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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1892)
THE HESPERIAN 9 sny that boforo tho Nilo rises again ho will begin to build a pyramid, and that it will bo such a one as men have novor soon boforo, nor shall wo nf forwards." 11 Who is ho that stands noar unto tho king, and with whom tho king speaks?" 1 asked. Then there camo a cloud upon tho face of Tlui, tho brother of my father, and ho answered and said unto mo: "lie is a youth of tho Shepherd people of tho north, ho is a buildor and has worked upon tho -tomb. Ho is cunning of hand and wiso of heart, and Kufu has shown him great favor, but tho people like him not, for ho is of tho blood of strangers." I spoko no more of tho youth, for I saw that Rui liked him not, but my eyes were upon him continually, for I had seen no other man like unto him for beauty of face or of form. After a time it camo to pass that tho great tumult ceased throughout tho plain, and the words of men died upon their lips. Up from tho shore of tho sacrod lake wound tho funeral procession toward tho tomb, and by tho Lord of Truth I then thought tho glory of Isis could bo no grander. There wore boys clad in white and wreathed with lotus flowers, and thousands of slaves clad in the skins of leopards, bearing bread and wine and oil, and carrying tho images of tho gods. There were maidens, bands of harpers and of musicians, and tho captives which tho king had taken in war loading tigers and lions of the desert. There was tho sacred ark drawn by twenty white oxen, and there were many priests, and tho guards of tho king, and tho sacrod body of Senefrau, borne by carriers. After tho body of tho king camo all tho women of his household, beating their hearts, and wooping bitterly. As the train approached men foil upon their faces and prayed to Pthahah, tho Groat South Wall, and Kufu bowed his head. At. tho foot of tho pyramid tho train halted, and the youths clothed in white, and the priests, and those who bore tho body began to ascend the pyramid, singing as they went : " Enter into thy rest, oh Pharaoh ! ' " Enter into thy kingdom. " For the crown of the two lands was heavy, " And thy head was old, " And thou hast laid it aside forever. " Thy two arms were weak, ' And the scepter was a great weight, " And thou hast put it from thee. " Enter thou into thy new reign, " Longer than the eternities. " Darkness shall he thy relm, 0 king, "And sleep thy minion. " The chariots of Ethiopia shall surround thee no more, " Nor the multitudes of the mighty encompass thee in battle, if " For thou, being dead, art become as a goyl; " Good thou knowest, oh king; " And evil has been nigh unto thee, u Yet neither approach thee now, " For thou art dead, and like unto the gods." They bore him down into tho pyramid, and left him to sloop, and to wait. Then I saw a multitude of men gather about a great whito8tone that lay at tho base of tho tomb, ' ii and 1 questioned Rui concerning it, and ho answered mo: "This pyramid as thou seest opens not at tho sido, but from tho top down. That great slab of stono is to cover tho top of tho tomb. See, even now tho workmen spread mortar upon tho top of tho tomb, and fasten ropes about tho great stono to lift it into place. Noith grant that they harm not tho stono, for it has taken a thousand mon ton years to cut and polish it and to bring it thither. ' ' I saw slaves bending over tho groat stono, fastening about it ropes which hung from the groat pulleys built upon tho shafts which rose from the upper stage of the pyramid. While thoy did this, companies of slaves be gan to ascend tho sides of tho tomb, each company with its master. Tho mon were all fashioned like tho men of the north, and their strength was like ribbed steel, for these wore tho mightiest men in Egypt. After a time thero was silence in tho plain. Tho slaves took hold of tho ropes that swung from the pulleys, and every voice was hushed. It was as still without tho pyramid as it was within. At last tho sound of the Sistrum broke tho stillness, tho master builders waved their lashes, and the two I 11 " a
