Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-23
THE INTELLIGENCER
LFfOa the Atlantic Monthly for April
THE STORY OF KARIN.
A DANISH LEGEND.

She came on the morn other bridal day.
She came to the mill-pond clear and bright,
And viewed herself in the morning light.
'And oh, she cried. ''that my bonny brow
May ever be white and smooth as nowl
''And oh, my hair, that I love to braid,
Be yellow in sunshine, and brown in shade
"And oh, my waist, sac slender and fine,
May it never need girdle longer than minol"l-
She fingered and laughed Ger the waters clear,
When sudden She starts, and shrieks in lear:-
"Oh, what is this face, sac laidly old,
That looks at my sitlein the waters cOld."
She tn MS around to view the bank,
And the osier willows dark and dank;--
And from the fern she sees arise .E
An aged erOne wi awsome eyes. as la
"Ha! hal" she laughed, ''ye're bOnny bridel
See how yen fare gin the New Year tidel
"Ye'll wear robe sac bIithely gran,
An ell-lOng girdle Gamma span.
"Whcn twal months three shall pass away,
Your berry-brOwn hair shall be streaked wi gray.
"And gin We be mither of bairnies nine,
Your brow shall he wrinkled and dark us mine"
Karin she sprang to her f,etw speed,
And clnpped her hands abune her head:-
81 pray to the saints and spirits all si
That never child may me mither CALI
The crone drew near, and the crone she spake:-
mine times flesh and banes shall ache.
'Lnidly and awsome we shall wane
WI toll, and care, and travail pain.
"Better,' said Karin, ''lay me low,
And sink for aye in the waters fowl"
The crone raised her withered hand ON high,
And showed her tree that stood hard by.
''And take Of the bonuy fruit" she said,
And cat till the seeds are dark and red
Count them less, or count them more,
Nine times you shall number o'er;-
md when each number you shall speak,
Cast seed by seed into the lake
Karin she ate of the fruit sac fine;
Twas mellow sand, and sweet rs brine.
Seed by seed she let them fall;
The waters rippled over all.
But iIka seed as Karin threw,
Uprose a bubble to her view
Uprose sigh from out the lake,
As4hough ababy's heart did break. ..sas
Twice nine years are come and gone;
Karin the fair she walks her lone.
She sees around, on ilka side,
Maiden and mither, wife aud bride.
Wan and pale her bonny brow,
Sunken and sad her eyelids now.
Slow her step, and heavy her breast,
And never an arm whereOn to rest.
The old kirk porch when Karin spied,
The posterndoor was open wide.
'Wae's mel" she said, ''I'll enter in
And shrive me from my every sin"
Twas silence all within the kirk;
The aisle was empty, chill, and mirk.
The chancel-rails were black and bare
Nae priest, nae penitent was there.
Karin knelt, and her prayer she said;
But her heart within her was heavy and dead.
Her prayer fell back on the cold gray stone;
1t would not rise TO heaven alone.
Darker grew the darksome aisle,
Colder felt her heart the while.
'Wae's mel" she cried, what is my sin?
Never wronged kith nor kin.
''But why do start and quake wi fear
Lest a dreadful doom should hear
And what is this light that seems to fall
On the sixth command upon the wallg
tAnd who are these see arise
And look ON me wi stony eyes?
"a shadowy troop, they flock sac fast
The kirk-yaTd may not hold the last
''Young and old OF ilk degree,
BARNS, and buirnies' bairns, see.
IAN / look on either way,
Mother, mother! seem to say.
" we are souls that might have been,
But for your vanity and sin.
"'We, in numbers multiplied,
Might have lived, and loved, and died.
a Might have served the Lord in this
Might have met thy soul in bliss.
'' Mourn for us, then, while yon pray, 80
Who might have been, but never may!
Tins the voices died away
"Might have been, but never may!"
Karin she left the kirk no more;
Never she passed the pOstern:door.
They found her dead at the vesper toll; -
May Heaven in mercy rest her soul
PRAcuoAL JOKE on AZ OFFIcE SEEKER THE
Washington correspondent Of ths "AlBany Ar.
gus has the following:
"Rather dry joke was Perpetrated upon
distinguished Ohio politician. The QUid Rune,
in Wizards Hotel, discovered in the mail baske
at the Office one day, a wide and long envelope