The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-01-31

woman sparkled with rage.
IF thou wilt not dance with me, Sir Olaf
she said, thou shalt remember me- The
man who will not take the Elf maden's kiss
shall take the Elf stroke from her hand.'
Then she rose on tptoe and struck him
over the heart, and cried, get thee home to
thy bride, Sir Olaf get thee home to thy
BRIDE
Away sped the horse but Sir Olaf sat up.
on him pale and without motion bis hand
no longer held the bride; his eyes saw moth
ing his lips were dumb white corpse
seemed to ride upon the white steed in the
moonlight.
All night those who awaited for the com
ing OF Sir Olaf watched for him in vain !;
the day dawned, and he had not come but
The feast was spread the wine was poured
the bride was dressed, and the guests had
arrived.
Where tarried Sir Olaf? Those who knew
| that he had ridden into the Elf forest at
moon.rise felt their hearts grow weary but
| as all eyes turned towards the wood there
| came from it white horse which all knew
| to be Sir Olaf's.
1t twas ridden by knight who seemed to
| be frozen in his saddle he was white to the
| lips bis wide open eyes stared at nothing.
| The horse came on aud paused in their midst
and, as though some unseen thing had un.
til that moment supported him, the knight
fell forward upon his face. 1t was Sir
| Olaf.
'He is dead shrieked the bride,
| Dead dead shrieked the mother.
Dead chorused the guests.
| And they wept over hm,a ,as he lay in their
midst, and cried. There will be no wedding
but funeral-the funeral of the bravest
and best beloved knight in Denmark
| Then the bride tore her hair and scattered
her jewels upon the ground but there up
rose in the midst of the guests an old, wise
woman, who had lived moro than hundred
years.
Her long, gray hair fell down on either
side of her head bands, her cheeks were
wrinkled, and she was bent double but her
shrill voice filled all the place.
| Listen to me, OH friends she said.
know what you know not. The brave young
| knight, Sir Olaf, has met the Elf maidens
in the wood, and has had the Elf stroke
To every man who rides through the wood
after night do the Elf maidens call. 'Comt
and Dance they cry. Come and dance
| And whether they dance or not, they give
them the Elf stroke over the heart. Only
there is this reason 1t is we'll known tC
all wise people, the man who is untrue tc
his wife or his love is dead, all the doctor:
in Denmark cannot restore him. But on,
who is quite true, who, there, in the dark
ness of the wood, with the Elf maidens only
to look upon him, and the beautiful eyes O
the Elf Kings daughter looking into his, il
utterly true, and neither kisses her soft lips
or dances with her, or takes from her gift o
ring, him the lips of his true love may brin,
to life again.
The bride has but to kiss him and HI
lives again. Only said the old, wise wo
man. shaking her head, in my time non
have come to life again. All have died VIII
have had the Elf Stroke
But if thy words be true, old woman, ST
Olaf will breathe once MORE cried the brid
for he is true as steel. | know my knight
| have no doubt of him.
And she knelt beside her pallid lover
trembling and weeping, and showered kisse
on his lips, while ell stood about in silence
scarcely daring to breathe.
And under these kisses the white lips gre,
red again the pale cheeks flushed, lii
sparkled in those frozen eyes.
The bride felt her knights breath upo
her cheek,
wise woman, thou hast spoken the truth
she cried. Even the Elf stroke cannc
harm the true heart, and my Olaf is true &
the steel of his own good blade.
Then up rose Sir Olaf strong and fair q
ever, and took his bride by the hand, an
far in the wood were heard strange, viii
sounds, the Elf Kings daughters shriekin
with rage; for they, like the old, wise VIC
man, had never before known one so tru
as to refuse their kisses and their gold.