The mountain Democrat., 1864-04-09

has seized harp, and, with Q voice such
as the angels must poea@NA when they
gIority God, she sings che prafss Of the
Lord.
Fascinated by the divine harmony the
bridegroom remains an entranced listener
to the celestial voice that speaks to him oI
an unknown Deity; and when at last dav
light breaks In upon them, be throws him.
self at the feet of his virgin bride, ex-
claiming, Il will believe in no God but
thine I
"Such was the conversion OF Valerian,
who, with her by whose means it had been
inspired, suffered mArtyrdom in Rome
two hundred and thirty years after Jesus
Christ, under the reign OF Alexander Sc.
verus, that great perSecutOr of the Christ
ians."
st. Cecilia's legend belongs to the mid
die ages; but the charm of its relation has
still the power to catch the pleased senses
of the present time, which, while affecting
to scorn the superstitions Of a rude pc
riod, cannot but see in actual events the
Illustration Of earlier fables The fete Of
the ST. Eugenie has also its legend, not
connected with the sacred patron of the
day. but with the exalted lady who bears
the name.
Her story, even when written BY the
matter-of fact historian, is still thing of
marvel and wonder. Eugenie di Montjo,
the humble bearer of name ranking
among the obscure nobility Of Spain, won
an imperial crown through the simple ias-
cinations Of her manner and person. 4
parallel may be found in Catherine Of Rus.
Sia and in the first Napoleon's gentle 10.
sephine; but the Empress Eugenie has
added . greater amount of romance to
what was already sufficiently romantic in
history, for she wears the emblem of roy.
atty with so much grace and brilliancy
that one is fain to look in her life for some
essence Of the marvellous beyond what is
presented by its ba~e facts. Such an es.
sence has been found in the following tale,
written on the occasion Of her patrons
iete, during the late festivities at Com
pirgne
"Once upon a time there lived a great
lady in the kingdom of Spain who gave
birth to q pretty little daughter. AS was
the custom then, all the grandees of the
were invited to the christ
eniug.
Nothing was to be seen there but no
bic chevaliers and elegant chatelaies. and
the bright little fairies Of the country, who
had been invited too. Many toaStS were
given ut dinner-in imitation of the Eng
li>h fashion-tO which nobody listened
but only yawned. At last, however, the
fairy Good Fortune AZ ose, and every body
paid attention, as she was the little girls
god mother.
"She announced that her little god
danghrc, would be rndoN I'd with marvel
rus eantv and spa. king wit thatin her
the gra.ts Noul. unite u rend, her a /
that WAS rharuin.'l fascinating, aud that,
!" cr"~t all. >h" Was destined to ill the
high, s. station that ever noble lady had
been called "u I" occupy.
"'Thl> is al very well. said the fairy
lIiSacrCcahlc, as she entered the ROOM
NoA she had not been invited To the christ
.uirg because she lad Snch Il cautanker.
WIS temper; $" she jus came in tn spite
Them all, aud declared that tn little gil
should never possess the position, lrUmi>-
d unr, she added goodness to The other
qualities with which she had been endow
u. IN" mother of the little Engrnir
,rard the >eIit urc, and ij"m that nIumcit
al riuiy watched her daH4bf~r that she
nj .hl catch add cultivate the first germs
# what was needed u secure her good
nrtuue
&" At the age of eighteen years EUgenie
Ta> veritablr marvel If beauty, and so
vell had her mother succeeded in develo
ping every noble quality, that every one
lround called her The Angel OF the Noun
ain
"S~me little time after that Francis.
,an friar came to the castle TO beg for his
and said he had just come from
he neIghboring country. where there
'eigned powerful monarch who had an
lcunced bY trumpet sound that he want
d to marry, but only intended that the
most beautiful aud the best should mount
Iis throne.
"Eugenie's mother guessed that that
was the moment when the fairy's predic
lion was to be realized. She, with her
laughter, set off for the capital Of this
reat monarch, and arrived at grand ball
Ie was giving to the lords of his court
md the beautiful ladies who had assem-
oled from every part Of his empire. No
sooner, however, did he behold the lovely
than all the others appeared
ugly in his eyes, he chose her there aud
then for his wife, ana declared a week
should not pass ere the marriage ceremo.
ny should take place.
"As may be supposed the wedding was
all the most beautiful Of the
ladies' Of the court acted as the maids Of
honor to the new empress !; one would
hv its satellites. At the feast the young
bride sat on the throne quite as high as
her husbands, willie il was Whispered
about that the crown of diamonds that en-
circled her brow had been that morning
brought to her by the good genius Of her
life Each gem was formed Of tears which
Eugenie'S benevolence had dried on the
cheeks Of misfortune, AID that the good
genius had gathered on purpose to make
them into her wedding present. 1t was
also said that the imperial mantle was q
fairy one, and that it sheltered under its
warm folds all the little orphans who held
out to her their poor frozen hands,"
Such is the fairy history and the two
fetes Of St. Cecilia and st. Eugcnie. the
one belonging to antique tradition, and
the other bnt the simple establishment Of
a positive fact.
SwELLs.-Great men never swell. 1t is