The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01

changed.
With the generous sympathy of her nature
Ethel stepped forward and presented the
lady with a spray of lovely white roses, still
spanglcd with dew. But she shrank from
them as a thing repulsive or accursed, and
gasped piteously: "Ohl take them away.
Throw them out from the room. They bios
som on graves and smell of the dead ~
Silently and sadly Ethel removed the flow
efs, and sadly and silently the meal was
concluded, the lady of the mansion eating
little and the new companion feeling as
If every mouthful would choke her. Then
the mistress said:
" You arrived SO late last evening that you
will necessarily have something to do in ar
ranging for your future comfort. When
that is completed shall he pleased to see
you in my apartments. Call freely for any
thing you may desire. Rose, the colored
woman who attended you last evening, will
wait Upon you and faithfully execute any
commands. Almost anything can he found
there but hope and happiness"
The tall, black-robed figure seemed to
glide as a shadow out of the room, without
even rustling of dress, and Ethel quickly
followed gathering the discarded ilowers,)
dashed upstairs, and Ringing herself upon
the bed, sobbed violently:
shut up in tank and have for companions
n skeleton oh, Heaven why did ever
leave the free winds of the North and the
glorious waving pines, TO he shut up in such
bastile ~
The tempest of regret soon passed, and she
looked the future squarely in the face. Hers
was one of the springy natures that quickly
rebound, and drying her tears and hastily
completing all Immediately necessary ar.
rangements she proceeded, though with
iltfully beating heart, to learn and enter upon
her duties.
The room in which she found Mathildc
Beaumont was semidarkened, as the rest of
the house, was deliberately furnished, and
with sunlight and air would have been very
pleasant. The lady was seated in low
chair, rocking idly backward and forward,
with her hands lying listlessly in her lap.
The dress she had worn at breakfast had
been changed for n wrapper, the blue tint of
which made her look still more sickly, pale,
and CHASTITY. Her hair was loosened and
fell in great waves to the floor, and her eyes
had haunted look-a living drcad-and as
she turned them upward Ethel was so deeply
impressed with the resemblance that she in
voluntarily exclaimed:
1.-THE Lady of Shallottn'
What did you say p was questioned in
tones sad but not in the least qnerulous.
Ethel remained for a moment confused, and
then, mastering courage, explained that she
T.nnvson
&c Ij,v, yor III, hooL p, UNA ,slo1
uy.s. Il 10 m, NJ ms, ,r,,s,r,s >,
Wo,Id n bn ,oo much trou,,l. ,o ,o, 4,
and read the poem to me 20
Certainly not''
The lady listened atieutiyclv and when
,ba re,din, w,s G,,;s,,nd low I,.n,, ,i,,, h.r
whit, tbiS h,nds oi,.nod ,ini,i,, nrar hor
.,os and s,,,,,o5 ant IL, +, ,,,ra,,,sn, ~, rr;ar
:" W., H., ,,,r,,, ;s ,,,,n,, ,,,, );
E,h.I .asod NJ I,.r IN ,s,or;shr.,, aud
,st aJ m sni,,t;on of ,ho ,,rst.rr Sha , mms
.o ,, .I So a,, w W.. NY Ivy I was
, ~" n,". ", " ~ w W. 'I' on. w.
u,oa,, ti, s.o n"r u,m a, ny " ~ ,,h
and orrsi.d h.a,i and IsoIaot;ma s,,n,' mas'
-, y. a,', ,,'a,,,,,, 49, III, -, a., To-"
nress;nm aIro,d Ed a,nti,,,,a5 rao,;,,s
mil clomco ca,,isd 70 ,a I,roathnJ no onn,
;no j;nas of sM,ud,,
s
!, maze te dreadful noll%w behind me ute wool
The red. Ribbed hedges drip with silent horror Of
death.
Ana cen" mere whatever Is asked her. answers:
So,
llen win feariul shrek, Matiillde Beau
mont hed from the room INTO an inner one,
ana htnel saw her no more until inc shadows
OF evening hau gathered, ana then but Tor a
pfiei space at their wordiess tea. But she
curing the inloule watches o, the hight by
soii'e one "itlih 'he fooni' Wllh great pres
ehce Oh mihd she renamed motlonless, III
stai,,iy recognizing the ih,slress Oh the mouse.
Siie,it as sna"ow, ana weird as disem-
podlro spirit, sne drew near the bedside ahu'
Deiaihg, rested coio, ciaihily myers upon
the moi prov ana attempted 10 read tne closed
eyes. ~ was out ior an instant yet IL seemed
an age 10 inc girl ana as soon as she mad
Disappeared she saspea from between piood-
less III ana I",Ver'hg ups:
i,"hk reaveni announcer n'o."en' ana y
si"",o nave screalheo' uh, 'hat 'acel IL
VIII ''aun, ihe forever. 90 san' so Despair
ing, so wild, so desperate! was II horror or
was u remorse ,.
o"e "s.n ARISEN, iei' an II sa,m'ms, ciePt 10
,he WINDOW Tor ar, ana g'ahc'hG ONT, saw
!he woman whose me was amystefy steal
ing along as aguiity tilhs TO the WOOD at the
rear Oh inc mousse
ilnPei'Sn ny c",iosi'y she co"io not
,ias'er' E'hei has''iy maze ready ana 'o'-
io"eu 'hro"sh 'ne "arhiess an" py-"ays
,iiaI were no' only unfamiliar put Wouih
nave peeH DINA even I'LL .he dayight uiitii the
WOODS was reached for Tune II was
,hreaneu, the poor s'ri straihlhg her eyes 10
keep track Oh 'ne scarcely more thah snow Oh
,he one sne loiicwed ana surrounded ny
horrors real ana imaginary, until sudden
turning lea down into deep hollow and
comparatively open space upon when moon
an" stars were SHINING ana bringing on'
every obJect Ill pam rerel.
ANA the most STRIKING OF all was grave
lonely, INTENDED, Erass-overgrowIl grave
IN tne mldst oil the WOODS ana iar from human
hapitation, an always heart'meitlng and tear
awakening sight.
upon IT the woman hung herself, seemed
| rs u she would clasp IL IN her arms ana press
II 10 her bosom, ana, KISSING II again and
again, murhred piteonsiy
| My husband oh, my husband!
loved you SO, ana yet Killed you. Oh
Heaven, mat could forget or go mad. Ever
tnat would % happiness. On, that could
die and be with you, my beloved, whom
kiiled-kilied
The mournful wailing was drowned in sob'
1 liant AVanN N.ar NaNnN