Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-09-14
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Broken Prism.
DY ROSE Du SUD.

L stood In high hall, adorned with all of the
sIsgance of refined taste. Beautiful statues
CLEANED from many nich; exquisite paintings
rayished the eye; flowers the most varied breath
ed a perfume like that of Paradise; lovely women
odies of their voices; and stately men added dig
nifty to a scene whose facinations might be deem
ed irresistible. Friend of friends, you will not
chide me if / tell you that was deaf and blind to
the witchery of all.
The soft south wind crept through the glass
doors to superb chandelier, whose pendants
caught and broke into rainbows the pure white
light shed from above. The glass keys rang out
q clear, rich music, like those "sweet funeral
bells'' in ssThe Vision of Sudden Death,'' "wail-
ing for the dead that die before dawn My ear
hung on the sounds in an extacy of delight; and
with them foated through my brain the legend of a
maid who perished of phantasy for sweet sounds.
She was young and wondrously lovely; but
hers was statuesque beauty, from which soul
seems departed; it was that of snow-wreath, on
which the sun never shines. Yet this seeming
celdness was born of passion, which absorbed
and trnnsfused every faculty of the soul. With
fixed eye and abstracted mein, the maid seemed
ever listening to some far off harmony, inaudble
to every ear but hers. Through the immeasurable
ether, over the deep sea, through the roar of the
forest pines, high above all tones of earthly pas
sion that sought her ear, came those enhancing
harmonies drinking in her soul with their sweet
ness, and begettinga consuming passion to win
the heavenly minstrelsy, to wed it to herself and
attune all the pure yearnngs of her high heart to
Gus soul that was surely hers, since to her alone
were. .iss maeings inteligible! If to track sound
weresto win the sentiment it owns, how rapturous
the love that awaited the maid.
Sick with passionate yearnings, she wandered
afar on wild and lonely beach. Intoxicated with
the spiritual tones they foated across the moon
Dit waters. all else is forgot She steps into
frail boat moored to the waters edge. A blade OF
light parts it from the shore, and out to sea it
speeds. bearing the maid, who sits at the helm
with wan face, and eyes that shine like stars
The heavens grow black, sharp lightnings rend
the air, and the crash of its recol is like the jar
ring Of "a universe. On sweeps the charmed boat,
bearing life to its inevitable fate. The wild
winds toss It up on the dizzy crests of mad waves.
thatplunge itdeepinto their frightful CULTS. With
fixed eye and rapt ear sits the maid. No mortal
fear dims the splendor of her beauty, that shines
in its fiery flight over the sea, like wan meteor.
The hideous sea monsters show through the dark
then scales Of gold. and fiery eyes, but they fly
from the foaming track of the wondrous, storm
driven boat.
Oh!nearer come those tones, and wilder shrieks
the storm; yet every note finds the Of its wof-
,1,.,eytar mt ny, o. Sf,,or ehaI1on nloayns ,rh;+o
over the far-of waves. Dancing on to the be-
wifdering music it hears, it comes on the wings Of
counter storm; which, oh, horror! must meet or
the mid sea IN awful conflict with the fierce tenn
pest that carries the maiden's bark. On, right OF