Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-01

.. | ohoiy "obiu 'CDil stuu uc WOulu Dt
happy for the rest of his life. But the
poor fellow did not care a button fol
the ladies' society, or the pleasures ot
the court, and much preferred to
l wander oil alone by the shore of the
] tops of the highest mountains.
AT last he resolved to go to his fairy
. godmOther to see if she could not give
! him some relief from the thoughts
that continually preyed upon his
mind. He found her in lonely wood
some distance from the palace, and
told her that he longed to be doing
noble deeds of daring, which should
| prove a benefit to mankind, and that
he could not be happy till he was
thus engaged. So the good fairy sent
him forth into the world in quest OF
heroic adventures, giving him for his
protection beautiful sword, which
she called the sword OF truth, and
charging him never to let its bright
blade become tarnished or it's keen
edge dulled. ..s s.t,
This occurred about the time that
the hapless Christabcl fell into the
hands of the cruel Pukket. 1t was
now the very last day of her period
1 Os oAAoAs w may CaollS OCIletG lIltL
her mind was more firmly fixed than
ever in the determination to refuse
to wed the wicked monster in whose
lpOwer she lay.
i So now she sat In her cell with the
collar of gold still around her neck,
waiting his coming in hopeless de-
spair. In hopeless despair so far as
any external happiness in this world
was concerned, though the sweet
satisfaction Of doing right gave her
calm and peace, and nerved her to re-
iOlve to bear with patience whatever
suffering might be inflicted upon her
Often aud often during the long.
Creary months had she called ont at
tle top of her voice in order to save
some victim of Pukket's from de-
siruction when she heard the clang
OF the fatal golden doors, but always
invain. They had all been too eager
torush forward and see the wonders
thst lay beyond these mysterious por-
tails, to stop moment before it was
too late. Thus, among the rest, she
had cried out to her father and
grandfather when they came to the
castle, though the flash of light as the
dools swung open had been so blind
ing that she could not recognize Ell
ther of them.
And so she was sitting in her dun
geon, sad and forlorn, as the hours
crcpt slowly by OH this last day of
the twelve months, expecting each
moment to find the grim-visagcd
dwarf beside her, demanding her de-
clslon; when 1t so Glanced that the
prlnce,after many gallant adventures
| in VT Of hn "a
pened to come in sight of Castle Gu
| rlOus, and as princes were no better
proof against the fatal attractions of
the great eye in the tower than any,
Dody else, he was soon making rapid
strides towards it.
Having entered the grand hall, like
Christabel and SO many others before
him, he Immediately went up to the
golden doors, and was about to rush
forward into the darkness, when he
heard the voice of the maiden calling
out to him in the most piteous tones |
to stop ere he was lost. This time
ChrlstabePs cry of warning was not |
i'll vain. Its heartrending entreaty
pierced his very soul, and though |
one foot was already on the brink of |
the pit, he was saved from making
the fatal plunge. AS he heard the
cry and groans of Pukket's wretched
victims rising from that gulf OF de-
spalr beneath him, he shuddered TO
think what he had escaped, and at
once hastened to the spot whence
proceeded the kindly voice. to thank
the owner of it for his kind preserva-
ton. From Cnristable he learned
the story OF the dwarf's cruelties, ,and
then Immediately inquired where he
might hnd the monster; for he long
ell with all his heart to rid the king
dom and the world Of such pest.
When she replied that he spent most
OF his time i'll the highest tower of
The castle, where the wonderful eve
was set up-as she had been informed
by the daughters of Malicia and
lost ne time in finding
the stairs leading up to it, and at
once eagerly commenced mounting
them.
On the top of the tower, in little
observatory which he had built for
the purpose, the ugly dwarf, like a
spider watching for flies, sat looking
out over the country for new vic j
Tins and no sooner had the gallant
prince spied him, than he rushed
furiously upon him with drawn
sword exclalming: "Die, thou vile
~ But Pukket did not ap-
pear at all inclined to die as easily as ,
ms antagonist seemed to expect; for,
'elzing with the quickness Of thought :
huge club which he always kept ,
near him, he raised it just in time to i
parry the princes lung ge. Then fol ,
owed long and terrific fight. Per- t
laps you can get the best idea of il r
passage 0rtwo from the wonder '
'ul Faerie Queeue. written bv the
great poet Spenser who lived three y
lunured years ago, in which such 1
are described with great c
plrlt; though you will notice through q
ne lines some curious old words d
which are not now in use. The dwarf 9
vas now :,
'lnhamed with scornful wrath and high disdaln q
nd hitting up his dreadful club on high y
III armed with ragged snubs and knolty grain | u
~, M is .iousnt at hfst encounter TO have slain.
ut wise ana wary was that noble peer, /,
no lightly leaping from so monstrous main u
III iair avoid the violence full near u
Then the prince returned the COM II
limeMt, and a.
sharply him assailed and sore bestead III
q ith heaps OF strokes, which he ut INN let Nv
. . lnIck as nail forth poured from the sky "
( struck he soust he ioynd ,he hewd. he lashed "
nd dIa his iron brand SO last apply al
nat from the same the fiery spurkcs flashed O
3 iIst as water-sprlnkles 'ganst L rock are | E,
dashed.'' IL
Still neither was victorious -
Fun many mighty strokes on either side 90
ere sent, that seemed death in them 10 hear -
III they We're both SO witchful and weli-eyed pl
Aat tnsy avoided We're, and vainly by did Ii
slide.' VI,
0, you see, it was very uncertain r.
hlch would win, and after a long h,
me thus spent, the fierce struggle III
10 not seem amy nearer coming to an +,
ID than at first, when suddenly the in
rlnce's foot slipped on the smooth ~
DOR, which was made of glass, and Al
fell upon one knee. The next i'll RI
ant he Was Knocked senseless by the no
ub of his ever-watchful adversary. .o
With grunt Of triumph the dwarf
rang upon him, to despatch him hi
TN his own weapon but no sooner jIy
"a the wicked monster touched the l1,
eat sword of truth than he in turn 50.
IL to the ground. Before he could sil
gain his feet, the prince had re- te,
vered the use of his scattered wits, an
a 1t was but the work of q second
run the ugly wretch through the es
dy with his sword. With one blow M
the sword the prince then shatter- ve
into million pieces the great eve oh
1lch had SO long been the t.rror of