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

% The party presently came up to tn
:, magnificent portico of the castle, an
in the great doorway she beheid
large band of musicians stationed
These were also automata, but the
played SO bewitchingly on their in
!, struments ofgold that even the wood
Ell horses the party rode danced ex
e actly in time with their music. The
= two stately footmen, IN splendid liv
cry. came out and assisted Christabe
to dismount, aud then ushered her il,
to a hall more magnificent than sh
!, had ever heard of, except in the mos
extravagant fairy tales. Superb chan
, deliers blazing with lights hun,
from the lofty ceiling, which, will
t the graceful columns supporting it
was studded with gems; while arOun,
the walls. huge mirrors alternatet
with the most charming pictures tina
ever were seen. The floor was on
splendid mosaic of colored marbles
representing the Garden of Eden, il
the centre of which could be seen de
picted the tempting of our .frst pa
rents by the crafty serpent; ard at i'm
tervals near the wall were placet
graceful statues of the gods Il Il, god
desses of ancient my thology io4. -!
Al the end of the grand l., er,
large foldis o-doors of pui~ gold, p,l.
r.; lred with figures carved in bas-re
I'ef, and over them glittered this in.
scription In blazing letters of light
FAR RICHER THINGS ARE STILL IN sronrs
FOX THOSE WHO PASS THIS GOLDEN DOOR. s
So filled with curiosity to know wha
was beyond was Christabel, ,(for sucl
was the effect the air of the palac:
had on the minds of ali who entered)
that she scarcely paused to admir-,
the wonders of the apartment, bu
went directly up to the golden door
two leaves of which swung noiseless
ly back on their hinges Is she passet
through. For moment all was OH,
dazzling blaze of light, binding hel
with its glare; anu then the doors
swung back with an awful bang, aud
she was left III utter darkness. Sht
knew not which way to turn, lest sht
should make some false step, and sc
stood perfectly motionless.
And now there arose OH her ears
the most terrible sounds that could
pain aid alright tender maiden's
ear, From beneath her very feet
seemed to come horrible cries, groans
and shrieks of pain while her nos
trils were offended by q dreadful,
sickening odor, as if arising from
some horrible pit. Then she saw q
dim light descending from a great
height above her, aud presently could
family discern car let down to-
wards her. Ere long it reached her
side, and from it stepped h,deous
creature, in whom she could not but
recognize the terrible dwarf, Pukket.
The imp instantly seized her by the
arm, and raising blazing torch
above their heads. exclaimed: BE
hold the fate of those who fall into
my powerH II was terrible sight,
indeed, that met her eyes. She founu
that she was standing upon narrow
ledge overhanging a gloomy ABYSS,
and down in that dark and horrible
pit, which was of immense size, she
could just distinguish the figures of
human beings; some cropping and
crawling about like reptiles, some
fighting furiously land others stretch
ed upon the ground writing in pain.
Here In this dismal abode were all
the regiments of soldiers who had
disappeared so strangely, as we'll as
all the other persons who had been
enticed into the castle, where they
had been left by the cruel dwarf to
pine and die by slow degrees. So
s"antiiy were they supplied with food
-hat the poor creatures were forced
to struggle with one another for ev-
cry mouthful, aud every day beheld
the release by death of one or more
OF these victims from their misery.
"And such fate will be thine,n the
dwarf went on to add, Except OH one
you consent to be nv
wife and the mistress of nv CASTLE"
But she felt that she would far soon-
er die than become the bride of such
a wretch, and did not hesitate to tell
him so; whereupon he replied that
he would give her twelve months to |
decide tiually, and if she did not then
consent, she should be thrown head
long into the pit. Then he drew her
into small chamber built in the |
wall, and having clasped about her
neck gold collar, to which was at !
tached chain connected with an
IRON ring i'll the massive stones, de.
parted and left her to her thoughts.
SO this was the way poor Christa-
bel spent her Christmas Eve, and her
Christmas too, and MANY weary
week and month afterward. Each
lay she was visited by beautiful mai
lens in silks and jewels, and having
lights like myriad glow-worms to-
sether III their foreheads, who brought
ler the most elegant dainties served
II golden dishes, (which thew presen-
ed on beuded knees), aud never ceas.
'd 10 pant in glowing colors all the
'pieiluor ana happiness which would
De her lot as the wife of the master of
he great castle. These fair creatures
we're the daughters of Pukket, and
neif mother was wicked but beau
ltul fairy, named Malicia. The
,roans and cries of despair that con-
lhhally rose to her ears did not allow
'er 10 forget for an instant what must
'e her doom should she refuse to COM
ny with the demands of the dwarf.
When Christabel's father found
hat his daughter had not come to the
own on Christmas Eve, he set out
Or his fathers house on Christmas
corning taking roundabout way.
s ne dld not care to get into the vi
inity OF Castle Curious. What was /
Is CONSERVATION on arriving at the
ot to find that his darling Christaber i
All started for the town as usual the
ay before Christmas, and that since I
hen nothing more had been heard of {.
Ell. There could be but one surmise v
that che had fallen a victim to the 4
lies OF the crafty Pukket. The
eart-brOken father Immediately de- I
'rmined to go i'll search of her, hap
ELI what might to him. Her grand
'ther entreated that lie might be al
WED TO go i'll his place, because il "
al been through his carelessness i'm B
her to 90 by the castle
one that the evil had befallen her G
Ut his son would not hear of such a = ?
'ih 9, and at once set out himself. ';
aVlng once come in sight of the eve -
The caslle-tower, the poor carpeu- ~
II soon found himself in tnat great o "
t OF misery of which we have been +
adlns, where he, of course, looked ~
VAIN tor his daughter among the .,
retched crowd of sufferers. o. .,
And when the good old woodman -
ard nothing now of either his son 81
his granddaughter, he was so W
leved that he could stay at home no h,
niger. SO he too took the road to p,
e castle, and was found one morn fe
oy his son, lying in senseless re
hultlon on the damp, cold floor Of q,