Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1877-03-29
VENOE AMI GLENOE

& Once upon a time there lay. off
the coast Of Zealand right oppo-
site Ho'steinborg, two wocdclad
Aepd, V@roa and Glanoe. with
churches, villages and farms
upon them; they lay near each
other; now only one islsnd is there.
One night there blew a dread,
gale; the sea rose as it had not
risen in memory of man; the storm
grew worse and worse; It was
Doomsday weather There was a
sound as ifthe earth were splitting.
The church bells swung to and fro
and rang without the aid of man.
The night Venoe vanished in
the depths of the sea; it was Just
as if that island had never been
But many a summer night since
then. when the tide Is low and the
waters are still and clear and the
fisher is spearing cells by the torch
light at bis bows, he has seen-for
his eyes are sharp-Vanoe deep
down beneath him, with its white
church tower and high church
walls. V@noe is waiting for
Gl@noe, it was said. He has seen
the island, be has heard the church
bells ring under water-but no,
there he was wong; it mu t have
been the cry of the wild swans,
that otter gather on these waters;
their whoopingS and wailings sound
like q distant peal of bells.
There came a time when the old
folk of Gl@noe still talk of that
stormy night, and told bow they
themselves; when children, had
driven between the two islands OF
low water; just as nova days they
SAID from the coast of Zealand,
-uct 4ur from Holsteinborg, ore
drives over to Gl@noe, with water
only half way up the Wheels -
Venoe, is waiting for Gl@noe, was
the saying, aud it became a settled
tradition.
Many a little boy and girl lay
in stormy nights, and thought,
"To night will come the hour whe.,
VenOe fetchos GIanoe." In fear
ard :remblin6 they repeated ''Our
Father" fell asleep, and dreamed
sweet dreams; ond next morni lg
Glenoe was still there, with its
woods AMI cornfe DIS, its friendly
cottages and bop. gardens the bird
sang, the deer sprang the mol"
could smell no sea. water as far a.
it could burrow.
And vet G'anoe's days are
numbered; we cannot say how
many they be, but they are npm5er
Ell; one fine morning the island
will have disappeared
1t may seem but yesterday per-
chance; that you were here on the
seashore, and saw the wild swans
foat on the water between Iva,
land and GI@noe a boat vi
swelling sails gllded past the wood
land you yourself drove over the
shallow ford, there was 10 other
way across the horses tramped
in the water; 1t splaShed around
the wheels.
You have left the place. and
have roamed q little the world,
perchance ; and after a few years
back again, You see yonder wood
i~nclosing a wide stretch of green
meadows, where hay smells SWEET
in front of tidy cottages. Where
ARE you? Why here is hoIsteinr
borg still Haunting its gilded
steeple, but no longer down by
the ford it lies higher up the
country. You walk through wood
and field down to the shore
Where is Glenoe? You gee no
wood. island before you, nothing
but open sea. Has Venoe fetch
ed G enoe, which 1t waited for 80
long2 When was the stormy night
in which this happened-when the
earth quaked, SO that old Holstien-
borg fitted many a thousand cock.
strides up the country
1t was no st~orm-night il all
came to pass in the midday sun
shine. The skill Of man shut OUT
the sea, the skill Of man blew
away the pent,up waters, and
bopud Glenoe TO the mhiniand.-