The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-08-26
CONSIDERABLE amour

CONSIDERABLE amount or
A nonsense has been written
about the spell Of Egypt.
| ! Cheapened by cXaggeration,
ulrsrized by familiarity, ii has be
nme for many a picture post card
nell pinned against the mind Ike the
rstprs at a railway terminus. The
sement Alexandria is reached, TINS
,u,e post card hangs across the
kayens, blazing in an oNer-colored
unset composed theatrically of tenn
Me pyramid, palm trees by the shin
hg Nile, and the inevitable Sphinx.
Ind the monstrOSity Of ii paraiyzeS
Ae mind. Its strident shout dcafens
be Imagination. Memory escapes with
dHculty from the insistent gross ad-
rrisement The post card and the
roster smother sight. writes Algernon
lakewood, In Country Life.
Behind this glare and glitter there
hdes, however, another delicate vet
potent thing that is somehow nameleSS
DOT acknowledged by all. perhaps be-
aue so curiouSly elusive yet surely
felt by all because it is so true; in
tnsely vital, certainly. since it thus
survives the SuffOcation Of its vile eX-
igregation. For the ordinary tourist
!ads to 1t, and not alone the eXca-
nior and archeOlogist; the latter, in
DEED who live long in the country.
ease to be aware of it as an outside
snuence, having changed insenSibly in
bought and feeling till they have be-
une 1t; 1t is In their blood. An eff
NJ Is wrought subtly upon the mind
na does not pass away. Having
De gone down into Egypt" you are
61 quite the same again. Certain
uos have curiOusly changed, per-
eecdve has altered, emotions have
nIed their specific gravity, some at
aa0e 70 life, In word. been empha-
ul and another, as it were. oblit-
saled The spell works underground,
being not properly comprehensi-
x y nameless. Moreover. it is the
uaal visitor, unburdened by anti
vAnm and historical knowledge. who
oest estimate its power-the tour
VINO knows merely what he has
s'deu' Tor instance. from reading
va DaedeKers general synopsis on
= voyage. He is aware of this float
power everywhere. yet unable to
Ia 70 q definite cause. It remains at
ss eyasive, singularly fascinating.
treaties Blur in the Mind.
~ countries, of course. color
'sill and memory, and work a spell
ule Imagination Of any but the
1essly inanimate. Greece. India,
~, Ireland or the Channel islands
4 ~ ,nelr mark and imprint-whence
educational value Of travel-psv-
asbsy-but from these the traveller
oack feelings and memories he
= evoke at will and label. He re-
n. from Egypt with a marvellous
w. All, In differing terms report =
ssa 'sl thing. From the first few
.oalns in Egypt saturated morho
[ls,,. s'ermuch, the mind recalls with
/, .'eness-nothing. There comes to
|hv uions colossal medley that
~ ''apenes; vast reaches of yellow
~ ~ drenched in sunlight that
- uiln' solemn aisles OF granite
~. =, stupendous monoliths that
n ss ano'inking at the sun; the shin
.s,..' licking softly at the lips Of
~ s' Y desert; and an enormous
~ :. Wy J. literally drowned in stars. A
- u temples melt down into .
|ssy..u munster; the Nile spreads
IN. great pyramids float
-. me sky like clouds. Mains
~ midair; and from governed
- snbterranean gloom there
- al OF voices, thunderous vet
|fhAss uat seem to utter the hero
~ VI forgotten tongue. The
aar..s horizon, oddly lifted,
- !. ~ tnls procession of gigantic
- en empties again without a
I y. p'anation. leaving litter Of
suses chasing one another