Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-11-26
THE VIRGINS FOUNTAIN.
TO BE CONTINUED.
A LEGEND OF HUNGARY.
BY MISS PARDoE.

BY MISS PARDoE.
At short distance from the medicinal
waters of Posteny, known, according 10 the
belief of the inhabitants of that neighbor-
hood, since the time of the Romans, rise the
RI ms of the ancient church said to have
formerly belonged to the Knights Templars
in proof of which assertion there still exists
fantastic images of some, which appear
among the ruins like the last accents of by
past wisdom to arrest the steps Of the soil
tary traveller.
Near the church is limpid spring which
gushing forth sparkling volume, once slak-
when their strength was exhausted by bat.
tie, and at this fountain they yet meet to
wander in the moonlight, haunting with their
armed and gigantic figures the hours Of
night, and turning them 10 terror 10 weep
over the extinction of their iustrious order
abolished to mere worldly interests.
But it is not by phantoms such as these
alone-foul shapes, making night hide
Gus" and obscuring with dark shadows the
"glimpses ofthe moon" that this fair spring
is visited. 1t has also its sweet oracle for
loving hearts. Each year on the eve of the
feasts of St. Stephen, the holy bishop king
who, with his own pious hand laid the first
stone of this now ruined church, and whose
blessed shadow yet hovers about the sacred
spot, the maidens of the neighbof hood walk
in procession at midnig h, to fill their pitch
ers at the fountain. in the full faith that abb
luton in its waters will double their at
heorho1 in faruont Draucr ,h n
knee upon the threshold of the church; for
according to ancient rumor, whoever so
konors the saint, IN piety Of heart, will
meet on the morrow upon her path the part
ner of her future life.
Thus, from the earliest times, the cere-
mony has been observed, and the fair mai
dens of the hamlet have crowded to the
fountain on St. Stephens eve, to ascertain
if the secret wishes of their hearts would
come to pass and we are now about tell a
loving legend to which this popular custom
owes its origin:
Boritza, the daughter Of Bolko, was as
a rose which opens to the sweet breath OF
morning, but like that lovely flower there
were thorns about her and around her as if
to deter the hand of love from the bright
blossom which he would have aspiied to
wear. as
Bolko was rich, and riches bring honor,
and credit when they are rightly used, but
Bolko was stern man, and cold as the ore
with which he filed his Golfers. None low
ed him, for his heart was closed against his
kind and even his fair child, young and
beautiful and gentle as she was, wept less
at his severity than at his want Of tender
ness. He cared not for his kind /; his soul
was his chests and Boritza was to him
merely something living which he was
bound to succor and support; yet she bore
even this-not without tears; for sometime
it was luxury to weep, but calmly and in
silence. A sister of her fathers watched
over Boritza--lhe dragon of the Hesper-
des became the guardian of the young
beauty: to her the very name Of love was
odious-it was foul blight whitening the
fair face of na,ure-the ashes of the Dead
Seattle feast of the Barmecide, full Of
promise and disappointment. Her youth
had passed in GOODNESS and neglect, and her
age revenged the bitterness Of her buried
years. Her words were harsh and cruel !;
and the gentle Boritza suffered so deeply
from her restless and jealous tyranny, that
a deep veil of sadness fell over her young
beauty, which only added another charm
to those with which nature had so profnsey
gifted her, as il to revenge her upon her
prosecutor,