LITERATURE. ^^ 



lew were those who siuvived, and when the scourge had at last done its worst, and 

 they wandered through scared heath and limitless stretches of devastated country, they 

 saw that tluir land was henceforth doomed, a place of desolation with here and there 

 some poor stunted shrubs and shrivelled trees inhabited by crows, eaglehawks, and mopokes ; 

 and they burned their hands and feet when trying to touch the rivulets of liquid gold which, 

 still hot from the heart of Paouri, were flowing in all directions, till they at last found a crack 

 m the rock by wliieti to (ie>Lend uUi) the bowels of the earth, there to hide and cool their 

 glittering drops. They were glad to discover the tendency of that blood to disappear from 

 the surface of the land, and when it had done so, they set out with a forlorn hope to return 

 to their beloved lake and to see what had become of the groves, meadows, and forests in which 

 they had once known all the blessings of joy and plenty. 



Their search was lont^ and \ain, not tht' slightest \estigt; was there to l;e found, and 

 they were going to give up tin- search in despair, when one evening, after a long day's march, 

 they had no sooner stretclied themselves on tlie bart' ground after iuivmg partaken of a meal 

 made out of the roots of the shrubs they had met with on their wa\-, than the wind began 

 to blow, bearing with it that peculiar stink of rottenness wliicli was then quite new to them. 

 Before daybreak they were on their way again following the breeze towards the centre 

 of that corruption. The sun had not yet risen high in the heaven when they saw before them 

 a huge mass of deadly putrefaction ; there lay the remains of Paouri —this was the corpse of 

 the odious scourge. As the stench was unbearable, they went round in order to come between 

 the breeze and it, and tried, though cautiously, to ap])r()aeh tlic rtinams of the monster. 

 Some of the most daring came near enough to touch it. imt as soon as tliev had removed a 

 part of its scale-like hide, they saw to their tlismay tliat it was full of worms which rushed 

 madl}^ out, darting their poisonous fangs from out the gaps of their scarlet gums an<l biting 

 all those unfortunates who had come within their reach and wlio succuml)e(l in a lew instants 

 to the effects of the deadly venom. 



So it happened that by the will of blind and capricious destiny our land was devastated, 

 and our race degraded, and we received iit exchange for all we had lost the gold which corrupts, 

 and the snakes of hypocrisy, flattery, deceit, cowardice, ami greed which poisons all. 



FIFTH NIGHT.— THE KISS. 



By the shore of the river of tears Atah sat thoughtful and anxious. Hi-r twinkling eyes 

 had grown tired watching ever for the apparition of War, her lielo\-e<l, and day after day 

 he had at last appeared throwing to each and all the penetrating warmtli of liis love, the 

 dazzling spears of his light. 



From the smallest to the greatest of his satellites all were set oscillating unconsciously 

 in the happiness and glory of his visitation. Atah, also, was fascinated, and partook in the 

 concert of the universe, but it was not only like the others because War was superb, magni- 

 ficent, and irresistible, but because she loved him with passion, because she alone, among all, 

 knew more of him than the dispensation of daily life; she had l)een resting in his arms, and 

 had received in one kiss the exultation of love eternal. 



Every morning he arrived with the gorgeous burst of iiis radiations, invading, lightning- 

 like, the whole of the universe, and Atah was so overpowered by so much glory that she did 

 not realise that his first glance had been in search of her, and so her heart was heavy, her eyes 

 full of sadness. 



■' Woe ! Woe on me I " did she cry. " The dire and sweet ])assion has taken such 

 possession of my whole being that I am deaf to the songs of the river ; my tears blind me to the 

 beauty of its coloured bed, to the sweet undulating shades of its waves in which I used to see 

 reflected the image of my beloved. I sit here hopeless by the l)rink of this dark abyss, by 

 this lake of vacuum where there is no sign of life till War appears to pierce its void with the 

 spears of his radianc>-, and when he has passed away, when I cease to regret his disappearance. 



