A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
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dark season with a feast. From what I knew of their character this<br />
seemed quite <strong>in</strong>telligible, and there was much beauty and taste <strong>in</strong> the<br />
arrangements. All were <strong>in</strong>dustrious and orderly, and each one seemed<br />
most eager to assist his neighbor. Indeed, there seemed to be a<br />
friendly rivalry <strong>in</strong> this which at times amounted to positive violence;<br />
for more than once when a man was seen carry<strong>in</strong>g too large a burden,<br />
someone else would <strong>in</strong>sist on tak<strong>in</strong>g it from him. At first these<br />
altercations seemed exactly like the quarrels of workmen at home, but<br />
a closer <strong>in</strong>spection showed that it was merely the persistent effort<br />
of one to help another.<br />
I learned that the feast was to take place as soon as the hall was<br />
decorated, and that it would be attended by a great multitude. I felt<br />
a great <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> it. There seemed someth<strong>in</strong>g of poetic beauty <strong>in</strong><br />
this mode of welcom<strong>in</strong>g the advent of a welcome season, and it served<br />
to mitigate the horrible remembrance of that other celebration, upon<br />
which I could not th<strong>in</strong>k without a shudder. I thought that it would be<br />
pleasant to jo<strong>in</strong> with them here, and resolved to ask Almah to come<br />
with me, so that she might expla<strong>in</strong> the mean<strong>in</strong>g of the ceremonies. Full<br />
of this thought, I went to her and told her my wish. She looked at me<br />
with a face full of amazement and misery. In great surprise I<br />
questioned her eagerly.<br />
"Ask me noth<strong>in</strong>g," said she. "I will answer noth<strong>in</strong>g; but do not th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
of it. Do not go near it. Stay <strong>in</strong> your room till the fearful repast is<br />
over."<br />
"Fearful? How is it fearful?" I asked.<br />
"Everyth<strong>in</strong>g here is fearful," said Almah, with a sigh. "Every season<br />
it grows worse, and I shall grow at length to hate life and love death<br />
as these people do. They can never understand us, and we can never<br />
understand them. Oh, if I could but once more stand <strong>in</strong> my own dear<br />
native land but for one moment--to see once more the scenes and the<br />
faces that I love so well! Oh, how different is this land from m<strong>in</strong>e!<br />
Here all is dark, all is terrible. There the people love the light and<br />
rejoice <strong>in</strong> the glorious sun, and when the dark season comes they wait,<br />
and have no other desire than long day. There we live under the sky,<br />
<strong>in</strong> the eye of the sun. We build our houses, and when the dark season<br />
comes we fill them with lamps that make a blaze like the sun itself."