Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-04-10
Giterarp 5eIeftions.
MOENA CATALLA.
By RICHARD CRANsHAw.
A SPANIS H S TOR 7

The streets of Seville reposed in a
sweet, full flood of moonlight, and the !
.srs in the dark blue above twinkled in
vsry laziness down upon the deep tran
glity of the midnight scene. Such a
0iobt was it, when the heart of man be- !
comes softened from gloomy thoughts,
and even the swarthy brow of the assas-
sin and robber relaxes from its wrinkled
a.rceness. as in awestruck wonder he
r.,es I'D into the sky, drinking in deep
jr,urhts of its holy, widespread beauty.
Reclining against pillar of the porch
which supported an overhanging balco-
~ was the figure of man in an atti-
nude Of deep dependency. One hand
,,os messed up to his forehead, while the
o,bor lstIessly held a guitar which rest
a carelessIy on the marble pavement
a. his feet His chin was sunk upon his
breast and his cloak hung partly sus-
,ended on one of his shoulders, display
inc the plain dress of a student of the
University of Seville.
For some time he retained the same
downcast position, but at length seemed
to arouse himself from his apathy, and,
first throwing his broad sombrero down
on the ground beside him, and shaking
back a mass of waving hair from his
forehead, he took the instrument into his
hands and began softly to murmur one
Of the love ditties so common to the ma
t0n He had advanced towards the
centre of the pavement, and no longer
hidden by the shadow of the walls, stood
IN the full flow of the moonrays, looking
anzously up to the windows of the silent
mansion for some response to, or ae-
knowledment OF, his presence.
And Jose Tonnevra, standing thus,
va, picture that many a dark-eyed
Spanish beauty would have loved to gaze
upon, and more especially to listen, while
his clear voice murmured forth in musical
language the story of his passion. There
was a tone of deep sadness in the words
- a.. Ill y ,Jr,DIa burdop
"Culpa tus hermosos oJos
Culpa tg gracia candor
Eilos fueron, ell origen
De mi desgraciado amor"
This may be freely translated:
The fault-thy lovely eyes
The fault-rhy sprightly beauty
Tearing my heart with sighs,
While offering hopeless duty"
Unlike the generality of Spanish mu-
sic, in the place of the usual light ant
volatile strains, this was tender and path
etc. The ballad itself was a plant of {
lover for the cruelty of his mistress, anC
described the hopelessness of his low
for one who was too cold to return it
warmth and devotion, and who was tht
ruin Of his peace Of mind from the rigO
with which she treated him.
The last sounds died away upon tn
ali. His eyes were rivetted upon th
windows, but nothing appeared at an,
one Of them. No waving hand-no hut
tering handkerchief His earnest lov
was unrequited.
He drew his cloak around his figure
pulled his hat deeply over his trouble
OroWs, and slowly, lingeringly departed
The pale lady of night" alone SCENE
ympathize with him in his sorrow, q
ne heavily trod his homeward pathway
This was the awaking from long an
blissful dream this the assurance tn;
all had been nought but painful and
cruel dream The heart Of Moena Ca
ala, the daughter of an humble countl
Elne-dresser, had grown cold towards ii
companion and lover of former days, ar
aoT, Ehile beating in the bosom of Il
city heiress, turned contemptuously y fro
It's old time remembranees. A suddt
accession TO fortune and station had wrC
this change In the maiden, and Jose To
AsVra turned hepelessly away from Il
iordly mansion which had now replac'
'le vine dresser's lowly cottage.
And what did he now? Why, VIII
many simpleton has done before-fa
cied ne could forget, on the fe&d of stri
'Ae recollection of by-gone hours of ha
plaess and peace-hours never, never
return! He enrolled himself under t
oanner of Wellington, whose genius
'aal time was leading his armies TO I
~hsputed sway of the peninsula, a
"Ho was carving for himself name d.
Nned to hold the highest place in
'OunIryS annals, and the deepest in
'orr0wing affections.
lime rolled on, in Its ceaseless roul
ine TAR hills and valleys of the penin.
. were the scenes of oft-repeated STIR
s'es; aud fierce war-cfies rent the
'la' mad been laden with the perfumes
tae orange. the nitron and the rrane