Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-07
The Stained Key

Most OF our readers WILL recall the
story of " Blue beard, written by the
French author, Charles Perrault Blue
beard was man who had fine town and
country houses, much gold and silver plate,
a large variety of embroidered furniture.
gilt coaches, etc. but was untor tunately
the owner of blue beard that made him
look so uncomely that there was not a
woman or a girl that did not run away
from him. One of his neighbors, a lady
Of quality, had two daughters, who were
perfectly beautiful. Biue-beard proposed
the mother to marry one of them, leav-
ing her to choose which of the two she
would give him. Neither OF them would
have HIM. 1t was not 30 much the blue
be- I'd that was disliked As that the man
hao had several wives already, and nobody
knew what had become Of them. In pro-
cess of time, however, the younger girls
scrupies were dissipated, and she gave her
hand to him who 50 ardently sought it.
Never was there merrier marriage, never
a happier honeymoon. In process Of time
it became necessary for the husband 10
take q Journey, on a matter of great con
sequence, and which should occupy six
weeks at least. The wife was entrcated
to amuse herself to the fullest extent. The
keys Of the Store-rooms and of the chests
where was kept the gold and silver plate,
as also of the strong boxes that held the
money. were placed in her hands to do As
She pleased \ little key unlocked a closet
at the end Of a long gallery. This was
under no consideration to be used either
by the wife or by any OF her friends In
deed, were It TO be used. the direst con-
. $, quences would be visited upon the Of
fender OF things not interdicted, every
thing was opened and money and treasure
used most freely. Curiosity to know what
was in the closet at the end Of the gallery
I became so strong, that at last the young
wife placed the key within the hole, and
turned the bolt. What was her horror to
discover the remains of several former
wives OF Blue-b beard, suspended against
the walls She was ready to die with
horror at the revelatlon-the key uncon-
sciously dropped from her hand upon the
floor. Recovering her senses she quickly
picked it up, locked the door, and went to
her chamber to compose herself, but could
not. Having observed that the key of
the closet was stained with blood, she
wiped it two or three times, but the blood
would not come off She took sand and
gritstone, and scrubbed it; but as fast as
one side seemed clean, she turned it over,
and 10 On the other side the blood was
visible. Again and again she attempted
to remove the stain. but in vain
In the midst of her perturbation her
husband returned, and among the first
things called for the closet-key. Slowly
and hesitatingly it was yielded, when, see
ing the blood upon it, Bue-beard swore
speedy death to his wife She begged o
slight delay, and in the delay that ensued
the brothers Of the condemned woman
abruptly appeared, broke in the castle
doors, and soon made an end of the mon
/ ster husband.
Let the story be whatever the reader
will have it, Mr.. Perrault Processes to base
it on fact We simply rehearse some of
its points to show how, in the stained key,
we have type of the pollution that sin
makes on the human heart.
" Nor bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast,
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprnkling priest,
Norrunning brook food, sea-
Can wash the dismal stain away"
No, not all the hands that have ever
been, using all the waters that have ever
rolled, could cleanse one human heart.
But.
There is afountain filed with blood
Drawn from ImmanuaPs veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that Hood.
Lose all their guilty stains"
To that fountain, ne who has sinned
" little, " and he who has sinned much, p"
can 90. with the assurance that, trusting
in the Redeemer, his soul shall be made
pure, 1t is to do as God says, and to