Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-05-07
Tbe,LIfe OF the House.
a LEGEND WRITTEN IN 1909, BI PoNs DE-
MoNTSEuUR.

"Arise, Maguelonne; 1t is break of day
aud the Angelus will soon sound thy
brothers wait for thee below, and the horses
paw the pavement In the court II Is time
to depart"
II was just alter a bloody war, In order
10 cement treaty of peace, that Maguel-
onne was married while mere child, to
Prince Herbert, who was of the same age.
After that day they had grown up separat-
ed from QUE another; but. the time had
now come to conduct Maguelonne 10 her
husband.
MaLuelonno made the sign of the cross
to commend her soul to the Virgin. She
rose and put on her bridal robe, with the
long veil falling to the floor. Then, very
pale, she went below. Her brothers, look
ing at her admlringly, placed her In her
saddle.
"Is the realm OF Prince Herbert great
distance from bereH" she asked.
"Oh, long way off. To get there we
must traverse plains and forests and ascend
many blue-topped mountain"
Then Maguelonne bowed her head In an
guish. Nothing before had ever separated
her from the home where she was born.
Thus mounted she could touch the ivy
which covered its walls; but now her fa-
ther and brothers said, "Let us depart -
Just then the mother Of Maguelonne came
out Of the house bathed In tears, and, with
trembling arms, pressed against her heart
the little foot Of her daughter which rested
on the stirrup.
Thou leavest me-" she said, "whom /
nourished with this breast The room
where thou dldst sleep (Oh, my heart y
will remain empty, and shall seek In vain
for thee In my deserted home"
"Alas I" answered Maguelonne, sis il
not you and my father who have given me
TO Prince HerbertH' But il was in vain
that tears glltered like drops Of dew in the
eyes ofthe noble girl the cavalcade moved,
aud the foot of Maguelonne dropped from
the hands Of her mother.
The stirrups jingled, the spurs clinked,
the pebbles struck fire under the hoofs OF
the horses. The duke Of Provence and his
three sons were powerful horsemen cover
ed with black armOr, the terror Of the Sar-
acens. In the midst OF this double hedge
of iron rode the fair Maguelonne on a
white horse.
They rode on and on they travorsed the
plains; they disappeared under the green
vault Of the forest then they could be
seen on the side Of the steep mountain.
Their thoughts were sad, aud neither a
song nor ballad did they utter TO divert
themselves by the way.
Nevertheless days and nights had gone
by since their departure, when at the ford
Of a river, the old duke stopped his horse
entirely. LAS truly US the waters of this
river will never flow past here again, so
true is it," said he, THAT will not go on
one step further. Thy brothers, o Maguel-
onne, will accompany thee further my
road IL now behind me-"
"What will become Of me If thou dost
abandon mel" said Maguelonne in tears.
''ls II not right that should 20 10 con-
sole thy mother? Farewell, dear child I;
years have accumulated over my head, and
perhaps / shall die without ever seeing
thee again."
"The will of God be donel But you, o
IOHllsc lut ltNcI 70 uDhuuOu
me-"
Her brothers bowed their heads In silence.
"How long aud tlrssome the journey is.
Ny brothers, we pass without cessation
from forest to mountain and from noun
tain TO plain, but we do not arrive at our
destination. Are we not lost la the coun-
try Of dIeamsH"
-. I...N D... la -
lives a long distance beyond those blue
mountains there"
''Stlll on, my brothers does It not seem
to you that as we advance the sky darkens
behind us, the grass withers, and the trees
bow their weeping branches TO the earth ~
"Yes, Maguelonne, sadness extends be-
hind thee because thou wilt never repass
this way again. At this hour our father
travels alone, his heart black with sadness,
and our mother wrlngs her hands In des-
pair"
"Do you think" said Maguelonne, "Lhat
| have not my portion of grleff But what
do l see? Is II thy horse which rises on his
hind feet or thou who FULLEST the bride -
"Do net accuse my horse. This oak ~
my right marks the line that 1 ought not
to pass. My brothers will descend with
thee TO the valley"
"WhatW said Maguel0nne, clasplng her
hands, "Hast thou not sworn not 10 leave
me?"
''Valn oath, my sister. Ought not ia
go and console my father and mother
Farewell, Maguelonne, much beloved.
am young; but one often sees tho young
die before the old. Shall never see thee
againS"
depart then, my brother. No, by the
Holy Virgin, thou hast not loved me- r.
OF the two brothers who remained, Am
aury, the youngest, was highly accom-
plished, and Maguelonne loved him In
tensely.
"Dear Amaury," said she, "sing me one
OF the ballads which please the knights and
ladies so much"
"Wlllingly my sister, l will sing for thee
the ballad OF Inesllle du Bearn." Now thu
count of Bearn's fair daughter Inesllle wa
asked in marriage by knights OF Provence
Arragon, CASTLE aud France. But Inesill
would not leave her father, her mother ant
her home. She would die in Bearn, wher
sue was born.
"Stop," then cried Maguelonne, "that |
a very bad ballad which you have chosel
for me-"
But while she was talking in this wa,
the second of her brothers stopped sudden
ly. Maguelonne understood that this on'
also was going to leave her and retrace hi
steps. She looked at him with scorn an
anger.
"What Is It, then, which frightens thee
valiant knight Is 1t this grasshoppe
which crosses the roadf Ahi keep silent
| What canst thou say 10 mSH Go and b