Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-08-16
THE ENCHNTED MANTLE.
BY JULIAN nAwrHonNr.

ocean moving llllmltaDly around 1t. Here
dwelt mother and her two children, a
girl and boy. She loved them exceed.
ingly, and they returned her loves and be-
cause the boy was older and stronger than
his sister, he took care of and protected
her; and she, being delicate and fair, con.
hded in and looked up to him. And it
was always summer around them; ever
since the boy and girl could remember it
had been warm and pleasant, with sun
shine and soft winds.
But one day the mother called her son
to her, as she sat in the shadow of the
cottage porch looking out to sea. The
sun was resting on tieecy heap of golden
clouds above the waters edge, and the
boy saw that long golden lines seemed to
stretch from him to them
Lionel" said the mother, "it is law
of this island that no one can remain here
after reaching a certain age. My time
has come, and must leave you, to return
no more; but hereafter, when your age is
fulfilled, you willfollow me. Now, when
! am gone, you will find the summer like.
wise has departed, and instead there will
be cold winds and snow, and clouds will
gather before the sun. In those days you
will wish to wrap yourself up warmly,
and sit before fire, where the cold and
darkness cannot reach you. But you
must never forget to care first for your
little sister; the cold and the darkness
will be harder for her to bear than for
you, and you must keep her always warm
and cheerful until she comes to my arms
again"
Lionel looked in his mothers eyes,
but said nothing Something filed his
heart SO full that he could not speak.
His mother gazed while in silence
over the sea, and the shadow of the cot
tage porch grew darker around her, so
that Lionel began to fear lest she should
vanish altogether; but the brightness of
the setting sun had dazzled his eyes so
that he could not see plainly. At last his
mother spoke again:
After | am gone you will find in my
room long dark mantle which your
father left me when, many years ago, he
reached his allotted age and departed
from us This mantle is enchanted, and
when you see it you will very much wish
to wear it; and if you should do so you
would be enabled to see me where I anu
gone. Notwithstanding, you must never
yield to this desire until your sister Rose
shall have ceased to require from you
any further protecting care and labor
for you as long as wear the mantle you will
be powerless TO give her any assistance in
time of need, or keep her warm and
cheerful in the winter weather; and
though you would be able to see me,
should look pale and sad, and the cold
winds and darkness would increase around
you. But if you have strength to resist
the spell OF the enchanted mantle until
your whole duty to your sister is per-
formed, you may then wear it without
fear, and shall appear bright and smil-
ing 10 you, even more so than you have
known me here"
AS his mother ceased speaking, the
shadow of the cottage porch became so
deep tAat Lionel could scarcely see her
where she sat. Nevertheless, it seemed
to him that she bent over him and kissed
his forehead and his eyes; and when he
opened his eyes again she was gone. But
looking across the sea, where the last
glimpse of the sun was just sinking be-
meath it, he noticed bright golden path,
extending thence to the Island shore; and
at the further end of the path, where it
was merged in the sun, he thought he
saw his mother standing with q glory all
about her. Then something so dimmed
his eyes that he could hardly distinguish
her; yet it seemed to him that just before
she vanished she looked around at him
and smiled. He stood gazing until the
sea had become dark and gray, the golden
path had vanished, and cold wind,
which came signing from the east, had
begun to drive the breakers into foam
against the shore. Then he withdrew,
with a shiver, into the cottage, and lit a
candle, and entered his mothers room.
BY the light of the candle as he looked
around the chamber, he saw along, dusky
cloak, or mantle, thrown over the chair
on which his mother used to sit. 1t hung
in somber folds, unrelIeved by any bright
embroidery or trimming. As he gazed
upon it wonderingly-for he never re-
membered to have seen it befOre-he was
conscious of a strange and almost irresist
ible longing to put it on. 1t seemed to
him that it would protect him, as nothing
else could, from the chill of the east wind
which was already beginning to whistle
around the cottage. He even felt as if it
would in some way bring back to him the
comfort of his mothers presence and
love. SO he approached and lifted the
heavy mantle from the chair. AS he did
so dreamy, enervating sensation began
to steal over him; his strength and vigor
seemed to ebb away, and the noise of the
sea waves on the shore sounded in his
ears like the voice OF one sObbing in her
sleep-like the voice of his motherl
But ere the dusky cloak could descend
over him he heard his sister Rose calling
to him loudly: "Lionel brother Lionel
where are you?'
Lionel started, and let the cloak fall
back upon the chair. In moment all his
mother had said to him rushed over him.
This, then, was the enchanted mantle of
which she had spoken-this the effect of
the spell it had already begun to cast over
him. Even now he could scarcely shake
it Off; but summOning all his strength he
rushed from the room, and ran to find his
sister, who sat shivcring on the door step;
and for the irsttime in her life there were
tears in her eyes. In his anxiety to cheer
and comfort Rose, Lionel forgot all about
the dusky mantle,
"What makes the sea so gray and an
gry?" asked she, teartuliy; "why is the
wind so cold? and where is our mother
gomez
"The last saw of her." replied Lionel,
''she was standing on the furthest edge of
the sea, close by the Sun; and think she
must be gone to him, so that whenever he
shines we may know that she is smiling
on us. And then we shall not mind any
more about the cold winds and the angry
sea-"
So Lionel took his little sister back into
the cottage, and brought wood and built
up warm fire in the fireplace; and the
light danced and tlickered about the
room, playing all sorts of pranks with
the chairs and tables and the ornaments
on the mantelpece; and Rose and Lionel
sat looking into The fire, her little hand
resting in his. 1t seemed almost as if the
sunshine had come back to them. AT last
Lionel cried out;
"See, Rose, in that red-hot coal is a
perfect picture of the sea and sun resting
ON it; and in the sun can you not see our
mothers face smiling on us"
Eyes! yesp cried Rose, elapping her
little hands for Joy; "and now we need
never fear the cold and darkness out Of
doors, for we can always have our moth
er's sunshine in the cottagew SO that
night they both slept soundly, and Rose
dreamed that the warm weather and soft
winds had come back, all the more de-
lightful for having been lost But Lionel
thought he was standing by his mothers