Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-10
THE PROLOGUE.
THE LEGEND OF THE SILVER ISLE.

ARI IL HE DIN
This precious stone, set in silver sea
was an island, from which a bird might
fly to England's shore and back within the
limits of the shortest day. A most
precious jewel, graced with loveliest form
and color; on one side rock bound, FLASHED
day and night by snowy spray and foam,
and, on the other, lying asleep in bed ol
velvet sand, over which the salt waves
idled and murmured sweetest dreams. 1t
was Natures holiday ground. The valleys
were summer-warm long after summer had
passed away, and as one lifted ones head
to the beautiful sky, the suns bright rays
shown upon the face, while the crisp fresh
air, with taste of the mountain snow in
its breath, kissed brow and lip. The
seasons were in sweet rivalry. Sometimes
even in December the eye would light
upon wonder-young blades of grass Of
tenderest green peeping from the earth,
as though springs wondrous birth
were near while on the north side of the
Silver Isle, where rock and peak were
nearest to heaven, lay basin of eternal
snow, its white bosom beaming in the
suns eye from years end to years end.
On the breast of the loftiest range in the
Silver Isle, seven thousand feet above the
level of the sea, rested this basin of eter-
nal snow, soft, and still, and treacherous.
The road to it lay over sharp rocks and
dangerous surprises formed by chasm and
precipice into many of which a ray of sun
light had never wandered. The islanders
avoided it in terror. On moonlight nights
they would point fearsomely to the shadows
gliding over the white surfaces, never for
moment still, ever changing with the
changing aspect of the moon as the clouds
passed across its face and, walking in the
plains and valleys, would cross themselves
as protection against the evil spirits that
haunted the spot and held unholy revel
there. From their youngest days they
were warned never to attempt to reach the
snow-land that looked so fair and pure.
"Sin is there" they were told, "and
Death. Its bosom is stained with blood.
Who ventures there is lost" On stormy
nights, when the heavens were black,
their imaginations conjured up dread
shadows moving on the nights, and, sitting
by their firesides, parents would relate to
their children strange stories of the mys-
ferrous world that almost touched the sky,
and the little ones would tremble, and
hide their faces in their frocks at the sound
of thunder pealing over the moutain tops.
Then, mayhap, lull in the storm would
occur and the mothers would say:
''Be not frightened, children. The
storm mas ceased. Evil flies from the
presence of the White Maiden. She is on
the mountain.
These stories, handed down from genera
ton to generation, lost nothing of the fan
tastic in their transmission. They grew
like the spreading of circles on the surface
of a peaceful lake, and gathered weird
terrors from the spirit world which sur
rounds the real The islanders believed in
the supernatural in their primitive life
the invisible was a power from which rare
streams of fancy flowed. Spirits lived in
the mountains, and haunted their woods
and streams and Natures voice, heard in
wind or breeze, in the hushed harmony of
forest life or the sweet FLASHING of the
mountain rill, in drowsy lullaby or the
fierce contention of the elements, was
pregnant with significant meaning. Apart
from these poetical currents, the Silver
Isle was rich in themes of passion and
suffering, and the legend connected with
the basin of snow had its origin in seed
sown by human hands.
How many years ago no man could say,
for tile deed lived only in the memory, and
was not witnessed by the oldest grey beard
among them, an unforeseen and fearful
crime was committed in the isle. In that
little world were two men who, by force of
natural gifts, grew to be like kings in the
land The influence they welded over
the community was unbounded. Far1ous
were they for their strength and beauty,
for their knowledge of husbandry, for the
love they bore each other. They were the
idols of the island, and gave the word
when to sow, when to reap, when to gather
in the harvest Questions of moment
were submitted to them for decision All
men yielded to them, followed them,
obeyed them. Their word was law, and
their power was maintained, not by the
strong hand, but by gentleness and wis
dom. Their house of pine wood was set
on the crown of hill, above the valleys
in which the warm winds fingered 1t
seemed right that they should live apart
from their fellows. They were the eagles
of the isle, bright strong limbed and
long-enduring. In hunting, shooting and
feats of endurance they were the masters
of all. The land around their house had
been cleared and made arabic by their own
strong hands, and in community of able
tillers they were renowned for their skill
with the plow.
Celibacy was not uncommon in the Silver
Isle and for that reason, and because the
moral stature of the brothers was so far
above that of their fellows, it was not a
matter for wonder that they lad not found
their mates among women. For their sakes
many women remained single, unblessed,
and uncomplaining, for the brothers trihed
with no maiden's affections. But it is not
for men to lay down law for themselves
in this respect na,eure is not to be denied,
and when the brothers had passed their
decade, the spirit of love touched their
hearts. 1t ploved their destruction. They
were both lrawn to alovely girl of eighteen
summers. an orphan, who exercised an al
most magic power over the islanders. As
the brothers were the heroes, so Evange-
ling was the heroine of the Silver Isle.
Universally beloved, she brought happiness
to the young and comfort to the old She
was not conscious at first of the passion
which possessed the brothers, nor that the