Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-12-03

some months, Tor ne leaves Ine great
city and goes to the farm of his uncle.
There he helps to take care of the
flocks of pretty black sheep and goats,
and learns to guide the ploy, and IS
taught from the Zendavesta that one
of mans chief duties is to till the
soil which the Father OF Life and
Light has given to him, and to plant
trees, that the fruitful earth may
blossom and be glad.
One morning, while he is at the
farm, his uncle seems anxious and
troubled. He looks often towards the
southeast, and turns away only to
cast sorrowful eye upon his peach
trees, just poisoning, and his ap-
pies and pears forming their tiny
fruit while their snowy petals cover
the ground.
We might think that this Persian
farmer ought to be very happy, look
ing over his promising fields and or
chards. But no, the wind has been
southeast for two days, and UNLESS
it changes before night" he says
mournfullv to himself, "the locusts
will be upon u.s. We can fight against
men, but not against insects. Rather
the whole Babylonian army than a
swarm Of locusts.'
Before the morning star has set,
the BOYS are reused from sleep by the
shouts of the farm laborers as they
run this way and that, trying to drive
the swarm Of ocusts that darken the
air 'h"ir flight. When they have
pissed, NJ, >rrcen leaf remains upon
any tree, and it is useless to hope for
a new crop this year.
Now his uncle must drive the sheep
and goats up into the hill country.
looking for pasture; and Darius will
20 home to Babylon, taking his cousin
Baryta with him.
Baryta has never seen the great
city, and as the two boys, dressed
in their little leather suits, trudge
along over the fields together, Darius
begins to talk Of the wonders he will
show him.
"You never saw the winged bulls,
with their great bearded faces. |
shouldn't wonder if you would be
afraid Of them"
"Afraid; not l." said Baryta.
"Aren't they made of stone? Who
cares for them! ! shouldn't be afraid
if they were alive. You never saw
a Persian boy that was a coward"
"But perhaps they are GODS" sug-
gested Darius. "like the golden Bel
that stands within the. gates"
| "And if they are, what then? I
should think we had learned from
the Zendavesta that Ormuzd is the
maker and ruler of all. am not
afraid of their gods that are only
images. Who ever saw an image of
Ormuzd? Nobody could make one, he
is so great"
eyes, l know Ormuzd is the great
est, for haven't we Persians conquer
ed Babylon; his name is Rab-Mag, and
he doesn't dare go by the shrine of
the golden Bel without bowling him
self to the ground. He is afraid Of
the winged bulls and the horned lions;
but then, you see, they are his gods,
not ours" :.
"There is one good thing in our 60
ing back to Babylon just now. think
we shall be in time for Zadok's peo-
pie. That will be grand; you will
like that"
'But what do you mean by Zadok's
people?' asked Baryta.
Don't you know the Hebrews?
Wasn't there an old Hebrew man that
lived near the farm? Can't you re-
member last year, when we first came
here. how we used to see them sitting
by the riverside and crying over their
troubles, because they couldn't 60
home to their own country? Well,
Zadok is Hebrew boy that I knew
in Babylon. He lives close by the
great brazen gate"
"And what is he going to do that
| we shall like to see?"
"Why, King Cyrus has set the He
brews free, and they are going home
to build up their own city again. The
king says their God is the same as