Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-04-09
THE PORTRAIT ON THE WALL,

THE PORTRAIT ON THE WALL.
l had rambled through England, and on
my return from the Continent determined
etc again crossing the blue waves Of the
Atlantic, to conclude my wandering BY a
tour through Scotland had fingered in
Rome until the days Of golden Octobe,
had nearly dsd, then tarning my unwilling
feet from classic Italy, wandered north.
ward, and reached and tarr;ed another
mouth in gay ~volsptuous Paris. Then
crcssed The borders. Of Scotland, il wanted
.S~ one ~esklto Ckrh.nAa = *L*s'I*
The day before Chrissmas, At noon,
reached the town OF Ayr. Ihsd not tray.
eled in hurry, and wished to see and
hear everything Of interest on my route.
As It bad the appearance Of . storm, de-
sired to 60 no further on that day, but
wait until the storm, was over. as did not
wish to be overtnken and blockaded 10 a
. small hamlet by large snow storm. Be.
sides wished to pay visit to the old
Castle OF Ayr, which stood but short
distance from the hotel. = y
An hour later, just as the large fakes
Of snow were beginning to thicken in The
air, l bent my steps eastward, and passing
By the porter's lodge. sent him with my
errand to the butler. A generous reply
came back to me, and ere many moments
had passed, l was seated with bu,'er, and
his copartner in dignity, the house keeper,
in little airy apartment adjoining the
servants hall.
The dungeons, the keeping room, the
armorial halls we're visited, and in the
latter, as he pointed out each sui. of rusty
a.,nor, the butler would tell who had once
worn it in battle, and the grea. deeds the
wearer had performed.
Nothing now remained to be seen but
what to me was tho most interesting Of all
the old family portraits; and after an-
other mug Of ale had been drank, fol-
lowed in the wake Of the housckeeper, the
batter bringing up the rear, to the portrait
gallery.
Here, as the hours went on, gazed on
the sembance Of the long line of Tie
lords Of Ayr, their ladies, and their fair
daashters and brave sons, who were now
sleeping in dust in the gray old chapel.
Their vices ana virtues we're freely CON-
nen.ed upon by the earralous old house
keeper, perhaps colored BY herself some
what, and by others who had handed tho
story of their lives down to her.
Time wen, Oh and still was gazing on
the portraits, and the housekeeper's tongue
KEEP. pace with thy eyes and footsteps; but
at last, just as the dusky shadows of twi-
light began to steal in through the lofty
arched windows, stopped, spell bound,
before the portrait of the fairest woman
sver gazed upon. The picture was old,
and plainly showed the hand Of time on
surface and framing; but the beauty Of
the face was unimpaired, as If even old
Tine himself could not have the heart to
deface one linean,cnt Of those matcbless
fsaAsrss. The arehed neck, the high fore.
siesa, snd The lustrous eyes were the same
as they we're long years ago. There could
not have been more beautiful counte-
aance-it was impossible for the fair lily
70 have been more beautiful than its sem
blance here. y **
Z The portrait Of the fair lady" said the
housekeeper, I've heard my grandmother
say nAsy ,uues when Vas = liisls girl as
beautiful - it seems, vas not q fair SEM
blanee Of the Lady Anna, the faires. mai
! dsa in al Scotland: A proud race were
those ofAyr, and Lady Anna had inherited
from her stern old father large portion
Of his pride and iron viii. Right proud
~as Tho old Lord Of Ayr Of his beautiful
daughter, and Il there was anything o.
earth towa5d ,ybich he bore affection it
Vas his .motherless child, for his fair young
~iSs had given up her sweet lie Il De
birth. of Aaoa, and for twenty years had
bean sleepin4 ID sncestral vaults.
The Lord of Ayr Was ambitious to we'd
his daughter tSsnGAs Aigh dignitary at
Cosrt. and many that the old Lord would
have besn slad TO have seen tho husband
n bis child Had come 10 The castle It.
trsctsd there by the reports Of her nsr-
veloss beauty; but somehow the lady
turned deaf ear to al their, wooing, and
thus .in1 vent On. and me old Lord was
without son-in-law. >.&.. ~. W. =
But ops day messenger came to the
castle and the mssssgs he bore set the old
man in fever Of excitement. The pur.
port Of il waa that that day week the Lord
Of Douglas. one Of the most powerful and
wealthy Of al the northern noblemen,
would pay him visit, and il he and the
-. -. Il