The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-03-06


ellest suspicious and constraints, without
power to hel p her to soothe her grief. A
fierce and burning hatred against Ithocles
took possession of his heart, but in every
way his feelings seemed TO be exasperated
Ithocles' dear friend, Prophilus, loved
Euphranea, the only sister of Orgilus, a
young, beautiful girl, maid OF honor 10
the princess; and after the Messeniau war,
Prophilus, after being assured that his
love was returned, demanded her in mar
rage of her father. As he was the friend
of the kings favorte, and his suit prefer
red not only by lthocles, but almost COM
manded by the king, Euphranea's father,
old Crotolon, thought il madnes to refuse.
Such marriage. to his old courtier wis
dom. seemed to open before his family, a
path shining with honors flowing from
royal favor But OrgiIus, his son; hated
Prophilus because he was Iihocles' friend,
and bitterly opposed his suit. At last,
when his father represented that refusal
would work ruin to his family, he yielded
an unwilling consent, and with the secre-
tlveuess peculiar to unsettled minds, yelled
his hatred for lthocles under spacious
show of friendship, and received with ap-
parent forgiveness Ithocles' penitent. SIM
cere regrets for the past, in order that he
might be able at some future time to
avenge Penthea's sufferings, and his own
great wrong. Accordingly the wedding of
the young maidof-honor took place.
During the preparations the court was
thrown into commoliOn by the arrival of a
royal sul:or for the hand of the princess.
This caused great trouble to young Itho-
cles' He had alre ady discovered that he
loved the daughter of his royal master;
which discovery had filled his breast with
sorrow, for it seemed like ingratitude; but
hourly he hung upon her words and lived
only in her presence. She was noble
and beautiful woman; Heaven had bestow-
ed the highest gifts of mind and person
upon her; and even in distant countries
were accounts related of the great Calan-
tha's beauty, virtue, sweetness, and singu-
lar periections. She loved Ithocles also,
but was not conscious of her love until
the suit of another betrayed it to her.
This royal lover was her cousin Near
chus, prince of Argos. His application
for Calantlra's hand pleased old king Amy
elias, for, as he said, il would be a marriage
OF great benefit to both Kingdoms, and as
the Prince Nearchus was the next heir af-
ter Calantha TO the throne of Laconia, their
union would be most suitable.
But" added the good old king, 'sCa-
lantha shall decide. Ihave always vowed
never 10 enforce her affection by my will.
She shall marry no one unless her own
choice confirms mine gladly"
klng Amyclas at his last visit 10 the
Il nIa of al 4, Il
clothed in the mystic language of the ora
Gle, and after hearing Prince Nearchus'
suit, and seeing his daughter undecided,
sentthis scroll to the philosopher Tecnicus,
who resided in the court, requiring from
the sage an explanation of IT, The oracle
ran thus
The plot in which the Vine takesroo,.
Begins TO dry from head fool;
The stock, soon whitening, want Of sap
Doth cause 10 quail the budding crane:
But from the neighboring Elm, dew
Shall drop, and feed the plot anew.
Old recnicus studied this oracle with
reverential awe, secluding himself still
more from all the court. Then he came
to Armostes, the kings confidential coun-
sellor, and uncle 10 Ithocles, and gave him
sealed box, containing the scroll and his
explanation of 1t, which he desired should
be given to the king, and announced with
countenance and tone of voice express
i've of great grief, his immediate departure
for Delphos.
"Tell the king he said in broken ac-
cents, ''he must no more inquire after my
aged head. Apollo wills it so. and must
go TO Delphos, never more to see nv king
agatha great prince commands met"
Then turning to Ithocles who was present.
he said in solemn, awe-struck voice. as
If moved by prophetic fire, and scarcely
conscious of his words-"Ithocles,
''When Youth is ripe, and Age from time doth
part,
The Lifeless Trunk shall wed the Broken
Heart"
Then with muttered, broken EXPLANATIONS.
as if apprehensive of some approaching
lrou bic, he departed.
The box. was carried TO The king, who.
when 1t was unsealed, read the following
exposition of the philosopher;
"fhe plot is Sparta, the dried Vine the king;
The quailing grape his daughter; but the thing
or most Importance. not TO be revealed,
Is near prince, the Elm; the rest concealed ;,
The poor old king, who felt himself fast
failing, was sadly perplexed at the unsatrs-
factory explanation, but his old counsellor
soothed HIM with the assurance, that the
Tfihcess Calantha's marriage with her
cousin of Argos, would fulfill the oracle;