The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-11-02
THE MONKS PROPHECY.

"Curious, isn't it, how old customs
still hold their ownl Here is the fash
ion of penance by pilgrimage still IN
vogue, with the additional aggravat1on
of calling it travelling for pleasure
"Well, Edward" said a sweet voice,
that's very pretty compliment to us
your companions, think | ought to
make you do penance for that"
"That's right, Miss Wentworth; keep
him in order, chimed in third speaker.
However, going abroad has this one ad
vantage for us English, that there we can
sometimes venture to seem amused with
out thereby committing the seven sins
In one"
Such was the chat that passed among
the group of four-two ladies and two
gentlemen-seated at lunch on the bal
cony of the Hotel du Rhin, at Shauff-
hausen, one sunny afternoon In the lat
ter part of May. The first speaker was
a fine looking young man of three-and-
twenty, whose comely features, dark,
curling hair, and tall, well shaped figure
amply bore out the name of g Handsome
Ned, given by his intimates Young,
rich, good looking, popular with high
and low, in the plentitude of health and
vigor, lately betrothed to the charming
girl whose soft lustrous eyes were watch
ing him half tenderly, half archly, from
the other side of the board-V -Viscount
Montague might fairly account himself
an extremely lucky fellow But upon
that bright, young face, firm and manly
as it was, brooded the doomed look
which haunts one in the portraits Of
Montrose, of Clayerhouse, of Charles I.
ominously bearing out the tradition
among the elders of his native country,
that g the last of the Montagues" was so
In double sense, and that with him
the grand old line which had left its
mark upon every age of English his
tory since the days of the Tudors was
doomed to pass away forever.
Beside him sat his inseparable asso-
ciate, Sedley Burdett. whose square mus
cular figure, and frank, sunburnt face
looked the very embodiment of Young
England at its best Side by side, the
two young men had shot buffaloes on
American prairles, stalked moose through
Sanadian forests, "bowled over" royal
tigers in Bengal, and hob-nobbled with
Negro kings on the coast of Africa, and
they were now, faute de mieux, escort
ing their "Flower of Kent" and her
-ffasass5ttlifef or. the inevitable tour through
Switzerland, not without secret hope
that some unscaled mountain might af-.
ford them a chance of breaking their
necks in the good old British way
Did you see how old Johann eyed
me as he brought in the lunchl' said
Montague
"He's evidently devout believer in
the Continental creed, that an English
mans natural pastime is to knock some
body down, or set house on fire, or
make heavy bet that he'll jump head
foremost out Of the window, and then do
it forthwith"
aye" laughed Burdett, "just what
DIR. Buchanan said to me yesterday !:
Mien Herr those countrymen of yours
When l was in Saxony had no peace
for them First thing in the morning,
king king at my door. What is
itl" An Englander, who has broken
his leg trying to scale the Teufeis-horn,
which no one ever assembled yet" l set
the Herr Englanders leg, and am MAX
ing him comfortable, when king king
again. "What nowl" can Englander
nearly drowned in swimming across the
Elbe for wager" l wrap Herr En-
glander in hot blankets and bring him
to. Before half an hour is over, king
king once more. Mein Herr! what's
the matter r AN Englander, who has
broken blood vessel in trying to run
L miles an hour, because somebody said
he couldn't" Mein Herr, am sorry to
have to say it, but your countrymen are
equally devoid of fear and of reason"
But you won't do any more of these
horrible things now, Edmund" said
Marion Wentworth, entreatingly; "you
promised to be more careful, you know,
while you were with u.s.
Don't be frightened, my child" an
swered the viscount, with his gay laugh;
"believe me, have no intention of be-
ing killed any sooner than is necessary.
Would you believe it, Sed this unrea-
sonable young woman is making herself
miserable, and daily expecting notif-
cation to attend my funeral, on no bet
ter grounds than an old monks proph-
ecy.
"An old monks prophecy 2" echoed
Burdett, inquiringly.
"What, haven't you heard of it"
cried Montague. Well, this treat to
find one man to whom that story's new
You must know, then las those fellows
in Sanford and Merton keep saying),
that the estate which Harry the Eighth
bestowed on my respected ancestor, Sir
Anthony Browne, included Battle Alb
bey, and the land belonging to it; and
mighty short work he made of the poor
old monks, if all the tales be true. But
after they were expelled, it began to be
whispered that one monk remained in the
old walls, and that he was not to be
driven out by either king or lord.
"My word p cried Burdett; "that's
just the Black Friar of Norman Stone
over again. Do you remember with
what dramatic energy our old tutor used
to repeat that verse
beware, beware Of the Black Friar,
He still retains his sway
For he is still the Church's heir,
Whoer may be the Law
Amundeville is lord by day
But the monk is lord by night:
nor VINE nor wassai raise a vassl
10 question that frar's right"
I'LL