The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-30
THE LIFE OF THE HOUSE.
An Ancient French Legend.

daughters door with the hilt of hi
sword: "Arise, Mapuelonne IL !
break of day and the Anpelus Will 500,
sound; thy brothers wait for thee below
the horses paw the pavement in th,
conrt; 1T is time to depart
It was Just after a bloody war, in or
Ger to cement a treaty of peace. tba
maguelonne was married, while a mer,
child, to Prince Herbert, who was O
the same age. After that dav thew baf
grown mp, separated from one another
put the time had now come to conduct
MaguelOnne to her husband.
MaguelOnne made the sign of tbe
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 admiringly.
placed her in her saddle.
lis the realm of Prince Herbert q
great distance from here ?" she asked.
"Oh. a long way off. To get there
we must traverse plains and forests, and
ascend many a blue-topped mountain. u
Inen Maguelonne bowed her head in
sadness. Nothing before had ever sepa-
rated her from the home where she was
born. Thus mounted she could touch
the ivy which covered it's walls: but
now her father and brothers said, "IIet
us depart y Just then the mother of
OF MaguelCnne 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, >" she said, "whom
nourlshed with this breast The
room where thou didst sleep (Oh, my
heart Will remain empty, and / shall
seek IN vain for thee in my deserted
home"
Alas !" answered MaguelOnne, els
1t not yOu and my father who have given
me to Prince Herbert?" But it 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
her mother.
The stiIrups iingled, the spurs
rlanBed, the pebbles struck fire under
the hOOfs of the horses. Tho duke of
Provence and his three sons were pow
erful hOrsemen covered with black
armOr, the terror of the Saracens. In
the midst of this double hedge of ircn
rode the fair Maguelonne on a white
horse.
They rode on and on; they traversed
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, 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 a river, the old duke stopped
ms hnrGa antIralvr AC IL
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 Maguelonne, will accompany
thee further, my road is now behind
me-"
"What will become of me if thou
dOst abandon me?" said Maguelonne in
tears.
''Is it not right 1 should go to con-
sole thy mother? Farewell, dear child;
years have accumulated over my head,
and perhaps l shall die without ever
seeing thee again"
"The will of God be done! But you,
o my brothers, promise me never to
abandon me-"
Her brothers bowed their head, in
silence. How long and tiresome the
journey is My brothers, we pass with
OAlb CcSSdllOu lEoill lOEteb 10 ulOuubdlu
and from mountain to plain, but we do
not arrive at orr destination. Are we
not lost in the country of dreams ?'
"No, my sister but Prince Herbert
lives a long distance beyond those blue
mountains there.
"Still on, my brothers does it not
seem to yOu that as we advance the sky
darkens behind us, the grass wlthers,
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
father travels alone, his heart black with
sadness, and our mother wrings her
hands in despair"
DO You think" said MaguelOnne,
that I have not my portion of grief !?
But what do [ see2 Is it thy horse
which rises on his feet, or thou who pull
lest the bridle?"
"Do not accuse my horse. This oak
at my right marks the line that l ought
not to pass. My brothers will descend
with thee to the valley"
"What T. said Maguelonne, clasping
her hands, Hast thou not sworn not
to leave me?
"Vaiu oath, my sister. Ought not
to go and console my father AMI moth
er? Farewell, Maguelonne, much be-
loved. 1 am young, but one often sees
the young die before the old. Shall L
never see thee again p
Depart then, my brother. No by
the Holy Virgin thou hast not loved
mel u
OF the two brothers who remained,
Amaury, the youngest, was highly ac-
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 so much"
Willingly. my sistsr, l will sing for
thee the ballad of Inesille du Bearn."
"Stop," cried Maguelonne, " that is
a very bad ballad YOU have chosen for
me-"
But while she was talking in this way
the second of her brothers stopped
suddeaIv. Maguelonne understood that
this one also was going to leave her,
and retrace his steps. She looked at
him with scorn and anger.
"Wbat is it, then, which frightens
thee. valiant knight? Is 1t this grass
homer which crosses the road? All
KEEN 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 a fit of passion,
for the blood of her race was as violent
as the flames, she lowered her veil over
her ewes so as not to see her brother
depart.
Very soon traveller passed them OF
the route:
calculations to thee, Maguelonne
Thy brother who has just left thee was
robbed and wounded by the bandits.
Another passed by soon after and said
TO her "God protect dee, Mague
Tonne thy brother has fallen in an am
buscade, and the MOOrs have carried
him off in captivity"
A third called to her from distance
a pleasant journey to thee, Mague