Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-05-06

ny yStSitOuS -ouL SoiuCu SuIIUC--eSpe.
cially gentlemen Of small fortune and
high nobility. whom the 100000 a
year could have reconciled to the EN-.
braces ofthe eldest daughter of Luci.
! fer himself Bdtlthey had all a fearful
trial 10 undergo before the coveted
prize was. 10 be won. The Venus with
thc faeeof d skull Tho OsoxriId iii lNorto
afeceives Il homa aII her lovers, her
face covered With tts perpstual mask
and veil She sing dances, onchants,4
and lrauspoFtsy ana when ecstacy Is at
Iita height she spdd denly AVS aside her
glove and reveals ffsf the specfaclc 81
the sacrificed hand, the hand of skel>
etonl Some fashionable lovers have
been known 10 endure this horrid spec.
tacle with unhinching courage; but
when this wonderful creature, who ap>
peared sometimes almost to derive a
strange qualification from The exercise
Of this dreadful power to appal and re-.
pulse, went step farther and raised
her veil and took off her mask, no one
had yet been found with nerves equal
to the fearful trial. Fortune, genius,
wit, grace, goodness, loneliness Of form,
mind and heart, were all hastily
and shudderingly resigned, rather than
encounter the hideous fate of life.
union with that hand and head of Death!
Intrepid soldiers who had dared the
dread King of Terrors many time
when appearing in his own grimmiest
form, shrank back appalled,, as well
,hey might, from before his sickenipg
features, when thus revealed in mon.
strous combination with all the other
possible charms Of maiden youth and
liveliness. ".s Ira asa ..a ..
At last the lady met with lover
whose passion she herself could, and
did return; lover who would have
been worthy indeed OF her, even had
not the perfection other graces, of both
mind and person, been marred by the
fatal defects have described. Gene.
rous, noble, accomplished and intellect
ual, after visiting her from the curiosi.
ty with which all Palermo was pos,
sessed, tie mysterious interest attach
| ing to her-compassion for SO unhap-
py a, curse, resting on the nnoffending
head of one SO matchless in every other
charm and delight in the powers Of
mind and the admirable qualities Of
heart she displayed, soon converted the
Slight degree of curiosity with which
he came, into true, fervent and ex.
allied passion. For the first time the
lady felt hcrselfIovcd as she would be
for the first time rcciprocated it
with still more lavish wealth of affec-
ton, and for the first time dreaded the
effect of the fatal ordeal to which the
attachment Of those who sought her
hand was to be subjected. Neverthe>
less, she did not attempt TO soften the
picture of the spectacle which she told
him he would have to behold. even
while she confessed her own dread of
the effect it would produce upon his al-
fiction. But he answered that he low.
ed her heart, and not her. person, and
that no reality could exceed what he
had already pictured to himself, and 10
which bis heart had already reconciled
his Imagination. Fully satisfied, at last,
of the sincerity and devotion of his
love-a love the more highly to be
priced from the nature Of the qualities
upon which it was bestowed, she con.
sented to the bridal, though she said,
that she would not endanger its com
pletion by revealing to him the fatal Sc
cret OF her face until after he should
have become irrevocably her husband.
He might then see all, even though he
should on the instant fly from her in
horror and disgust. She would, at
least have once been his wife,and should
at least have acquired the title, both
to the happiness Of bearing his name,
and to that Of bestowing upon him a
large share of that wealth, the fatal
possession of which had attracted so
many suitors unworthy of it and her.
In word, the marriage contract was
signed, the lady insisting on bestowing
upon her reluctant husband halt OF her
enormous estates. alu ,zs.d iu .ga
Whenever you will no longer suf-
fer me- she said, to be your wife,l shall
have, ,in the death to which that sentence
will doom me, the comfort of having
made happy with riches the only man !
have loved,or could love,and he will, at
least, repay me with a few tears TO my
memory. .,.. ....,-.
The nuptial day at last arrives
This singular ceremony is completed
in the midst Of an extraordinary mag
nifcence and splendor. The veil which
hid the mysterious face of the Crozzi
d3 Morto, glis,ens with diamonds. The
parties return from the church. and the
husband kneels before his wife, to en-
counter that dread ordeal which none
hefore have encountered and proved @.