The Washington times., 1919-06-01

1t was within a moon Of this
funeral that the great ones OF
Egypt came to Memphis to name
the Prince as Pharaoh, and with
them came Her Highness, the
Queen Userti. l was present at the
ceremony, which to me was very
strange.
After the great and ancient cere-
mony Of the Offering Of the Crown.
in which spoke priests disguised as
gods and other priests disguised as
mighty Pharaohs Of the past, Seti
answered:
IL take this, my heritage" and
he touched the double crown, mot
because l desire it, but because It
is nay heritage, and l know that
while live ] must do my duty, as
II swore that l would to one who
has departed. Blow upon blow
have smitten Egypt whicfg think,
had my voice been listened to,
would never have fallen. Egypt
lies bleeding and well-nigh dead.
Let 1t be your work and mine to
try to nurse her back to life. For
no long while am I with you, who
also have been smitten, how it mat
tiers not, yet while l am here, l who
seem to reign will be your servant
aud that Of Egypt. It is my decree
that no feasts or ceremonials shall
mark, this my accession, and that
the wealth which would have been
scattered upon them shall be dis
tributed among the widows and
the children of those who persisted
in the Sea Of Reeds. Depart"
They went, humble yet happy,
since here was a Pharaoh who
knew the needs Of Egypt. one, too,
who loved her and who alone had
shown himself wise Of heart while
others were filed with madness.
Then Her Highness entered, splen-
didly apparelled, crowned and fol-
lowed by her household, and made
obeisanee.
Greeting to Pharaoh" she cried
Greeting to the Royal Princess
Of Egypt" he answered.
Nay, Pharaoh, the Queen of
Egypt"
Bv Sets side there was another
throne, that in which he had set
dead Merapf with a crown upon her
head. He turned and looked at it q
while. Then he said:
Il see that thfs seat is empty.
Let the Queen Of Egypt take her
place here II so she wills"
She stared at him as If she
thought that he was mad, though
doubtless she had heard something
Of that story. then swept up the
steps and sat herself down in the
royal chair.
your Majesty has been long
absent" said Seti.
YES" she answered, "but as my
majesty promised she would do, she
has returned't to her lawful place at
the side of Pharaoh-never to leave
it more"
Pharaoh thanks Her Majesty"
said Seti, bowling low.
Some six years had gone by
when one night | was seated with
the Pharaoh Seti Meneptah in his
palace at Memphis. 1t was on the
anniversary Of the Death of the
First-born, and Of this matter ii
pleased him to talk to me.
"You remember that night,
friend, do you not?" he said; per
haps the most terrible night the
world has ever seen, at least in the
little piece Of it called Egypt" He
ceased, lifted curtain, and pointed
to a spot on the pillared portico
without. There she sat-" he went
on; there you stood; there lay the
boy and there crouched his nurse
by the way, l grieve to hear that
she is i'll. You are caring for her,
are you not, Ana? Say to her that
Pharaoh will come to visit her
when he may, when he may"
81 remember it all, Pharaoh"
Yes, of course you would re-
member, because you loved her, did
you not. and the boy, too, and even
me. the father. And so you will
love us always when we reach a
land where sex with its walls and
fires are forgotten, and love alone
survives-as we shall love you"
Eyes," l answered. "since love is
the key of life, and those alone are
accursed who have never learned
to love-"
why accursed, Ana, seeing that,
il life continues, they still may
learn" He paused a while, then
went on: 81 am glad that he died,
Ana, although had he lived, as the
Queen will have no children, he
might have become Pharaoh after
me. But what is it to be Pharaoh?
For six years now l have reigned,