The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-02-25
For the CHIEF.
CASTA DIVA, Or MY DREAM.
BIZ DAN DIMPLE.

| BIZ DAN DyMPLE.
Was it all dream? I awakened wit
a feeling Of delicious reality stealth
over me, and | longed to once agai
behold the beautiful creature that ha
been the heroine Of my dreaming
slumbers.
To be sure, was in romantic spot
as, being wearied with hunting, ha,
thrown myself down upon a bank o
wild violets with log overgrown witt
lichen for pillow, leaving Carlo, m.
pointer, as guardsman but am loath
with my romantic nature, to believe th'
surrounding lent any aid to the poetic
thoughts that chased each other as
slumbered there. You want to hear m,
dream do you, Hal' All right! will
try to recall it as We sit here by our fire
and I'il promise to talk as long as oul
cigars aud the fire last.
She was not the Casta Diva that las
held thousands spell bound before the
dazzling footlights, nor do even know
that she possessed voice that might
bewitch one with its melodious softness
but do know she was exquisitely bean.
tiful, and her chief charm was the grace
with which she glided through the sheen
of the silvery waves. I thought stood
upon bridge overhung with evergreens
and arches Of wild flowers hugged with
ivy, waiting to take aim at an innocent
little dove perched among the branches,
when, as if by magic, a lovely woman
stepped forth from the bowers clad in a
garb seeming to be that Of an Indian
Princess, and yet she looked very
Diana. She stood silent as if awaiting
some one, but upon seeing me lift my
rife, she bounded forward and exclaimed,
:" harm not the doves, they are my pets y
I was petrifed with admiration as /
gazed upon her perfect form, her rich
robes, and looked at her well-shaped
limbs clad in most handsomely wrought
moccasins.
"I am Casta Diva" she said, and gave
one leap into the silvery depths below.
By the light of the moon, for the scene
had changed, saw her glide through
the water will, as much queenly grace as
though she were truly water nymph,
and was watching with enraptnred en-
chantment, when an Indian Chief ap-
peared and threw down a gauntlet. Not
being eager for an affray was slow to
sec the challenge, whereupon he grew
angry and demanded that take it up.
I stopped tc pick it up, when 10 and
behold, it stuck to icy poor hand with
such a fixed grasp that might have
imagined a fish hook had caught ME in
its wiles. Oh, what agony ] felt! l
began to imagine was to be tattoced |!
I did no: suffer long, however, for was
soon attracted by most heavenly strains
of music, and Gu glancing towards the
rivalet, beheld my Princess stealing
towards me, drawn by seven white
swans, in a chariot of sea-shell She
waved her wand, down dropped
ny agonizing glove, and there appeared
ten most hideous hobgohlins from the
adjacent forest these, at her command,
bore away the Jealous Chief to he con-
demEed to se3vitude fo: bis lifetime. 1
was enchanted! I then, at her request,
followed her, end cinbarking IN her
fairy-l;ke gondola left our moorings to
make tour of the seas. Onward We
sped dashed, tossed, and again softly
Is rocked in the cradle Of tie Deep until
VIC became almost as vacillating as the
current itself. All at once she blew a
silver-tipped bugle and our vessel glided
to coast which seemed to glisten with
the priceless jewels OF Monte Criste.
Al cf this atas hers, she whispered in
dulcet tones, and bade me array myself
for on- marriage. Oh, Hal, could you
have bel,eld my mortal visage, you would
have been transported with sympathetic
delight to see your old cEnm SO radiantly
happy and at the sams moment such an
fool over g female! Yos
know what nay life Of bachelorhood has
been, aud now that a silver Jock here and
there decks my aaxea tresses, I resign
edly dub myself fair, fat and forty"
gathered the Jewels, ornamented my
poor self in eager haste, and presented
myself to my beautiful queen. She
dwelt in hallowed ecstacy over her val
iant knight and pressed many an ardent
kiss upon my brow. She saw nay SUI
preme bliss, and led me on until my
senses were all drngged in the cup Of
enchanted love. "Now we are ready"
said she, eve must repair to the Palace
of Love and Beauty to there be united
in holy wedlock." Onward we went
over calm, moonlit sea, and in the hazy
I could behold a chateau that
shone with fairy-like grandeur; l was
gazing in mute surprise, when we touched
shore, and in the fitfal changeability Of
my dream I beheld the bridge upon
which l had captured my sweet prize.
She again waived her magic wand, me-
thought Aurora with rosy lips was just
kissing the moonbeams when the scene
changed, and jumping up amidst some
terrible noise, found old Carlo yelping
and barking over me most fnriously as l
lay there in terrifying danger of being
deyoured by a hideons rattlesnake that