Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-01-12

held beautiful green meadow stretching
along the banks of stream which came
from narrow gorge at no great distance
He did not recognise his whereabouts an6
was doubtful of finding his way back, unit
he saw, at the further end of the meadow
some object moving rapidly to and fro. Il
was young girl chasing cow that hat
escaped from her, and ran with cord tan
gled about her horns in the direction of Mat
thias. Ahw said he, IT will catch thi:
unruly animal and then make its keeper
point out to me the direction of Tarsus." 81
he tucked up his robes; and, being strong
and vigorous, soon came up to the COW tina
was wantonly galloping hither and thither
and brought it to stand-still. May bles
sings light upon thy sturdy arms, stranger,
exclaimed the girl, running up out of breath
and unwinding the rope from the cows horns
:" if Naharah had escaped they would have
beaten me-"
"And who could find it in his heart tc
beat thee, child p said the merchant, as he
looked at her ana wondered at her delicate
loneliness.
"The fathers" she replied, pulling Naha.
rah in the direction she wanted to go. ''Tri.
pie blessings upon thee, again I say stranger"
Matthias forgot all about Tarsus, and
walked by the side of the girl, asking ques.
tions of her He learned that she was the
bond-maiden of a monastery situated in those
mountains, and that her duty was to take
out the cows. and especially this one, every
morning to the pasturage. "Do not follow
me-" said she, when they came tothe en-
trance of the gorge from which the stream
flowed; " for | am forbidded to talk with
those whom may meet" Matthias thought
awhile, and then babe her adisu, having
learned what path he was to follow, and re-
turned to his palace full of uothing but the
image of this simple bond-maiden.
" Verify" said he to himselfnext morning
" forgot to ask the name of that girl.
must ask it, in order that I may send her a
recompense." Under this poor pretence be
mounted his mule and rode towards the
mountains, and began his walk at the usual
place, and repaired to the cave and passed
the night there, and was out on the meadow
before dawn. He soon saw four or five cows
driven out of the gorge, and the girl follow
ing them, leading the frolicsome Naharah
There is no need for thee to-day, stranger"
said she smiling playfull:, unless thou wilt
drive my herd down - the water to drink,
and take care that the black one goes iu first
or else she will gore the Others" Upon this,
Matthias took the branch of a tree and be-
gan to cry, Hoo! hoo I" like heardsman
and to beat the tanks of the black COW,
which scampered away, and led him long
chase round the meadow so that he did
not come back until all the other animals had
taken their morning drink, and the girl was
sitting on the bank laughing at him, .and
Wreathing crown Of flowers to deck the
horns of Naharah.
" Thou dost not know thy new business, y
said she, to Matthias, as he came up out of
breath whereupnn he began to curse the
COW which had led him shat dance, and to
think that he had made himself ridiculous in
the eyes Of the girl However, they were
soon sitting side by side in pleasant talk and
the merchant learned that the name of the
bond-maiden was Carine.
BY this time he had quite made up his
mind to marry her if she would have him
but, although rejecting upon his wealth and
her poverty, it seemed scarcely probable that
she should refuse, his modesty was so great
that he dared not venture to talk of love.
they parted early, and Matthias went away,
promising to return on the morrow. He did
so; and for many weeks continued these
meetings in which, for the first time since
his youth, he found real happiness. At
length one day he took courage, and told
Carine that he intended to take her away
and marry her, and make her the mistress of
his wealth. My Lord" she said, with
simple surprise, ." has madness stricken thee ?
Dost thou not know that am a bond-maid-
en-, and that there is no power that can free
me?"
Money can free thee, child" said Mat
thias.
Not So" replied she, "for it is an an
cient privilege Of this monastery that bonds
men and bondwomen shall forever appertain
to it. If any freeman casts bis eyes upon
one of US and desires to marry her, he must
quit bis state and become slave, he and his
descendants forever, to the monastery. This
is why l was not married last year to Skan-
dar, the porker, who offered twenty pigs
for my freedom, but who refused to give up
his liberty" Matthias internally thanked
Heaven for having given an Independent
spirit to the porker, and replied, smiling,
" Believe me, Carine, that the fathers love
money-they all do--aud / shall purchase
thee as my wife,"
I" 1t is nonsense" said she, shaking her
head, they refused twenty pigs" r
81 will give twenty sacks Of gold, ba-
by" cried Matthias, enraged at her obstna
cy. Carine replied that she was not worth
SO much; and that, if she were, it was of
no use talking of the matter, for the faith
ers would not sell her. "By Saint Maron p
exclaimed Matthias, II can buy their whole
monastery"
He was mistaken. The monastery of Sc
lafka was the richest in all the East, and
the head of it was the most self-wlled of
men. He cut short the propositions of the
merchant-who went straight to him that
very dry-by saying that on no account
could the liberty of Carine be granted. at
thou wouldst marry her." said be, locking,
as Matthias thought, more wicked than q
demon, thou must give up all thy wealth
to us, and become our bondsman." With
this answer the lover went sadly away, and
returned 70 Tarsus, saying to himself, ." It
is impossible for me to give up, not only the