The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-03-04
SELECTED TALES.
TIL E FATE:
OR,
THE LOVERS REVENGE.
CHAPTER |.

beware or Jealousy;
II Is the green-eycd monster,whic doth make
The meat it feeds on. SHAKspEARr.
Sometimes in the studies of the artists
may be seen copies of an old painting, of
such singular power, that once looked up
on the impression becomes fixed upon the
mind Violating, as it does, the legitimate
province OF art, which is to beautity or en-
noble, the natural effect is that of painful
distorton-an impression of maddening
force, which riyits the eye, while the soul
wrlthes with pain if not with disgust. In
deed, all works at variance with the har-
mones OF our nature are productive of
pain. and serve, just in proportion as they
prevail in the public taste, still farther to
remove the human mind from that har-
monious sphere which alone can insure its
repose. The more finely constituted is
the organization of the observer. the more
profound is its recoil all from departures
from the elements Of the beautiful hence
At Is, that works in whatever line of ant
they may be conceived, which are crude
or dstorted-intense rather than impas-
slonate--morbid more han sentimental
cXcitable instead of cnthusiastic-tbat ;s
partial aisd accidental rather than univcr,
sss-,are at tlength instiuctiyely rejected by
he human mind aud fall into Oblivion.
while the simplest exhibition of An harmo-
nionS truth will live forever in the affections
OF man
thing of beauty is n joy for over.
The picture 10 which we refer repro
sentsa young girl, with countenance at
once sweet and impassioned, classcd in the |
bony arms of skeleton. Beauty in the |
embrace o. Death may be the name. The |
eyes OF the maiden express dreamy de- |
hght---they are turned away frop, the OBJ
serrcr, and from the ghastlv object which
detains her; the fingers Of o.e hand ten
derly embrace the skull, aud III. Others
trife with the skinles: e,nouIder. I
~ But it. IS in the s,.xcleton that the arts.
,r mas exhibited t. e utmost triumph Of skill
So .e - - ah m exultant bearing Of the lofty
;.%" .rimphant pleasure in the litelcss
- an hilarious ecstasy about the eye
'H 'e's /, sockets, which riyit the attention, and
..nake us wonder how the framework OF \
face, can be made go expressive; more Llan
this, we feel that it is a portrait, Tat the
particular bones Of a particular body only
could have been SO delineated. And now
ito the story connected with thi singular
production of art. .t.. ...... ...
.o,,A Agatha was q poor ballad-singer Of
Rome. who appeared every day at certain
singles Of the Corso, and warbled songs of
a wild and impassioned beauty, in which
Ll.nk .i,., Of tnl
iimagery with sweet Italian tenderness,
aud ,,ot.Sii..ss, of Incprnful depth spell-bind-
ing the listcncr. Indeed the whole aspect
.,0f the drllyas such as to arrest the obser-
syer, for, she sang ~ il her very soul hung
.Son herRecents, and looked from the wells
infher strange eyes. Then, too, she was
so appealing in her looks, yet 80 courage
yous IN her maidenly bearing, that child as
she was, an instructive respect peTaded
,.the looker-oD, and he went his way with
N fervant and unconscious blessing.
From the rich olive hue o. her check,
and q certain ktheness Of motion, iii.sse that
sof = fYn-rlneertain startled, yot wildly
.gTacehl--apd from the dainty accent Of
her sweet Italian dialect, il was rumored
that Agatha was of Moorish blood but
fthis was the !dlc conjecture Of people who
yeased not TO- inquire into tho fortunes of a
,streeteinger. ~ e
;ls She bad been seen Cor about three years
st her fispsl stand upon the Corso, sing
ing irllher rich low tones, aud always ha.
bited shs same. "a pink skirt With bodice
Of green, and Q slight scarf Of green also
wound around her black locks. Was
she privileged to wear the color Of the
Prophet None knew. Those who be
gan to watch the movements Of the girl
observed that she invariably retired, after
singing her round Of ballads, to the ruins