The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-02
At'Aeeliaa ase9lster.
GORDON.

She came on toward me, her trailing
draperies falling round her with the soil
grace she Vave TO all she touched. Sun
slime was in her beautiful hair-eve1ing
sunshine, which turned the wreath OF
pl.rs she wore into crown of FURNISHED
gold. She came floating on, through
the flower and uitgemmed orange
trees, through the crimson and pure
white cameis bloom; violets grew be-
meath her feet, and she seemed to me part
OF the glory and the fragrance OF the sun
set and the blossoms.
Below the terrace where l stood lay
the sea, where blue faded to green, and
green TO opal, melting into one deep FAR
stretching mystery of purple and light
and bsnks of golden cloud. Palaces and
comes of stately spires shone white
against the dark back ground OF distant
mountains. Suddenly. the music OF
msny bells rung out on the still air,
their Ginning so;tened by distance into
low, faint sweetness. They were the
bells of the stately marble city that shone
so fair across her cleaning bay. The
first bell notes were taken up aud echoed
by the bells of chspels in villages along
the shore; of covenants hidden away IN
country dells and valleys, till the air was
,ull OF lingering prsyer'ul sound.
Through it, through the magical Italian
twilight came the woman l loved. She
came and stood beside me, looking across
the water to where Genoa's palaces
gllmmered agsins. the sky but do not
think she saw or thought OF them.
There was dreamy look in her eyes,
cold, set WEAKNESS about her mouth,
which is only seen in those whose
thoughts have drifted far from where
they stand.
"Are you tired Of this placer" l at
length ventured to ask her.
Not particularly" she answered;
"you know never care much where L
am" The words sounded petulant; but
said as she said them, they were only
weary. l should have been glad ii she
had ever shown impotence; anything
rather than the cold quiet which ever
lay upon her beauty like a pail. AT
first, in my triumphant happiness at hav-
ing won her promise to be my vile, this
coldness had not chilled meas 1t some
| times did now--to the heart. so Ion
| gcd, so hungered for word OF love, for
tender look. All her stately beauty
would soon be mine, and it seemed still
as far from me as ever.
We leaned on the low parapet Ct the
| terrace, while the music of the bells died
away, till only the slow beating OF the
waves broke the stiffness. II was an
| hour Of wonderful peace and beauty, yet
n strange sense of unrest took possession
of me, and Jared the music OF the waves
snd the restful quiet of the twilight.
Standing there close 10 her, with the
certainty that soon she would be my own
forever, vague thrill OF tear came over
| me, fear lest all this teverlsh Joy OF
| knowing she was mine might vanish
away and leave me lone mortal. This
love for her had become TO me an allah.
sOrbing passion; and yet she never Tor
any moment allowed me TO think that
my love was returned. Perhaps 1t was
the might of her beauty that filled my
senses; yet have seen beautiful women
since, and had seen them before | first
saw her on the wslls above the old EL-
ruscan gateway at Perugia.
One morning the week before, had
strolled out from the dull hotel and
leaving the street with Its tall houses and
quaint old fountain, glowing in the days
| first freshness. | sauHtered on TO the
walls, and there | first saw her. Below
IN the valley the silvery olive leaves
trembled in the sunshine; wreaths OF
broad .leaved vines clung TO the gray old
trees. clothing them with borrowed
beauty of youth and freshness. Hun
dreds OF flowers blushed in the light, and
varied odors from herb and blossom Tiled
the air with subtle lsnguor. Above,
on the lichen. covered wall, with q back.
ground of purple mountain, lifting
frame to her stately lovliness, she sat,
looking across the sunlit land, with the
dreary far away look in her great deep
eyes, and the naughty GOODNESS upon her
chiseled face. / fingered about, drink
ing draughts of beauty Z; fsncying WAS
my artistic sense that got me there
watching her face, till she rose YEARLY,
aud slowly walking down the street, en-
tered the hotel where was staying.
iound on inquiry thai a Mrs. We're
ker and her niece, Miss. Mayne, had ar
rived there the previous evening. L had
sometimes met Mrs. Vereker in London
and later on in the day, while L WAS
carelessly examining the carving on the
fountain in the square, saw her and my
vision of the morning standing on the
cathedral steps. Mrs. Vereker came for
ward with that Headlines we feel Tor u
slight home acquaintance whom we may
chance TO meet when abroad. So JOIN
ed them, and we strolled on, chatting
over home news. Miss Mayne seldom
spoke, and yet that walk seemed to me a
strangely happy one. Mrs. NeFeker told
me they had only been q day in PeEugls,
and had intended going on At once to
| Rome; but the mountain air and noun.
tain views were so delightful that they
had changed their minds, and intended
remaining Tor some time at Perugis.
| had come to the old town to study
art: to search the blazoned manuscripts
living hidden in sscristy and convent, and
| learn from them them their secretly OF
color snd design; to wander through
frescoed church and palace, where walls
and ceilings are brilliant still rs when the
hands which wove their gorgeous stories
first laid the pencil down and thanked
| God for the great consoler-art. L mad
time TO watch the mists rising from the
valleys, and wrapping the mountains IN
soft mystery of cloud-cIoud which
changes and shifts, and melts at last into
the golden and purple, the opsline green
of the sunrise; so that might Try to
wrest from nature q faint touch OF her
magic OF shadow and light, OF co'or and
form, and lay 1t at the feet OF the one
mistress | had ever Gnown-srt.
Whs, l wss row studying was 5
womsn's hcsrt-snd what learned was
| il an