The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-06-16

cial contract.
what hast thou done?" exclaimed he,
casting down the lamp and sword, and
covering his face with his hands. "Why
didst thou not intimate thy heroic re-
solve, and the possession of worlds
would not have made us ruin that love-
illness which Kingdoms cannot repair"
You would have called it maid-sicl
martyrdom, or coquetry run mad, or
epithets equally fantastical," said she,
pressing her hand to her bosom.
"Stay, there yet is hope. The injury
thou hast inflicted is not irreparable,"
cried he, rushing to arouse the house,
hold, when she beckoned him back.
Il pray your Majesty be calm," said
she; the worst is past"
80 heavens, how heartless we seem
to be the cause of all this wreck. o, FL
len, canst thou forgive thy destroyer ?"
"Indeed. / can; far better be thus
than be tarnished thing cast away, for
maids to loath and men to scorn me.
Now the worst they can say of me is,
~
good to escape an evil"
"And what will they say of me, FL
len 2"
"That the good King Francis once
upon time, meeting poor, plain girl
in an obscure town, was so blinded with
strange love that she saw no way to
restore him to sight than to lose her
own"
"Gracious and all mysterious God"
exclaimed he, appalled,, "thou dost not
say thou art blind?"
In sooth, such is my fear. Give me
your hand, and I'll determine whether
there is water in the well-spring of the
brain," said she, with touching tender
ness and she shed tear, which he
kissed away as she endeavored to exam
inc his palm.
"Ellcn, Ellen, say thou canst see, and
make me happy!' exclaimed the ago
nized monarch, falling on his knees, and
!. resting his head heavily against her
, breast.
, "All's dark, my Liege."
"All, Elem"
, eyes, my Liege."
, 60, say not so. Say there's yet lit
tie light"
"And so there is, Lord Francis lit
tie light that misled me into"
r Glove, Ellen"
r ""ris so, Lord Francis"
1 "For whom, Ellen? Thou tremblest.
| know ALL"
1 "Then if you do, why do you ask?
5 why do you ask, Lord Francis?"
8, "Ellen, thou lowest him who would
} have been thy base undOer."
"'Tis so, my Lord"
r go, torture worst of all and Ellen's
e blind !" and her tears fell plentously on
e his upturned face, while he continued
: to calculate, "And she is blind! o, who
e will love her now, when she is blind 2"
4 won't you, my sweet Lord Fran
els, love me as though were dear sis
< ter long since dead""
dearest sister, l WILL" said he, kiss
, ing her hands fervently. "Sister Ellen,
, | will; and never till now knew Fran
els love so pure, so lasting"
"Eh yon keen crucible hath burned
, away all drossiness," said she, moving
her hand over the cbafing-dish. "'Tis
= with life as with this short episode of
an hour. Nothing in the way of vir-
tue was ever accomplished without
| pain. TO horse, Lord Francis, and
: whenever you pray, remember Ellen
: Ingleverre."
"And must we part thus, more dear
ly loved and doubly fair?
eyes, and rejoice that no guilty blush
crimson my cheek, nor criminal throb
upbraid my heart for bcating," replied
she, as the hawk uttered such pierre
ing series of screams that first her at
) tendant, and then others, and finally re-
tainers and jewellers, rushed into or
surrounded the room, where they dis
covered the sovereign surnamed 1.-THE
Restorer of Learning, and the Great"
deprived of forethought and firmness
of mind.
The most skilful leeches the town or
court could afford were summoned; but
their aid was only of partial avail. Fa-
cial beauty had forever babe farewell to
her whose self-control was worthy the
best days of chivalry. Eyebrightness
had not, however, departed; and in the
gray mists of the morn she saw her roy
al lover depart never more to return.
In after life he was wont to say that
/. throughout his glorious career of war
and peace he had met only two human
beings eminently great-one the fa-
nous Bayard, the poor captain of afew
ances, the chevalier sans reproach, from
whose sword King Francis sought and
received knighthood rs iearth's greatest
honor, and the other the humble and
lovely Ellen, who had taught him that
love without purity is dishonor, and
charms without virtue is shame.