Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-23
TIME great desert lay burning hot

TNHE great desert lay burning hot
in the sunlight, The small springs
were almost dry and looked more
like sWamps, but crowds of people were
hurrying along the heavy trail until
they caught sight far away of the Holy
City, glistening in the sunlight, with its
domes and minarets The streets of the
city were crowded with pilgrims who
had come from near and far, for the
next day was the Day of the Holy Sa-
crament.
The city slept little that night. Dur
ing the long hours the priests walked
in procession and long before dawn the
rocky path leading 10 the main gate
of the temple was black with people.
At sunrise the massive copper doors
swung open and The immense crowd
moved slowly through the vast hall,
the roof OF which was supported by
hundreds of marble columns, and into
the great courtyard within.
When the sun was entirely above the
horizon, II priest. dressed IN black, .p'
pesred on the gallery surrounding the
highest tower and eXtended his nands
toward the East He spoke aloud. but
only as soft unrmur dld ms voice
reach the praying thousands below.
melodious murmur ID voices The cere-
monv had begun. The sitting hot Guy
passed, but nobody moved. Evening
came. but nobody noticed the flight Of
In a gallery above priest appeared
dressed in a white robe, glistenlng IN
the moonlight. He spoke to those be
low and a whisper went through the
crowds: The Lama is entering the
Most Holy"
- .ezz,.la ,,,,s hard tho eli, o.
/ ing of thousands of voices. incr easing
| i'm strength ana volume unt.l IT was IKE
| the roar of the sea. Suddenly it stopped
| and every one present threw himself
| face down on the ground.
| At his moment BACK CLOUD APP
preached the full moon, slowly gliding
across il until the shining disk was ful-
| lv covered. and darkness ieu.
| Then from the temple came the SOU.d
| of a wonderfully clear voice utterine
| strange melodious words in an unknown
| language The voice stopped and the
| air was filed as if with the beats OF
mighty wings.
A soft song was heard from the high
est tower. and another voice fell In
| from the interior OF the temple. more
and more voices joined, until the song
| sweiled to a HYMN of triumph and EX"-
| tory and the full moon shone as brignt
one of the pilgrims went through the
| LaT Of the temple, priest dressed in
| blacl; appeared from behind one Of the
| marble columns and. pointing to boy
walking 2 the older mans side, said:
''rhe gods need him; follow me"
| StIe-,tIv they walked through endless
corridors and magnificent halls gisten
! ing with silver: then. they entered the
| interior Of the mountain and at last
reached a row o. rooms, hewn into ire
| rocks. In The largest of these on a
raised platform nine priests were sit
! ting. dressed IN scarlet, and the leader
among them stood up and said to the
| boy. 800
az it your wish TO serve the gods p
Trouth the hov was frightened he
! said ~ es." and the priests also sue
/ ceeded al last in getting the consent Of
lie trembling father. A short farewell,
Inl the heavy doors changed behind the
| sad parent,
Years passed and the youth was far
ahead of all his comrades in knowledge