Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-23


him in return,) he resolves to follow his .o's'
On the way 10 the ball room he na,. m"oa
old church-he discovers hideous old wo, Al
skulking about in tht darkness. Presents W.
men, wrapt up in cloaks approach. AMI we W.
dress this old bag, who wears scarlet hol w.
Their conversation is about working ~!
charm which can make "love or hatred 1.,
in the heart" Emilius witnesses their ; nv
nal drugs with horror, although he little ivy; ,s'>
ines how nearly he is concerned in ,hc;r
tons.
The masqueI ade is over, and Enlus &
gain at his window gazing at the opposite c,,.
ment. Behold, the lovely tenant Of III, CHI
Der, with her floating hair and snowy neck ="
ters-the entranced lover yazes in deli.
when 10! the fearful old woman in the s,asI
bodice follows into the room, leading s~a',
little child by the hand. VIVA, do thew ,bss,
the strange group-at the lonely hour ,f
miduight-thc maiden iii pale fxedness-,ta
bag with her fepdish face-and the wter;n.
Child, with her entrea ing eyes upturned :
the lovely and pallid maiden? Is it for On!
or evil, that they three are together: lffor
vii why are beauty and innocence lhere-ve,x
for good, what means the presence Of H..
scowling beldame? Emilcs looked csg e.
upon the group.
The child clasEed and lifted up its little b..
secching hands, and s'roked the pale neck and
cheeks OF the marble beauty. But she held +,
fast by the hair, and in the other hand sil,c
basin. Then the old woman gave grow am
pulled out a long knife, and drew it across NE
white neck of the child. Here somc,hirs
4, k.h nd h.,
seemed MOI 10 perceive; or it must have prc
duced in them the same deep horror as in En-
illus. The ghastlv neck Of serpent cur,
ed forth, scale after scale, lengthrning and
ever lcngthening out Of the darkness, and
stopped down between them over the child
whose lifeless limbs hung from the Old vo.
mans arms; its black tongue licked up h.
spirting red blood, and green sparkling e,,
shot over into Emilius's, eye, x brain, & !est.
so that he fell ut the same instant 10 III,
ground.
He was senseless when found By Rodcr.s
some hours alter.
A long and dangerous fever srizes Emilms--
upon its leaving him, darkness is thrown Cru
his memory. and all rccolieclions Of what had
happened foryears are destroyed. llenmye
into the country. Riding out one dayto eDpy
the freshness Of spring, he sees Il bcaufuI girl
sitting by the foad side. Their eyes meet:
is strangely and unar coun,ably attached to her,
Mutual love soon succeeds, and, the bridsI
day is fixed. Ii comes-and among the aueat.
ants Of the bride is an old woman, who eIci,:i
the aversion oi Emilius.
"NNho is that ugly old woman" he at length
asked, "tha, is SO busy there, going baekwara
and forwards in her grey cloak" "Shc is on:
of my attendants" said his bride; "she is 70
overlook and manage my waiting maids and O.
Their girls" slow can, you bear TO have arF
thing so hidecus at your chow" replied Emf
Illus. "Let her al2nc," answered the youOgh
DIV: "God meant the ugly TO live, as well as
the hand some; and she is such good hOnsA
creature, she may he of use 10 US"
A ball is proposed by the wedding guess,
and agreedto by Emiius. The ma,qaerat:r'
adopt strange and fantastic dresses, and thegiy
and volatile Roderick obtains by accident tn:
scarlet bodice, which the old hag Che BRIDES
,endan,) had worn on the night OF the muIae'
The masked procession is formed, 10 coHda"
" the bride from her chamber"
The bugles were still playing; the comPan!
were walking about the garden, or slIt!agN
fore the house. The sun had gone down beol'I
thick murky clouds, and the country was lying
in the gray dusk, when a parting CLEAN sudden
~ burst forth alhwarl the cloudy veil, and too%
>ed every spot around, but especially The NH''.'
inc. s4s,<Fs, galleries -a<nf4eiilars, and wIe4'
OF flowers, as ii were with red blood. Al I"N
moment the parents Of the bride and The o'No
spectators bened train Of the wildcs, aPp','
ance move towards the upper corridor No.'
rick led the way as the scarlet old woman '''
was followed by hum2backs, mounain'paun'",
es, female figures embarked by enormous noop
and over canopied with three feet oil horse n.I'
powder, and pomatum, and by every ci'Sus"S
shape that can be conceived, as though ansg'
mare were unrolling her stores. They l'mPu'
and ,wirled, and totlered, and stumbled ~
s,radGled, and strutted, and staggered, a''"S
the gallery, and then vanished behind one o. ~.
doors. But few Of the beholders had been. ~"
10 laugh: so utterly were They amazed oy ~
strange sight. Suddenly piercing S''DI
burst from one OF the rooms, and there 'us. -.
forth into the blood red glow oil The Suner Il,
pale bride, in white frock, round which "'s1p.
Of flowers were waving, with her i'cn ~
streaming through the air. AS thong" "'
with rolling ewes s distorted face, she da,''e
long the gallery, and blinded by terror,cou'I ~"
neither door nor stair cas-; and lmmrd'asf w.. =,
ter rushed EmiIus in chase oil her. VII"
sparkling Turkish dagger in his nigh upfa'"'