The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-31

Looms up the turreted chateau?
nay, ioveiiest are you when tire weaves
soar emerald nlrus on low, dark caves
Above where pink rorcb-ro.ee peer
And children ianph, IN , ,pas ron c ,os% h
The heaiiDRs of the heart of Howe
THE LIFE OF THE HOUSE.
An Ancient French Legend,
The duke of Provence knocked on his
daughters door with the hilt of hi.
sword: s'Arise, Maguelonne It il
break of day ard the Aneelus will aoor
sound; thy brothers wait for thee below
the horses paw the pavement in the
court; it is time 10 depart"
1t was just after a bloody war, in or
der to cement a treaty Of peace, that
MaRuelonne was married, while mere
child, to Prince Herbert, who was of
the same age. After that day they had
grown up, separated from one another ;
nut the time had now come to conduct
Maeuelonne to her husband.
Maguelonue 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 hanging to the floor.
Then, very pale, she went below. Her
brothers, looking at her admiripplv.
placed her in her saddle.
SIS the realm of Prince Herbert a
great distance from here ?" she asked
"Oh. . long way off To get there
We must traverse plains and forests. and
ascend many blue-tcpped mountain. I"
Then MaRuelonne bowed her head in
Sadness. Nothing before had ever sepa-
rated her nom the home where she was
born. Thus mounted she could touch
the ivy which covered its walls; but
now her father and brothers said, +" Let
us depart !" just then the mother of
OF Maguelonne came out from the house
bathed In tears. and, with trembling
arms, pressed against her heart the lit
tie foot of her daughter, which rested
on the stirrup.
"Thou leavest me, I" she said, "whom
L nourished with this breast The
room where thou didst sleep ooh, my
heart D will remain empty, and I shall
seek IN vain for thee tn my deserted
home"
ALIAS I" answered Maguelonne, sis
It not you and my father who have given
me to Prince Herbert?" But il was in
vain that tears glittered like drops of
dew IN the eyes of the noble girl the
cavalcade moved, and the foot of
Maguelonne dropped from the hands of
uok mO6n0f,
The stirrups jingled, the spurs
clansed, the pebbles struck fire under
the hoofs of the horses, Ths duke eff
osence and his three sons were pow
p | horsemen covered with black
Or, the terror OF the Saracens. In
midst Of this double hedge of iron
e tho fair Maguelonne on . white
~ rode on and on they traversed
plains they disappeared under the
green vault of the forest, then they
c'uld be seen on the side of the steep
mountain.
Their thoughts were sad, and neither
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 q river, the old duke stopped
his horse entirely. GAS truly as the
waters of this river will never flow past
here again, so true is ii, :" said he, ssthat
L Will not go ON one step further. Thy
brothers. o Maguelonne, will accompany
thee further, my road is now behind
"What will become of me Il thou
dost abandon me?" said Maguelonne in
tears.
sis it not right 1 should 90 to con-
sole thy mother? Farewell, dear child:
years have accumulated over NV head
and perhaps I shall die without ever
seeing thea again.
"The win Of God be donel But you,
o my brothers. promise me never to
abandon me-"
Her brothers bowed their head, in
SILENCE. "How long and tireseme the
journey is My brothers, we pass with
out cessation from forest to mountain
and from mountain to plain, but we do
not arrive at our destination. Are we
not lost in the country of dreams ?"
No, my sister but Prince Herbert
lives long distance beyond those blue
mountains there.
"Stiu on, my brothers does it not
seem 10 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
behind thee because thou wilt never
pass this way again. At this hour our
aether travels alone, his heart black with
sadness, and our mother wrings her
hands h despair"
DO you think. " said Maguelonne,
that / have not nv portion of 0rief
But what do I sect In Il tbv horse
which rises on his feet, or thou who puI-
lest the bridler -
"Do NOT accuse my horse. This oak
ut my right marks the line that ought
not to pass. My brothers viii descend
with thee to the valley"
"What T. said Maguelonne, claspinp
her bands, Hast thou not sworn not
to leave me :"
swain oath, my sister. Ought not
TO 90 and console my father AMI moth
err? Farewell, Maguelonne, much be-
loved. 1 am young, but one often sees
the young die before the old. Shall
never see thee again
depart then, nv brother. No by
the Holy Virgin thou hast not loved
meP
OF the two brothers who remained,
Amaury, the youngest, was highly &C
complished; and Maguelonne loved him
intensely.
"Dear Amaury, the youngest, was
highly accomplished and Maguelonne
loved him intensely.
Dear Amaury," said she, "sing me
one OF the ballards which please the
knights and ladies 80 much.
Willingly, my sistsr, I will sing for
thee the ballad Of Ineeiile du Bearn."
"Stop," cried Maguelonne, "that is
very bad ballad You have chosen for
me-"
But while she was talking in this way
the second of her brothers stopped
suddenly. Maguelonne understood that
this one also was going to leave her,
and retrace his steps. She looked at
him with scorn and anger.
"What lis it, then, which frightens
thee, valiant knight? Is it this grass
hopper which crosses the road? All /!
keep silent. What canst thou say to
me? Go and be cursed, thou who dost
abandon the woman who is thy sister ~
Having thus spoken in fit Of passion,
for the blood of her race was as violent
Is the flames, she lowered her veil over
her eyes so rs not to SEQ her brother
depart.