The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-25
TILE CONr.ESSION OF ZILLAH EHE
WITCH.
BY lie AUTHOR OF ''M1LDREDs WEDDING" &C.

by lie AUTHOR OF s'MILDREDs WEDDING" &C
lam painters daughter; and although NJ!
father WIS of Zurich, L am, on my mother!
eide. of English blood But have small me
morv of this mother, for she died when Was
q child; yet here in my doleful prison her tact
hath como to me in a dream often, ana naVt
seen her sulle, and heard Whispered words
comfort which will not set down less they loo
be called wilchcraft.
My father loved only his art. 1t he cared fol
me it was but ftfnlly, and because my fact
served him as q model. My hands, too, he
loved to paint, they. being Wondrous small
and shaped slenderly. My hair also was
exceeding beautiful; it reached nearlv 10 my
feet IN rleh waves OF brown. l have
heard that many women afflicted as l
ar have nevertheless this jewel on their
bead-a crown of glorious hair. Yes, am
afflicted IN BODY / have ever been slckly, and
ms form is slight and thin,-nos straight
some say; and my left foot barely touches the
ground. Yet my face hath power and beauty
yea, and sweetness too, though l be a witch
And 1t often served my father III his pictures
for many a saint and martyr.
I confess that he also made me sit to him at
! tunes ior q slbyl, or sorceress, OF a nun con,
demncd TO due for broken VOWS ; anu once SAT
for Saxon queen undergoing the ordeal Oh the
red.hot ploughshares. de changed my nan
then 10 golden; aud on my strange sad tace.
my Gark eyes and ebony broWs, he threw INC
light of the torturing fire.
Ah, God, as it will De tomorrow when die
But | dare not think Of this, for my heart
| grows cold with fear, my hands tremDle, anu
my poor pen drops powe!less.
These sittings 10 my father, the painter, were
very sad 10 me, FOR he never spoke. save TO Dld
mo change my attitude, or bring upon my face
| 4 T AnII
Will. mad but to thiHk of joy or sorrow, OF
hatc or love, and swift upon my face there
| flashed the semb!ance of these passions. AS
| sat silent. having neither look nor Work,
used to dream. / dreamed of the banshed
queens. the martyrs, and the lonely saints IN
deserts, whom my father loved to paint. Of-
ten it was Ut his command dreamed thus.
"zillah," he would say, u paint queen
falsely accused, brought before gaping mul-
titude 10 dle. Think, child, OF her agony, her
Indignation at mans inj justice. and her plteous
prayers to God.'
Then as he spoke the queens soul came into
NV soul, and all hcr anguish rushed upon me;
| her mingled shame and courage, her faith anu
foar, the hope OF her spirit, and the shrnkins z
| of ner flesh. And on my face there flushed
and paled and quivered these terriers, and my
| fathers pencil seized and ixod thom on the
| canvas.
Ali for his arts sake be should not have
| lost his child. For the visions which he babe
arse would not cease when he flung down the
pencil. No; they grew on me and upon my
iace-forced so oft to expressions beyond my
youth, and alien to the tlmes5there grew
| something unnatural and weird; so Mt night,
| when looked upon myself III my mirror, felt
afraid, and I covered my wild eyes with my
| hands.
There was maiden lived near u.s. whose SUI
pie fornl is to be seen in mahy q picture ef my
fathers, Joined to my sad face. Sho was noble
| by birth: but her father, an English exile driven
from his own land By wars and treason, died at
Zuricii so Door, that scarce WAS there money
| found to chant mass Ior him ut his burial.
Yet his child was gently nurtured, and lacked
nothing OF this worlds joys; Ior rich goldsmith
and his wife, having no children, took her, and
loved her as their own.
Slo WAS no friend Of mine; but her lover
was my fathers pupil, and so she was glad to
come to his studio, wi ere she could babble
love talk as he worked. She was not beauti-
ful; ber eyes were cold blue, and though her
skin was fair, there was no light upon her face.
| And She loved all the baubles Of this world
more than any foolish woman whose poor,
small, weak heart it hath been my fate to
read. She did not love mc;-but- thai -'.sas st.s
aSas, 1 l1iiiR2,; ,JttaI5ds fte 6ff 81 me-
Jealous aud Ambrose scarce ever spoke to
mo. That was her lovers name; hers was
|
brose brought her to our house; him L had
known all my life long, for his father aud mine
were cousins and brother painters.
Ah, Icould not help my love! 1t came tt
me when I was u child, and as woman coult
not fling il lway. AS well try to pluck the llie
from my veins as tear out Ell nay heart I'LL:
woful loyo. He did not heed it; no thought
NV pun over rutlod his careless nature Bea
irice had all his thoughts, all his love. scarce,
| 4.,1i ipn /
that day, aad then it restcd on my pallld face
as 1t might Oh face OF stono.
NO maiden in Zurich was so solitary GS l.
Being slckly and silent, / could not make
f1cuds. and I folt must not dare to ask Tor sym
pathy. Ii feared MysclR at times, and paed al
sight of my own face, what would tlieSo happier
damscls say il L confessed to them my WIG
visions These srow upon lac with more III
tensitv as became older, and oft ut night
heard volces, biading me arise and escape tt
the wilderness, OF 10 the heights OF lionel,
mountains. They tell me now these wore TN,
voices OF demons commanding me to JOIN the
wItchcs' Sabbath, ard nay judges say tina
doubtless | arose and went. witnesses als(
have sworn they saw mo III strange shapes
fleeing through woods and marshes AZ nignt
AlasI [ know not il this be true. Ii SO, th'
uoWer hath left me now Shut up IN thls dole
lul prison, ne spell comes to my memory Which
shall chaa.o mo to bird or hare, or wohr-Tolt
and so holp me to escape theta got and tht
flames. r.,
given. Rltner would | choose death than
return t. sorcyry. Ah, me! L did not wish tc
ba il wIch. rho sin grew upon mo rs icvc
in the blood grows, Till the weird pawcr wlthll
me sls stronger than |. Yet ii l could lntcr
prot dreams, and read thoughts, aud see as II
ylsou the faces OF the absent, wish no
thai il was wicked; aud l swear L have nor
rnc:,Drauca o: ali tho evil things WING 'ae'
AGAINST lac. If III the night l arose, and LEI
.,W;r as Il bird OF q deer, knew 1t not; though
[ will not deny that ott-tlmos IN the mornings
| have found my pillow wet with tears, and In
head heavy. aud my limbs aching, as hav
heard happier mallcns say theirs uiu aiIe
much dancing.
Well. these uc honorable men who have trle
me, so will not sainsay them. 1t may DO taa
much yorrow, aud the torture, anu the dun3co
have taken away my memory; so no shadow,
INV wandcrinss III unholy shapes, rests upo
my brain. ,..oa. ~,
Il so happened that as M father painted til
Saxon uuc.n Ambrose stood and looaea OF
NOW Bcatrlce had sat Tor the figure, the rounc
cd arms. the swelling neck; but mine vas III
vufni face that gaZed pT&rd III PRAYER.
Your queens form Is beautiful, dalu AL
brose. but ike rot iicr faco.'
:. IsDokc not, though SHARP. pang ran tlirouS
ME at his cruel words, AID clasplnS my hahu
cast them upwards wildly: forgetting WI
WAS by. r,4,,,
in anger; 'why not have uone that yesterda
girl? e,,o l.;
/ H., lii nrI n nG