Middletown transcript., 1871-05-13
l)apular atlisccll.lnn.
THE SUNKEN CITY.
4 rreeSn o. ruth zrpYrexrr.

.Aiaoug thc commercial sca-.pwns Of
Holland, >iN centuries ngn, 'tay0reu heli
ihr iirt place Ships II is merchants
covered The sfas and imported tle pro-
iuctinn, # all zrtas. Sarh m extensive
commerce ra..sl ii. wealth u this town
- u hitherto uphuawn ,X..ni. II is tras
.kat there w.fr hac, as elsewhere, many
poor, bu thu wealthy vastly outnunh'rel
them High ljs', luXnty aud maenii-
ccncc, tha usual conpanjaa, nt great dch-
cs. prevailed; fUr in foolish priIr IN ]
ruiu,u. z,al rlcii citizen tricI 50 ontvi
the other IN rnmp. Il,nirg, and eNiraya-
CANT hau1uet, Tradition relates the
many hons which aln,l7l pllars. iii
their erande.t They wt;e constructed
Of marble, the interiors ornament. with
the most artistie decorations. covered with
thc riches; tapestries, provided with Tho
rarest farnsQss. u I9Ars b4gnl vi:h ths
mast precious metals ih,trli u, ,rpa.
But Of ail ths Suyarsn merchants n1na
eoull compare ii riches with tie sitgin
eiehhafta Tn success with viii i aara
IT h@r sf#eaniu Na rewarded. aal MT
seldom viii III af#etat Pslts, sss@s =
>haW IA h.r - win, j ~ 3f'anc eIuli
lavish ier e.fs aa.a maitsl ml hrs laaz
ailnw hee i1tess to b. nj yel
The commercial ieei uf IL virgin mer-
chan, visited til rrunlest srag. GLl not
only returned each time with the richest
profits. hnt laaled with lhe mnst eSpeu-
sise wares. with ornaments uf diaWonds
pearls, aui precious stones. which W.T.
emplavca in tn palace Of theif mistress
aHl .hans ~ /; a4lA.
SMek - ,5Ht gid forum lsiehhetta
could nat support with iniiefsnrs, md ii
, thf m1sim that st.ai nj. fortunes arr
easier 10 b. hprnr Than immadatate hap-
pnc,. h. tras. RietAefla WIS destined
to he eiafine pft1i 81 iae truth Of this
assertion
llfr prle aal ylinslafy kept step with
tie inerFae ai heg fisi4ss aHi liz showed
this bull J., eanirlaii fif ht lellaw-ef#at
ur5s aud Is preparing the masi lasafiant
aal 5tFgs -: a-ss. viii - i9tea.
iian n aate ~ ai85a H.a- tt7 town
linn Il s8 Hs 1es. II aE.#a#ais n
ulmife ih eyer $50 iss sIGslst II her
apartments. aui b aaa0isba II liz fs..
eien aal % Is fta5 sal N.a, az. iha-
excite ih-if eaff j; aae . fhsst sslse.
less rem-- Ill 5ia5 eaihins = I'll miai
ana lfptiut tn hea5t fesa. Il stf1fz sazst
vi announced IL came. h. III. from
f4aiea taaatia>: lal saan 0aB fasi,
Kingdoms anl III ri Hi6r If tbaresafts.
aud hal tsme l. 9ia.Fa Rithhef,ts fithz
pa. which faae rep III Ia b. miraculous
The ilatt5 ftl Misirt.s i#a2 lha .,fa.
ger Ii lakr sent nj her >iae. IL anpFas
FL 10 ha .iill Il tahH all man in iha pie
turesqd9 sssfume Il tlle Orient Ills eou.
duet wa ,.55h dieuiiisd AMI n1blr rs h.
stepped 70 i1iebhefia expaeiing The vel
eomo from hor hand. Which, according In
the nsate ai lis country, Is given sfmhol-
ically b, ,ta atIering of hteai and salt
But ihefe Wns no brena on the luxurious
table. which eronned under It's burden Of
rare. epienrean dishes, and from which the
simple nonFi~hmenl of poverty was ban.
lid
sileatl, the stranger seated himself, and
while taking refteshment related, IN n
manner which found all eyes and cars up
nan him. Of his travels by land and water,
of faregn nations nnl their customs.
Every guest wns entraucnd with his
words hut not so ihe virgin Richbe' "a -
Her vanity conli oxpee, nothing e'.se than
that the stranger should b. lc al in hi,
praises Of her riches. the brill .ncy Of her
fapst, and would make comparisons giving
fresh nourishmcni to her pride. To these
subjects. however he ma.ie 10 allns,9n, III
finally driven to desperation. she demand,
cd il oil him herself, when he confessed TINT
only with kings had be found snch splen-
dor aud extrayngancc; md what made il
more singular to him was, that he should
miss here the best and noblest thing that
the earth produced.
In vain did she attempt TO obtain full
Ter explanation Of the strange guest, and,
being questioned too prcssingly, he aisap.
penred. and wss not seen again.
Richberia's psidc and curiosity, equally
excited. allowed her no quictnde. She
posscsscd in valuables al that could b
mentioned; however, tho bort and no.