Show m nn i fTn iS u ijuo i ' ui- - T7T f7? fn J 4 & ooJ U fr? 0 y f U Li Viy £J A SALT LAKE MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE 'LITERATURE' AND ART E L T HARRISON & E W TULLIDGE EDITORS Vol I GREAT SALT LAKE CITY MmL&m ALR© Y A TALE mP BY BD' ISRAELI M F P C CHAPTER III An expression of baffled rage remained for a moment on his countenance for a moment he remained with his eager eye fixed on the route of his vanished euemy and then he walked slowly towards the tomb but his excited temper was now little in unison with the still re very in which he had repaired to the He was restless sepulchre to indulge and disquieted and at length he wandered into the woods which rose on the summit of the burial place He found himself at length upon a brow crested with young trees in the midst of which rose a mighty cedar He threw himself underneath its thick and shadowy branches and looked upon a valley small and green in the midst of which was a marble fountain the richly carved cupola supported by twisted col-uand banded by a broad inscription in Hebrew characters The bases of the ' white pillars were covered with wrild flowers or hidden by beds of variegated The transparent sunset flung gourds over the whole scene a soft but brilliant light The tranquil hour the beauteous scene the sweetness and the stillness blending their odour and serenity the gentle breeze that softly rose and summoned forth the languidbirds to cool their plumage in the twilight air and wave their radiant wings in skies as bright —Ah ! what stern spirit will not yield to the ' soft genius of subduing eve ? And lroy gazed upon the beauteous loneliness of eaith and a tear stole down his haughty cheek “ ’Tis singular ! but wThen I am thus alone at this still hour I ever fancy I And gaze upon the Land of Promise often in my dreams some sunny spot the bright memorial of a roving hour will rise upon my sight and when I awake I feel as if I had been in Canaan Why am I not? The caravan that bears my uncle’s goods across the desert would bear me too But I rest here my miserable life running to seed in the dull misery of this wretched city aud do nothing Why ! the old captivity was We empire to our inglorious bondage have no Esther now to share their thrones no politic Mordecai no purple-veste- d Daniel 0 Jerusalem Jerusalem! I do believe one sight 4 of thee would nerve me to the sticking point And yet I 1 U T PUBLISHED TWENTIETH OCTOBER to gaze upon thy fallen state — my uncle tells me that of the temple not a stone ’Tis horrible Is there no remains hope ?” “ The bricks are fallen but we wTill rebuild with marble the syca- mores are cut down but we will replace them with cedars” “ The chorus of our maidens as they pay their evening visit to the fountain’s side The burden is prophetic - “ Hark again ! How beautifully upon the soft and flowing air their sweet and mingled voices blend and float !” “Yet again I will build thee and thou shalt be built 0 Virgin of Israel! Yet agaiu shalt thou deck thyself with thy tabrets and go forth in the dance of those that make Yet again shalt thou plant merry vineyards on the mountains of Sa- maria” “See! their white forms break through the sparkling foliage' of the sunny shrubs as they descend with measured step that mild acclivity A fair society in bright procession : each one clothed in solemn drapery veiling her shadowy face with modest hand and1 bearing on her graceful head a graceful vase Their leader is my 'sister “And now they reach the fountain side and dip their vases in the water pure and beauteous as themselves riome repose beneath the marble pillars some seated- ’mid the flowers gather sweets and twine them into garlands and that wild girl now that the order’s broke touches with light fingers her moist vase and showers startling drops of glisteuing light on herserener sisters Hark ! again they sing” “ 0 vine of Sibmah ! upon thy sum- mer fruits and upon thy vintage a spoiler hath fallen !” A scream a shriek a long wild shriek confusion flight despair ! Behold ! from out the woods a turbaned man rushes and seizes the leader of the chorus Her companions fly on all sides Miriam alone is left in the arms of Alschiroch The water column wildly raising from the breast of summer ocean in some warm tropic clime when the sudden clouds too well discover the holiday of heaven is over and the shrieking seabirds tell a time of fierce commotion the column rising from the sea it was not as wild as he — the young Alroy Pallid and mad he swiftly upsprang and he tore up a tree by its lusty roots and down the declivity dashing with rap-- : id leaps panting and wild he struck the ravisher on the temple with the mighty pine Alschiroch fell lifeless on the sod and Miriam fainting into her brother’s ' ' arms 27 WARD IN TIIE SALT LAKE CITT 1S64 pVo1 II And there he stood fixed and immov- f able gazing upon his sister’s deathly face and lnmself exhausted by passion and his exploit supporting her cherished but senseless body One of the fugitive maidens a ppeared reconnoitering in the distance When she observed her mistress in the arms of one of her own people her cou rage revived and desirous of rallying her scattered companions she raised Her voice and sang : “Haste daughters of Jerusalem O ! haste for the Lord has avenged us and the spoiler is spoiled” And soon the verse was responded td from various quarters of the woods and soon the virgins sieging: “ We come O daughters of Jem salem ! we come for the Lord lias and the spoiler is avenged us ’? spoiled” They gather round their mistress and one loosened her veil and another ‘brought water from the fountain and her reviving countenance sprinkled Aud Miriam opened her eyes and said' “ My brother !” And he answered “ I am here” And she replied in a low voice “ Fly David fly tor the man that you have stricken is a prince among the people” “ He will be merciful my sister and doubtless since he first erred by this time he has forgottpn my offence” “Justice and mercy 0 my brother what -cau those foul tyrants know of either ! Already he has perhaps doomed you to some refined and procrastinated torture already — Ah ! what unutterable wo is mine — fly my brother fly !” “My My My !” “ There is no fear my Miriam would all his accursed race could trouble us as little as their some-tim- e ruler See he But his carcass shall not sleeps soundly defile our fresh fountain and our fragrant stow I’ll flowers it in the woods and stroll here at night to listen to the jack- als at their banquet0 “ You speak wildly David What ? No ! It is impossible ! He is not dead ! You have not slain him! He sleeps— he is afraid He mimics death that we may leave his side and he may rise again in Girls look to him David you safety do not answer Brother dear deaW brother surely he has swooned ' I Bear water maidthought he had fled ens to that terrible man dare not look upon him” “ Away ! I’ll look upon him and I’H Dead! Alschiroch dead! triumph Why ! but a mqment since this clotted carcass was a prince my tyrant So we can rid ourselves of them eh ? If the prince fall why not the people 1 Dead absolutely dead and I his slayer Hah ! I ' |