Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1869-01-27
rNE NERo1NE OF T}E SIERRA
MORENA.

4
and courage, is very equivocal indeed. In
| all ages we read Of instances where female
! courage or presence of mind has not only
| appeared predominant over that OF the
| other sex, but has been the means of saw
ing and securing life and liberty, when man
has shrunk from the daring task. Women
| we're once the aw-givers of Israel, and Zen
| onia, the Palmyrane, set at defiance all the
| hosts of Rome. In later days We have had
brilliant examples of female heroism. Joan
| Of Arc, whose spirit, tinctured with super
| stition and reused to enthusiasm, drove
| the English from France and crowned a fu-
! Sltlve king in Rheims, can never be forgot
ten nor will all the laurels a Talbot won
| ever redeem his character from the stain of
putting her to death as witch, who put
them to defeat, as woman endowed with
a manly spirit.
In later times we have had the maid of
Saragossa," Who stood at the cannon's
mouth and led the citizens on to victory,
when even hope had fled from the hearts of
men and repoSing in female bosom,
changed the tide OF battle, and poured
leluge on the foe, that i'll three months
drove him from the whole of Spain, south
of the Pyrenees. -....
We know none more striking though
less noticed than that Of the young, the
beautiful, the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey,
who, on the morning of the execution, put
ting her hand to her neck, said, They tell
me the executioner is very expert, and /
have but Il little neck, SO my trouble viii
soon be over" But presence Of mind and
fortitude OF virtue were never more strik-
ingly displayed than III the following in
stance, which occurred where the Sierra
Morena rear8 its head above dark rolling
clouds and where also nature, in her md
est form, displays to the weary traveller a
wide and droary prospect Of barren wills,
disparted rocks, falling torrents, gloomy
forests Of pines, opening cLasms, and al
the dark variety that makes mature terrible,
without Il single CLEAN Of sunshine to seat
ter, is it were, the hope of heaven over The
gulf Of despair On this spot, arabove the
haunts OF civilized men, where the wild
winds whistle ana the tempcsts roar, stands
the chateau Of Count de Ropdoyile, where
the narrow path leads the traveller round
the mountains summit, and where the
long-p practiccd mule carries is hurtLen in
security, though the deviation Of an inch
would prccipitate beast and rider over II
rrccipiae three hundred feet high. On this
spot, perched like an eagles nest, IS tho
seat OF hospitality to be found.
The Count, who is lord OF the valley be-
low, choose here to fix his abode He is
fond Of field sports and mountain scenery
to bring down the hawk and falcon, 10
wind the thicket after the wolf and the fox,
and to spring from rock to rock with
giant bound and the fleet chamois, consti- |
tuted his amusement Of the day. At even
ing's close, to open his door to the way-I
worn traveller, to rouse the fire on the
hearth and spread the table with plenty,
were his predominant delights. thousands
have tasted his Iberality, and whenever he
visited the smiling fields below, the isping
of childred and the benedictions of the aged
proclaimed his presence. ....-. .. |
He had passed his life without ostenta-
ton, and had not a male servant III his ret |
inUe. One young girl, native OF Estre-
madura, aged nineteen, was selected to at |
tend upon his own person, and he treated
her as his own child. One evening lie had
been ont late, and on his return he threw i
himself upon a couch and sank into repose. |
Dorothea, aware that he would not re-
quire her assistance any more, retired to
rest, and so did all the servants. About
one in the morning party of banditti, at
the head of whom was Randolph Vascali, |
so long the terror of Spain, thundered at
the gates of the chateau, and soon burst
them open. They tore the menials from
their beds, and with horrid imprecations
made them disclose where their little treas
rres were deposited, and some they put to
instant death. The noise awakened the
Count, who rushed unarmed into the hall.
Rodolph Vascali seized him by the throat,
and was on the point of stabbing him,
when Dorothea, the little maid Of Estre
madura, entered, bearing a candle. The
robber started at seeing her, refrainel from
his blow, and loosened his grasp. The fine
form of Dorotheo, robbed in night attire,
appeared as a beautiful vision, or spectre
from another and better world. The
work of death was going on at the extremi-
ty Of the hall, and over the marble floor
streams of blood flowed in torrents.
'Stop," she cried, ''the work of death,
and follow me. You want money, and l
will conduct you where it is to be had.
''What pledge have I for the truth %
said Randolph vascali, leaving his hold OF
the Count.
''The pledge of blood the tie of nature.
am thy only sister"
It was so Randolph, with commanding
voice, ordered his band to desist from MUIR
der and to retire, while he compelled the
Count to sit down under pledge not to