Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-04-02
THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRIN-
CESSES.

Grenada, had found among the captive,
in one of his forays into the territorie.
of tho Christians, damsel of trans
cendant beauty. The fair captive, ant
old duenna who had been taken will
her, were consigned to the royal harem
and in due time the former made thu
Moorish sovereign Called the left
handed king) the proud and happ,
father of three lovely daughters, ali
born at birth. Mohammed could
have wished they had been sons, but
consoled himself with the idea thai
three daughters at a birth were prett,
we'll for man somewhat stricken in
years, and left-handed. As usual with
all Moslem monarchs, he summoned his
astrologers on this happy event. They
cast the nativities of the three princes,
ses, and shook their heads.
Daughters, o king!' said the sages,
"are always precarious property but
these will most need your watchfulness
when they arrive at q manageable age
at that time gather them under YOU
wings, and trust them to no othe,
guardianship"
The threefold birth was the last mat
rimonial trophy of the monarch his
queen died soon after, bequeathing he1
infant daughters to his love, and to the
fidelity of the discreet Kadiga.-fo,
such was the name of the duenna.
Acting upon the advice of his astrol.
Ogists, the cautious monarch sent hie
daughters under the care of the Kadipa
to be reared in the castle of Solobrena,
This was a sumptuous palace surround.
ed by strong Notifications and situated
on the summit of hill which over
looks the blue waters of the Mediter.
ranean sea. Here the princesses re.
manned surrounded by all kinds OF
luxuries and amusements. Years rolled
on smoothly and serenely, the discreet
Ekadiga watching her precious charge
with unremitting care. At corner Of
the garden which clothed the side oil
the hill on which the royal castle Of
Salobrena was built, was small watch.
tower, fitted up as a pavilion, with lat.
ticed windows to admit the sea-breeze.
Here the princesses-whose name.
were Zayla, Zorayda, Zorhayda-used
to pass the sultry hours of midday,
taking their siesta, or noontide Stun
Der. Here, as the sisters were one day
inhaling the healthful breezes waited
over the azure bosom Of the Mediter.
ranean, their attention was attracted
by galley which came coasting along
with measured strokes of the oar. As
it drew near they observed that it was
filled with armed men. The galley
anchored at the foot of the tower in
which they sat, and q number Of
Moorish soldiers landed Oh the narrow
beach, conducting several Christian
prisoners. The fair occupants Of the
tower peeped cautiously through the
close jalOusies of the lattice, which
screened them from sight, aud perceiv.
ed among the prisoners three Spanish
cavaliers, richly dressed. They were
in the flower Of youth, and of noble
presence; and the lofty manner in
which they carried themselves, though
loaded with chains, and surrounded
with enemies, bespoke the grandeur Of
their souls. The princesses breathed
with intense and breathless interest
Cooped up as they had been in thit
castle among female attendants, seeing
nothing of the MALE sex but black
slaves, or the rude fishermen of The sea.
coast, it is not to be wondered at that
the appearance of three gallant cava.
Tiers, in the pride of youth and manly
beauty, should produce in their unso.
phisticated bosoms sensations closely
bordering upon the agreeable.
"Did ever nobler being tread the
earth than that cavalier in crimson p
cried Zayda, the eldest of the sisters,
"See how proudly he bears himself, az
though all around him were slaves!''
But notice that one in green p ex.
claimed Zorayda. "What grace what
elegance! what spirit!'
The gentle Zorahayda said nothing
but she secretly gave preference to the
cavalier in green.
Weeks and months glided on, the fai,
sisters thinking only of the captive cav
alters, and becoming daily more and
more under the influence of the fatal
passion which the memory of them had
strengthened and confirmed. The prog.
ress of this dangerous and subtle dis.
ease was not unperceived by the sharp.
sighted Kadaga. The discreet old wO.
man became alarmed at the mischief
which she had not the power to co,,n.
teract or remove, and resolved to rid
herself of her responsible charge by in.
timating to Mohammed that his daugl.
tors had arrived at the manageable ace
the critical period ut which the astrol.
Iogers had warningly pointed.
AS he sat one day on dlvan in one oil
the cool halls of the Alhambra, a slave
arrived from the fortress of Salobrena
| with message from the wise Kadiga
congratrllating him on the anniversary
Of his daughters birthday. The slave
at the same time presented delicate
little basket, decorated with flowers
within which, on a couch of vine and fiji
leaves, lay peach, an apricot, and
nectarine, with their bloom and dowr
and dcwy sweetness upon them, and al
in the early stage of tempting ripeness
The monarch was versed in the orienta
language of fruit and flowers, and read
lily devined the meaning of the emblem
attic offering.S
"The critical period has arrived,
said he; I must gather them undc
ship" "
So saying, he ordered that tower o
the Alhambra should be prepared 10
their reception, and departed at til
head of his guards for the fortress o
Salobrcna, to conduct them home il
person. About three years had elapse'
since Mohammed had beheld his daugll
tiers, and he could scarcely credit hi
eyes ut the wonderful change wlic
that small space Of time Ind made i
their appearance. During the interv,
tney had passed that won.lrn,,s lo,,ntlar
Inc III female life Which, separates Il,
crude, uniformed, and tlloughtless gil
from the blooming, bl,shing, metlitatiy
woman,