Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-07-23
THE MAID OF Rock CREEK,
Or,
Seraphina and RudOlphus


Twas evening upon the banks of a
beautiful Rock Greek. The silver
beams of Luna, which struggled down
through the branchesof the trees, reveal
ed scene transcendsntal beauty. Up
on an ancient umpwhich had braved
the tempest of an 1pl1dred winters, sit
ting in an attitudeepf graceful repose,
was an angelliferousm maiden just bloom
ed out into sunny womanhood. She
was radiantly and peerlessly beautiful.
Webester hides his foiss ssiead in
The dust IN the vain attempt to furnish
words descriptive ofz1her lovliness.-
Graceful as duck, wild as a hawk, pen
sive as a setting hen, with her rich curls
of tow colored gold streaming over her
shoulders to the ground, like some bright
swamp angel she sat, while the moon
beams rested like halo upon her eli
giant head. Sorrow, and the mullen
stalks which grew up around her, cast
deep shadows over her unrivaled coun-
tenance, and the night-wind as it kissed
her magnificent cheek, bore to her de-
lighted olifactUrigs the fragrant breath
of elder blows. Her knitting work lay
idle in her lap. Her eyes which shamed
the Tightening bugs, were bedoozled with
diamond tears. She was listening with
an air of sorrowful distraction to the
passionate pleadings of noble youth
who knelt at her feet Never moonlight
fell on a more glorious intellectible
countenance than that upturned to the
maiden's enamored gaze. Never yielded
mother to finer form than that which
pressed,the dandelion bank at Seraphina's
feet. His features were such as Nebu-
chadnezzar or Apollo might have en-
We'd.
His dark piercing eyes were like the
waters of his own Rock Greek for depth
and clearness, and were brilliant mirrors
in which the truth and voracity of his
good-li soul were reflected. From his
brow of vast and ponderous proportions
the sympathizing breeze swept back
long, hyacinthine locks, whose hue in
the shade was deep raven blackness,
but when the light fell upon it, it re-
scmbled muddy pool when the sun
beams strike it aslant
His hands was clasped in an attitude
IF despair. He spoke and his tones
were deep, and mournful as the chant
at the funeral of martrre6 bull-frog,
at Rock Creek dam. 90, fairy queen
of Heaven Pure dove of the moon
shiny sky! Translucent light of my
benighted eyes Cherished and beloved
by my hearts core! How cans't thou
doubt my love? Dost thou doubt that
the cabbage loves the general rain ?
Dost thou doubt that the chickens loves
the dough-dish Then doubt my love
for thee. All love is but very
feeble word to express the passion
that consumes my vitals. " Be mine,
adorable one, else die" Rudolphus, -
she murmurred, " it cannot be. The
mandate of my vengeful father, and the
degree of fate must be obeyed" And
her voice was melodious as the tinkle of
fractured COW bells far away down the
Scipo road, and low and sad as the last
moan of dying pollywog. Talk not
of obedience, thou beautiful, and cruel
one" he yelled in voice of speechless
agony, so cans't thou sit in thy cold
majesty like a frozen sausage, and see
my aching heart going to smash before
thine eyes for mistaken sense of duty"
See, u said he, as his voice died away
to sad wall like the howl of broken
backed mastiff, and he dashed from the
mullen leaves near him drop of pearly
dew, See Night herself weeps with
me, and mourns the cruelty" The
maiden was appalled, at the 81 ght of his
anguish. The crimson tide which dyed
her check like red holly -hock, cut stick
and left it whittier than a cotton pillow
case. She arose from her seat, dazzling
in her resplendant beauty as a bright
tin milk-pan when the midday beams of
the glorious sun are poured full upon
it, and captivating in her shadowy grace
a ellow-lily, floating upon the limped
waters of dry goose pond. She spoke.
and the stars of night stood still, the wind
ceased to moan among the leaves, and
the frogs were silent to listen. "Ru-
dolphus, beloved of my SOUL" she said
in a voice sweeter than syrup cf New
Orleans, "thou knowest that love thee |
My heart clings to thee, as the bean to
pole. Mine ear knows no music slve
thy voice, and my lips no victuals but
thy kisses. Without thee famish-I
die. But the picket fence of duty sur
rounds me. 1t is stuck full of cruel
spikes and l cannot surmOnnt it. A
last embrace, my heavenly one, and we
part forever d" Bid me not depart p
he roared, as he clasped her to his
breast, q [ will neUer leave thee Forty
'leven savage locomotives have not
power to tear us from each others arms.
l tell thee mine angel love the thought
of leaving thee rends my soul-it mad
dens met makes me rip and rave like
a frenzied Shanghai-it makes me bel
low like distracted bed d-bug-it makes
me. feel bad. In my desperation I would
tear up creation by the roots I would
fog the earthquake 1 would eat red
hot pokers l would drink up the
ocean, and then cast myself into the
black and surging pillows which roll at
my feet!
seraphina burst into food of tears.
Their excessive emotion overcame them,
and they both swooned away
Again it was evening upon the Rock
Greek - again the cold moon looked
down upon a scene of excruciating woe.
In dark, dismal, damp, gloomy, ghostly