighty fire god. To the one Offer
ing turtle doves or young pigeons, the
| door of the second chapel was opened
| and he was accorded a closer fellow.
ship. The third chapel was opened
to the one Offering lamb, the fourth
to him who offered ram, the fifth to
him who offered calf, and the sixth
| to him who offered an OK.
To this last structure which had Just
been completed by the builders that
week, the king directed his steps after
leaving the chariot which had stopped
on the outer rim where the chapels
had been placed.
Yea, it is we'll that the king is the
first to open the door of this, the
sixth chapel devoted to the worship
of the great Moloch," said the priest
ha rn0niunH tho Iyino \
him to the doorway. To one side
could be seen the OK which had been
provided for the kings Offering, and
at signal from the priest, the attend
ant plunged in his knife to the heart
of the beast and as the animal sank
to the ground almost without a groan
so deftly had the vital spot been
struck-the door before the king and
the priest swung open, apparently of
its own volition.
Come" said the priest. again by
thy devotion thou shalt please the
great Moloch, and win his continued
favor. Six chapels hast thou already
caused to be erected for him, and
there still remaineth one to be set
up to test thy devotion" And as the
priest spoke the words, his eyes fixed
themselves upon the little prattling
child who had trotted in by the side
of the king.
The father, following the eyes of the
priest, looked fondly down into the
beautiful face of the child as it was
lifted up in confidence to his own,
and his cheek paled as intuitively he
caught the thought and meaning Of
the priest.
"a seventh chapel?" he falteringly
questioned.
YEA, thy nation cannot be said to
know and serve the great God Moloch
until the seventh and last chapel hath
been built and to whom should it's door
first swing to give entrance but to the
king himself?"
True, but how can II" and a shud.
der shook the form of the king.
But canst thou expect favor from
the god from whom thou wouldst with
hold thy best treasurer"
Nothing more was said, but the next
day the order was sent the priest that
the seventh chapel should be built
and it was noised through the city
and nation that the king was to make
the great offering to Moloch, and at
the appointed time, after the chapel
had been completed great concourse
of people came together in the place
Euh NTnInah ctr i
great hands relentlessly outstretched
were glowing with the intense heat
which burned within. The eyes of
the people were fixed upon them with
an awful fascination, which was only
broken by the cry: "The king! The
king!" as the royal chariot rolled up
amidst the blast of the trumpeters.
Down the marble laid isle came the
king and by his side the little son,
whose hand lay confidently in that of
his father.
A gasp of intense feeling swept over
the concourse of people as one of the
attendant priests came forward to take
the little boy while Manassas, the
king, turned with the high priest and
assembled the steps to the last chapel.
With neither look to the right hand
or the left, but blank, intense awful
stare direct before him the king stood
before the closed door, the priest re-
naming impressive by his side. BY
this time the priest bearing the boy
had assembled the steps by the side
of the great image. An intense, awful
silence had fallen upon the people.
They did not even so much as breathe.
The rustic of the priests robe was
the only sound which came as he
raised the boy aloft. Then a terrific
burst of music from trumpet and drum
which drowned the tiny shrek of the
child and the groan of the peo-
pie And with it the door swung open
before the king and half stumbling,
half falling, he crossed the threshold
and collapsed in sWoon.
YEA" spake the priest, as the king
recovered consciousness, thou hast
graciously honored the great Moloch,
and a hundred to-day have in the
frenzy of devotion followed thy ex.
ample. Great is Moloch."
Followers of Christ.
The friend of the master is not de- |
voted to him simply as to beautiful |