Middletown transcript., 1877-07-07


may deceive yourself. Come, Sir, it
time that 1 conduct you to your chan
Der, where you must sleep away th
exhilarating effects of the golden foun
tain. Tomorrow morning, if you ar
of the same opinion, I may be induces
to make discovery"
The next morning / awoke withou
any headache from the intemperanc
of the previous night. As soon as
quilted the apartment 1 met the prin
cess outside. q am still in the sam,
mind, dear princess" said l, implant
ing kiss upon her hand, 'to live fol
you alone, or die if I cannot remain
with you"
She smiled, and answered, "Then fol
you will l sacrifice everything; fol
until 1 beheld you, never was aware
that l had a heart. Rise and follow
me, and you shall know all"
We passed the large hall, with which
the whole of the bed chambers com
municated, and she conducted me
through dark passage to a room, in
whichs were several golden plintha
without statues. At the farther end
of it perceived, to my horror, that
two of them were already occupied
with the forms of the boatswain and
sailor who had been intoxicated the
night before. They were now changed
into the same blue chalcedony of which
the statues in the porticoes were com
posed.
"Do you recognize these figures ?"
inquired the princess.
'T do, indeed answered I with
amazement.
@such are the effects" continued
she, "of intoxication from the water Of
the golden fountain. They contain in
solution so large quantity Of the mat
ter which by mineralogists is denomi-
mated slick, that once allow the senses
to be overpowered by repeated
and in a few hours the
effects which you behold will be pro-
duced. It is by these means that my
father has obtained the variety and
number of statues which you have seen
all of whom-were once visitors to the
sland in different ships, not one of the
crews of which have ever returned. It
las also the power of producing lon
yevity, and hardening the hearts of
hose who use it in moderation. My
ather's cruelty, therefore, is not
.hought of by his subjects, who, if con-
Ticted of any heinous crime, are forced
o drink Of this water, and are erected
IS monuments of his displeasure in
Tarious parts of the island. You may
SIX, how is it that l have not as little
emorse as the other inhabitants The
act is, that was naturally Of a kind
nd tender heart; and my mother,
Tho lamented it because she felt that
would not add to my happiness in
his world of cruelty and deceit, was
lore than ever anxious that l should
rink the waters; but what is forced |
pom us in childhood, is generally re-
rendered as we grow up with disgust.
he consequence is, that | have never
sed the water since her death, which
when I was but seven years
ID. Had l not made this discovery,
all probability you and all your
would have fallen victims
lis evening, when the banquet will be
'read and the water will be produced
before. My prepossession in your
.vor has, l trust, been the means of
the lives of those who re-
ain"
"Cursed treacheryp exclaimed l; f; !
md now what is to be done I"
''You must escape. Caution your s
en- not to drink this evening, and s
axe some excuse to repair on board {
r an hour or two in the forenoon of {
As for me-"
without you, princess. I cannot !
IL not go. Either consent to accom- 8
my me, or here stay, risking all
r l had sooner be a senseless statue
ION plinth in the portico of your /
'ode, than quit the island with a f
oxen heart" l
"Then he is true; and there are some d
10 are good-some who are not de- c
itful in this world" exclaimed the a
incess, falling on her knees, as the c
lrs trickled down her cheeks. "I am r
re you'll treat me kindly" continued g
e, holding my hand in hers; 'if you b
not I shall die" Il
I pressed her to my bosom, and f
wed to love her till death and we I
stened back to my chamber that we I
ght consult upon our arrangements. e.
ound an opportunity, in the course a
the forenoon, to acquaint all my n
npanions of their danger, except one tC
ON I could not meet with. in
In the evening we again sat down to rs
banquet, and soon after the water m
/ been produced, the one who had tu
been warned fell off his chair in al