Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-07-02

soon she began to feel drowsy and fell asleep
The wind had risen and each gust as it came
brought some CHASTITY sound, which made
Lula start up in tremble out of her uneasy
slumber. Owls hooted in the distant trees
bats flew out and lowered round the win
dows, tapping their wings against the glass
But above all Lula heard the despairing
murmur, which she had heard floating over
the lake, and which now filed her with a
strange, sorrowful feeling. Then the words
of warning uttered by the spirit came back
to her, and she knew that the wall was in
her own heart, and that the virtue she was
about to Danish was making one last appeal.
But Lula was obdurate and dozed offagain
SO that she might not hear. The clock was
just on the stroke of twelve before she woke
again and then started up with scream ofter-
ror, for she had strange and fearful dream
She had dreamed that at the appointed hour
she had uttered name, but it was that of
Kolf Lyn, the miser His dreadful name
was still ringing in her ears, and with a
ghastly face she looked mp at the clock to
see whether in her sleep she had brought
upon herself terrible doom.
1t was just on the the stroke of twelve. =
One--two it began, and with a trembling
voice Lula called out the name of Erica. =
Louder and louder rose the despirlng wall.
The air seemed full of it, and again he.
heart was rent by a terrible pain The
wall was dying out in the distance, and a
sound as if Of hooking laughter came nearer
nearer The last stroke ard Lula saw a
dark shadow towering above her. An icy
hand fell heavily upon her face, each feature
of which was jerked out Of its place an icy
clutch tore something from her heart, and
partly through the intensity'of the pain, and
partly through the terror that had seized her,
Lula for time lost all sense:
When she regained consciousness she was
unable to remember what happened, but
memory returned to her as she caught sight
Of the long black hair which fell in luxuri-
ant masses over her shoulders. Running
excitedly to the glass, she saw there the face
Of Erica. With what Joy did she look at
the large blue eyes with their dark lashes,
and her small rosy mouth. She smiled and
she saw the pearly teeth she spoke and she
heard voice full of charm issuing from
those lovely lips. With what JOY did she
touch the soft, blushing cheek, clasp the
tiny white hands together, and then coiling
round her head the long black tresses, a cry
Of delight burst from her lips The thought
of the face which that glass had always be-
fore revealed was now horrible to her, and
she almost laughed aloud as she thought
how little the inhabitants of the lake could
know of human nature to imagine that she
would ever regret the exchange she had
made. Excited though she was, she felt
tired, and she threw herself on her bed to
snatch few hours repose. Generally, she
fell asleep at once, but the thought Of her
newly acquired beauty made her wakeful
and restless. Presently the bed she had
hitherto found so comfortable appeared to
her very hard one: so hard that, instead
of giving her repose, it made her limbs ache
painfully. What misery was a hard bed.
She was sure Chat Erica, whose parents were
much richer than hers, had much softer
couch and she began to feel that she had
been used hard in not being born rich. In
the midst, however, of this sudden fit of
pettishness, she fell asleep. On waking
she ran at once to the glass to see that her
beauty had not flown; but, as she looked
and saw that it was still there, it occurred
to her that she was not as pretty as she
thought; and she began to wish that she
had chosen to be like Sulita, who had the
soft brown eyes and golden hair. Very
much disguised at the mistake which she
had made, she went down stairs and sullen-
ly sat down to breakfast Never before had
she noticed how coarse her fare was and
again she considered herself ill-used, for she
felt certain that Erica was eating much
better breakfast Then she thought how
wretched the room was that she sat in. how
harsh were her parents voices, how tolsome
were the duties they asked her to perform.
What hard life was hers Was ever girl
so wretched and now, SO lovely as she was,
she might have been born a queen.
These and many such like thoughts passed
through Lula's mind; and, almost weeping
with vexation at the thought that she had
not asked for riches instead of beauty, she
went to find consolation in some of her IA
vorite haunts in the wood. But the bright
morning sun had no charm for her that day,
nor the fresh budding trees, and bright
Spring flowers. The singing of the birds
wearied her, and she thought how tired she
was Of the country. She longed to be in
town where she could see houses instead of
trees; gay shops where she could buy fine
dresses. Above all she longed to be where
her beauty could be appreciated, and where
she could lead a more amusing life than the
intolerably dull one which was now hers.
With a feeling of intense WEAKNESS she
returned home, and mechanically went
through her round Of duties. But where
was the interest gone with which she used to
them? Where the pleasure with which she
fed her numerous pets ? Where the happi-
ness that7she felt in the fact that she lived
il a beautiful world, that she was gifted
with life, and youth and strength with which
to enjoy all that was given to be enjoyed %
Later she went out into the village, but
her second walk gave her no more pleasure
than the first. Her friends seemed to shun
her and the little children who generally
came prattling up to her seemed to run away
as if in fear. But she tried to think that
tomorrow it would be different, for all
would see how beautiful she had become
The day passed YEARLY away for Lula and
toward evening, she went out again into the
woods, and sat herself by the side of brook
with feeling of despair at her heart such as
she had never felt
What had come to her she wondered.
Even the thought that she might become
Oswald Erlings bride seemed to have lost
its charm, for poor mans wife she would
have but toilsome existence. Why did she
look upon life almost with loathing? And
then kind of terror seized her, for fearful
thoughts oamo into her mind as she watched
the calm flowing of the water at her feet.