Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-08-14

Lawns TsoSs = saw sstfs

GO iVAkENZIA iGRADENIG0. ssoTo
a y'ffOaEsx y'ffOaEsxs ol9e or Ahf: r.. f:s .'s.' 1'0' !.
cd ot ssbiTaikoe1l-8tsf bo'e9sSo
I'm ono of sthea art galleries lof sNienna
hangs sTpicturse of Ysnetian life, the
peculiar Interest n tie visitor. rs Is. an an
interior apsfthnent IN the ducal palace.
where three aged senators, evidently othe
famous Council Of Three are holding one
Of their secret sessions. One, of them, a
tall. proud figure, with the finely chiseled.
intellectual. dark face, familiar to US in old
Venetian portraits. : has risen In iexeites
rnent. anu with a stern gesture. Is address,
ing, a young and beautiful noman, who
sinks ,fainting on the. stone foor.r She is
supported BY an official who seems to dep
recatet thc harsh 'demeanor of the senator.
A notarys behind the table in there's Of
the group. is making a record of tho pro-
ceeuinSs'ss{ 81 .La.. i.J.e q a .i'Tsea
The story on which this picture is found
cd IS contained IN French romance OF the
XVlI,hocentdfy,i and though no authensi-
cationoofaifi has been discovered in the Eyc.
netian srchieves. it probably rests lonn a
tradition then current. If not. it is no less
true reflection of the character of the
time in Venice, when, amidst the gay pa
geant of its flourishing and gorgeous life,
rose that,dark. mysterious tribunal-irrc-
sponsible, ,remorseless, irresistible as, Fate,
which held in its unseen hand the whole
power of the Republic ,fhe story runs
thus:d Nalenzias was ythevtiauglaero of the
Senator Gradenigo. by birth. therefore.
one Of the first ladies of Venice. She had
all the rich beauty of her country women,
with this remarkable distinction, admired
in proportion TO its rarsness, that her hair
was of the loveliest blonde color, changing
in sun to gold. and was SO abundant that
it fell in heavy shining waves below her
knees. - 1'o'' 81 p - ''"'s ..
a beautiful Italian. woman Of nineteen
could not be without a.lover. and " Kalcnzia
had already yielde,i. the first bloom Of her
heart to the young: partizan, Leonardo g
Whether from necessity or the mere ca
price Of youthful faneyfhe attachment was
kept secret froaitlrsir respective families,
and the young pair met roply in the palace
OF Leonardo's bosom friend. Aatonia Eos
carni. Even he was NOT intrusted with the
name OF the lady who Stole, closely yelled,
into his house; nor had he ever been favor
ed with q glimpse ~her-facc. But the
glowing eulogies of her chmfns. to which
he was obliged to listen-especially the
description of her wonlerfu, hair, Vcxcitel
his sgination all the more. and the i,lca
fastened itself j i'm his mind thai. in these
gnldeu threads lay some magic power
which had ent rallied his friend. for here
toforesLeonardo had been insensible to fe-
male attractions. y;fei ia sis1 sdf ia snr
For time the course of true love ran
smooth. Then, suddenly. as il the earth
had opened to swallow him. Leonardo dis
body was found in one of the canals VIII ich
vein this city Of the sea. A deep' woupd
insthe breast showed that he had been tho
victim OF assassination. Valenzia's griel
had all the storm .vioiencc 7ofsa first grea,
sorrow But far more profound was the
affliction of the friend, who fully believed
that the fatal st .b had been given by q
Jealous rival. .Leonardo,' he exclaimed
as he gazcd on the bloody corpse, "the ac.
cursed blonde locks are answeIablc 70,
this. .deedr' From this hour an upconquer
able aversion to the blonde hair took pos.
session Of him which grew into a true mo.
'nomania. 1t was the fashion Of the day
4 in Venice for the ladies to bleach their darl
hair by the use of chemical, preparations,
and SO. strong. and nndisguised was bis
contempt for the practice as 70, obtain lfol
him hin the - sobriqaes. Of Of. blonde. Hail
i e '.se.e4ea .sar4lf7 xsligss ~ .0a0
\ His relations, anxious to divert his. mine
from these morbid ,fancies and -recollec
tions. urged him 10 marry. lie was on,
4 of the handSomest OF the oung partizan,
Of Venice--Lw figure noble, shis. face ful
OF intelligence and feeling; and he had
further passport to Il lIe favor of the sladie
in his singular tleyotion in friendship, an,
> his corresponding ,sindifie renee to them
! selves Admirstions5 sympathy, "a spiq ue
conspired to render him an sobjecl oftran
scendent sipterest to the fair ssisx.io Hi
friends led him from one gay circle TO an
4 Other, inetheJhepe that he night. nnnwares
spfnd himsclfsine the mesles Of the ahttl
4 blind god. 1t was oil in vain. At lengtl
his father settled the question by an ar
arrangement with the Senator Gradenigo 70
4 marriage between the two families, an,
Antonio found himself, ptcdge,lf TO The con
nection entirely without his own knowl
edge or consent. But such marriages o
domestic or state policy we're the rule i
Venice. and his heart having no tie else
where. hc submitted without reluctance. Z
Preparations we're sbastenedD on. on, and til
wedding day was appointed, s'''0i. . , {
Valencia had yielded with less. reluc
tance. even with % degree, of moprnfu
4 pleasure. She well knew 'Antonia. thoug
4 heTsalf wholly unknown to him. Thei
mutual attachment TO the lost Leonard
was q tender bond Ills inconsolablc grie
!. for the one dearest to, her had given him
sacred place in her heart. Her own. lot
moreover. was fun Of discomfort aud cha
igrin. her father being one of, those sterl
and cruel men whose iron rule turns tn
j palace into q detesied prison. After th
4 death Of her lover she had wished to bur,
j her sorrows in a asconyent. but the old Sena
tor, who rcgardedzhis daughter as sfmpi,
an instrument of family aggrandizemeni
had pcremptorilyf and hafshly refused hi
consent Life With. the rbonorable, gentle
frtlp- hparfcd n ~ - - o,v,x "A = q 80, n