Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-05-22
bic hedge of iron rode the fair Mag
uelOnne on q white horse.

lncy rOue on anu ou ]; they tTaN :
ersed 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 Il song nor ballad did they
utter to divert themselves by the
way.
Nevertheless days and nights had
gone 10y since their departure, when
at the ford of II river, the old duke
stopped his horse entirely. Gas
truly as the waters or ahis river will
never flow past here again, SO true
is it, said he, "that | will not go on
one step further. Thy brothers, o
MaeuclOnne, will accompany thee
further; my road is now behind
me-"
"What will become of me if chou
d0st abandon me ?" said Magucl-
Onne in tears.
'.Is it not right that | should go
to console thy mother? Farewell,
dear child; years have accumulated
over my head, and perhaps shall
die without ever seeing thee again"
1.-The will of God be done! But
you, o my brothers, promise me
never to abandon me-"
Her brothers bowed their heads
in silence. "HOw long and tire
some the journey is. My brothers,
we pass without cessation from for.
est to mountain and from mountain
to plain, but we do not arrive at
our destination. Are we not lost
in the country Of dreams I"
"No, my sister; but Prince Her
bert lives long distance beyond
those blue mountains there" ..
"Still on, my brothers does it
not seem to yon that as We advance
the sky darkens behind us, the
the grass withers, and the trees
bow their weeping branches to the
earth :"
ayes, Maguelonne. sadness ex-
tends behind thee because thou
wilt never repass this way again.
At this hour our t;ifher travels
alone, his heart black with sadness,
and our mother wrings her hands
in despair
"Do you Think said Maguel'
onnc, "that have not my portion
OF grief But what do ] see Is it
thy horse whic!, rises on his hind
feet or thou who FULLEST the bri.
die y
"Do not accuse my horse, This
oak at my right marks the line
that ought not to pass. My
brothers will descend with thee to
the valley"
"What! said Maguelonne,
claspimg her hands. "Hast thou not
sworn not to leave me ="
"Vain oath, my sister. Ought ]
not to go and console my father
and mother Farewell, Magnel-
onne, much beloved. | am young ;
bnt one often sees the young die
before the old. Shall ! never see
thee again 2"
"Depart then, my brother. No,
by the Holy Virgin, thou hast not
loved me p
OF the two brothers who remain
ed, Amaury, the youngest, was
highly accomplished, and Maguel-
onnc loved him intensely.
"Dear Amaury," said she, Using
me one of the ballads which plea Sc
the knights and ladies so much"
"Willingly my sister, l will sing
for thee the ballad of Inesille du
Bearn.' Now the count of Bcarn's
fair daughter Inesille was asked in
marriage by knights of Provence,
Arragon, CASTLE and France. But
Inesille would not leave her father,
her mother and her home. She
would die in Bearn, where she was
born.
"Stop," then cried Maguelonne.
"that is II very bad ballad which
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 was going
to leave her and retrace his steps.
She looked at him with scorn and
anger.
"What is it, then, which flightens
thee valiant knight T! Is it this
grasshOpper which crosses the road
All! keep silent. What canst thou
sa, to me 7 Go and be cursed. thou
who dost abandon the woman who
is thy sister!:'