Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-12-17

given her. The good Queen was looking
we'll to the ways of her household, and ev-
cry living thing was preparing for the
great eveut. The king and his lords din
ed scantily that day, on whole roasted
OK, and sat long over the we'll filed fagons
Of ale, and beer, and vine. But the Prin-
cess grew weary of her .quietude For
amusement she dressed herself in her sill
! yer inwrought satin-lustrous white of it.
self, and cleaning with jewels fastened
her silver zone with sparkling gem band
ed back her golden ringlets with diamond
glittering band, and over all threw her
mantle of purple velvet, lined with ermine,
rich with broidery Of gold, and sparkling
with emerald stones Then she wandered
from room to room Of the flower wreathed
palace, smiling at her own reflection from
polished silver PANELS, ever moving on,
as if drawn by an Irresistible power. She
left the splendid rooms; ere she was aware
she stood by time-stained door-a door
she never saw before. Softly the wind
blew it open, and sue wandered through
the bare chambers, following a hummine
sound till she entered room, where sat an
old woman spinning-(the angered wise
woman spinning the thread of Beauty's
life.) Now, spinning the Princess bad
never seen, for the old king ordered all
the spindles from the kingdom to avert
danger from his sweet child, So after a
gentle obeisance to the aged woman, she
stood eagerly watching the threads drawn
out, one by one, and she knew not that it
was her own life.
"Mothcr, what dost thou 2"
Il spin"
"Teach HE 50 to spin; let me hold the
threads"
4 cannot teach thee SO to spin, but thou
mayest hold and turn the SPINDLE"
The maiden did as she was bildou-the
old crone muttered to herself Once, twice,
the spindle turned smoothly and easily,
the third time the web tangled the spin
die whistled in her fair hands; it struck
her beautiful arm, and she fell prone upon
the floor. There she lay in the deathlike
trance which would be on:her for a century,
and with her all things in the palace and
palace grounds deadened into the same sto-
ny slumber The horses. paving in their
stalls, with the groons still dressing them;
the pigeons and doves upon the housetops,
feeding their young ones, Or with head
under wing the deer in the park, the fish
in the lake while in the house, the queen
stood weighing raisns from Smyrna a
maid in the kitchen was basting the roast
ing oxen; the cook was cufiug kitchen
boy; the king and lords sat at table, drink
inga toast; all still as death and as lifeless
Twenty fvc-dfty--nearly hundred
years had passed generations had come
and gone. Round the palace lad grown a
witch-trimmed hedge Of roses and thorns;
outside of that the Black Forest spread its
shadows for miles, and caught the wild
winds and held them prisoncd i'll by its
branches, ever wailing to be free. Tyadi-
ton only told Of the Enchanted Palace,
where all that once Lad life were neither
living nor dead, and many were the adyen-
turous knights who tried to break the spell,
but vairly. The forest and the hedge
held many blcached bones, many suits of
rusted armor. The century waned to its
close. Then came the Prince, the hero
and the conqueror, "Ah," he cried, Il
will awaken this stony maiden She shall
take her life at my hands and give it ali
back to me-" Dauntless aud daring, he
passed on, unattended Night after night
the sun gilded the West. The moon shone
smilngly on the eerth, but he saw not
their light. Denser than cavern darkness
was the Black Forest, until he came to
the witch trimmed hedge-to the whitened
bones and rustod armor With his Dam
ascine sword he cut his way through. On
he went to the palace doors, through the
hall, on through flower wreathed rooms,
led by an intangible power and the time
stained door, through bare chambers, on
to the Princess death-like form, lying
prone upon the floor. Her mantle Of purple
ermine lined, and gold and emer-
aid embroidered-lying as a coverlet over
her; from beneath shone out the lustrous
white satin, inwrought with silver and
cleaning with jewels, while her hair grown
long by oentury's growth, had formed
golden cushion for her head, from which
the diamond glittering band had loos ened,
and part Of her tresses, blown by the wind,
lay in ringlet coils upon the floor adown
the purple mantle, and over the lustrous
satin: The Prince gazed in wondering
admiration on this maiden. fairer than
ever was or ever will be-" He drew near.
he knelt, he kissed her, and suddenly
came noise through all the palace halls.
The maiden cheek flushed rose-hue. An