St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-01

fcsk Will brave the dangers of Cha
rybdis, to win the hand of Princess
Rosalie."
The courticr bowed and left the
apartment, after promising to tulh!
the kings wishes TO the very letter
* ).
The sun had scarcely raised his
golden banner in the east, ere bril-.
liant throng of high-born danes and
lords assembled together, on a lofty
pinnacle Of rock that juttcd far out
from the mainland into the open sea.
1t was an eyre for the eagle, where
the king and cOurtiers stood, while
tathoms deep below, the maIstrom
currents of Charybdis Lissed and
boiled.
Aud in the centre Of this group of
lords and fair ladies, stands Ferdinand
the Just, and by his side, his pure and
peerless daughter, who had learned to
love humble fisherman.
Her cheek is deathly pale, her au-
burn rlnglets scattered to the morn
ing breeze. Her white lips seemed
to utter something like a Whispering
prayer as she gazes on the form OF
him she loves, who, though he cannot
boast OF noble birth, has still nobler
mlen than any titled lord of all that
gay and brilliant throng
:" Is all prepared ?" exclaimed the
monarch, as he held golden cup
aloft, about to hurl it in the black
abyss below.
" Yet stay one moment, father"
said fair Rosalie, imploringly. Ihave
a boon to crave, ere this brave youth.
who periis life and limb to prove the
earmestness Of his love, performs thy
strange behcst'
" What is it, daughter ?" said King
Ferdinand, while the courtiers drew
near to listen.
" \ single kiss, dear father, from
the lips of him l love-perhaps the
first and last"
The monarch frowned, but among
the crowd Of courtiers there were none
but what deemed that Nicoo would
never more return to earth, and many
felt kindly sympathy, and pressed
the maiden's suit.
Ferdinand at length granted the re.
|
embrace OF the two lovers,
She spoke no words Of hope to him
she knew to be the bravest of the
brave, and he had learned the awful
perlS of the deep too well to breathe
encouragement to her; but for her
fond embrace lie would have bartcred
all her fathers broad domains. had he
, possessed them aye, freely would he
have offered up his life to win from her
one single smile.
The monarch gave the signal word
Tor preparation, and hurled the golden
goblet far beyond the cliff, where it
5lIstcned Ike Il meteor in the boiling
! vortex of the waters. And all had
watched its flight, but none with such
an eager gaze as NicoIo and Rosalie,
Remarked the spot where the bright
! golIcn goblet sank into the waves,
drew in his breath, and, with one last,
long look at her he loved, leaped from
The dizzy parapct into the foamng sea,
1t was an act 50 brave, that not all
| the respect due 10 the monarch's pres
cncc could suppress the loud huzza of
admiration from the courticrs, at the
daring feat, and then there followed
long interval Of silence and suspense.
With checks as pale as death, her
form was motionless as any marble
statue, fair Rosalie is gazing on the
| spot where all her joys and hopes of
lie went down, when suddenly she
shricks-
4" lie lives he lives ! Father, he
brings thee back thy golden cup, and
comes to claim thy daughters hand"
The eyes Of love discerncd what
others sought in vain-the form of
Nicolo, a tiny speck upon the sea, but
soon they all define the gallant fisher
man holding aloft his prize, and then
shout OF triumph rends the air.
In few moments afterwards he
laid the treasure at the monarchs
feet, and then he had the right that
even Ferdinand could not deny, to
fold his bctrothed TO his arms.
He gave a wondrous history of all
! he saw in the dark caverns of the sea
| large snakes an hundred fathoms long;
gigantic polypi that sought to twine
him in their Shiny folds--a magic his
| tory of things till then unknown. He
stated that the current OF the whiri-
pool had dashed the cup beneath a
ledge of rocks, and that the suction
Of the water had also borne him there.
King Ferdinand pretended to be
charmed with this strange, wild ad-
venture, and asked the daring man to
undertake the journey once again, to
bring him farther news from these
mysterious realms of horror.
But Nicolo shuddcred and said, moth
ing would tempt him to perform the
deed again
This heavy purse of gold, pal
ace and dukedom, thou shalt share
with thy young and beautiful bride"
The Offering was too glittering a
! bait for Nicolo to resist, and notwth-
standing the appeals Of his bctrothed,
he dove once more into the foamiug
sea. Long and patiently, king aud
courtiers await the adveuturer's re-
turn, but neyermorc did Nicolo come
back to claim the hand of Rosalie,
who, shortly after, broken-hearted.
died and history hencetorward called
King Ferdinand the just, King Fer
dinand the Cruel for his black treache-
ry to Nicolo Pesk the swimmer,
FAsT' LADIES IN PRUSsIA-Ou Sat.
urday Il most extraordinary race took
ploce at fashionable ladies' semina-