Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-05-02

: had died without issue, the domains would
, be devised to him of course. He was in
= a furious passion, when the will was pro-
duced, and the young widow declared
inheritor of the dukedom. AS he was a
violent, high-handed man, and one of the
sturdiest knights in the land, fears were
entertained that he might attempt to
seize on the territories by force He had,
however, two bachelor uncles for bosom
! counsellers-swagg gering, rakehelly old
cavaliers, who, having led loose and riot
GUS lives, prided themselves upon know.
ing the world, and deeply experienced in
human nature. Prithee, man, be of
good cheer" said they, " the duchess is
a young and buxom widow. She has
Just buried our brother, who, God rest
his soul was somewhat too much given
to praying and fasting, and kept his
pretty wife always tied to hisgirdle. She
is now like bird from cage. Think
you she will keep her vow? Pooh,
pooh-impossible Take our words for
tive know mankind, and above all,
womankind. She cannot hold out Tor
that length of time, it is not in woman.
hood-it is not in widowhood--we know
it, and that's enough. Keep a sharp
lookout upon the widow, therefore, and
within the twelvemonth you will catch
her tripping--and then the dukedom is
your own"
The nephew was pleased with this
counsel, and Immediately placed spies
round the duchess, and bribed several of
her servants to keep watch upon her, so
that she could not take a single step, even
from one apartment of her palace to an
other, without being observed. Never
wasa young and beautiful widow exposed
to so terrible an ordeal.
The duchess was aware of the watch
thus kept upon her. Though confident
of her own rectitude, she knew that it is
not enough for woman to be virtuous-
she must be above the reach of slander.
For the whole term of her probation,
therefore, she proclaimed a strict non-in-
tercourse with the other sex. She had
females for cabinet ministers and cham
berlains, through whom she transacted
all her public and private concerns and
it is said that never were the affairs of
the dukedom so adroitly administered.
All males were vigorously excluded
from the palace; she never went out of
its precincts, and whenever she moved
about its courts and gardens, she sur
rounded herself with body guard of
young maids of honor, commanded by
danes renowned for discretion. She
slept in bed without curtains, placed in
the centre of room, illuminated by in
Vulnerable wax tapers. Four ancient
spinsters, virtuous as Virginia, perfect
dragons of watchfulness, who only slept
during the daytime, kept vigils through
out the night, seated in the four corners
of the room on stools, without backs or
arms, and with seats cut in checkers of
the hardest wood, to keep them from
doing.
Thus wisely and warily did the young
duchess conduct herself for twelve long
months, and slander almost bit her tongue
off in despair, at finding no room even for
a surmise. Never was ordeal more bur-
densome, or more enduringly sustained.
The year passed away. The last, odd
day arrived, and a long, long day it was.
1t was the twenty-frst of June, the long.
est day in the year. 1t seemed as if it
would never come to an end. A thou
sand times did the duchess and her ladies
watch the san from the windows OF the
palace, as he slowly climbed the vault of
heaven, and seemed still more slowly to
roll down. They could not help express
ing their wonder, now and then, why
the duke should have tagged this super
numerary day to the end of the year, as
if thee hundred and sixty-fve days
were not sufficient to. try and task the
fidelity of any woman. 1t is the last
grain that turns the scale-the last drop
that overflows the goblet--and the last
moment of delay that exhausts the pa
tience. By the time the sun sank below
the horizon, the duchess was in fidget
that passed all bounds, and, though sew
eral hours were yet to pass before the
day regularly expired, she could not
have remained those hours in durance to
gain royal crown, much less ducal
corOnet. So she gave orders, and her
palfrey, magni6cently caparisoned, was
brought into the courtyard of the castle,
with palfreys for all her ladies' in attend
ance. In this way she sailed forth, just
as the sun had gone down. 1t was
mission of piety-a pilgrim cavalcade to
a convent at the foot of a neighboring
return thanks to the blessed
Virgin, for having sustained her through
his fearful ordeal.
The orisons performed, the duchess
and her ladies returned, ambling gently
along the border of a forest. 1t was
about that mellow hour of twilight when
light and day are mingled, and all OBJ
ects are indistinct. Suddenly, some
animal sprung from out
hiOkst, with fearful howlings. The fe-