The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-26

4
sorrow. Everiny morning We have
been prepared for siege, and every
night has found US waiting unchsi-
lenged at our posts, and never ooce
until te-dsg has any one attempted
to enter our garrisoned city. Stranger,
can 1t be this fearful curss has been
10 operation almost thousand years.
81 could not answer, for my mind
was beWildered by this story; and
WAS bitterly regretting that | had ever
ventered down that deserted creek.
But when the old mandarin entreated
me In low, excited tone, 20 90 with
him to the prince, l reused myself
and followed in his footsteps. In
gorgeous outer room of the palace
he left me, walking on himself past
the guards, who stood at their
posts like statues, and through the
groups OF attendants, who moved
llstlessly about their duties. | had
time to remark everything shout
the room, when dreadful cry from
an inner apartment rent the sitting,
heavy air. To me, IN spite Of the tone
of long-suppressed anguish, it was
relief; and | went at once into tue
princes presence, following the at
PENDANTS and guards, who ali rGshed
forward in sudden panic.
II never can adequately describe
the scene that WAS before me when |
entered the gorgeous inner palace.
Prince Ton-ko-lin-siDg, a tall martial.
looking man In the prime OF youth
yet with the same nameless look
OF age upon his face which [ had
noticed on all the other faces-was
leaning over the table intensely study
ing a long paper closely covered with
writing still unefaced and bright,
though thedate under heimperial seal
showed that it was written more tast
nine hundred years ago. On cush-
ion, at the princes feet, half lay,
half knels, his beautiful young vile,
looking up into bis face in vague b.
wilderment. Her dress Was Just the
dress OF the presnt dsy;i Our fashions,
as you know. do not change even
through hundreds Of years. The
Loose sleeves of her iunic-sky-blus
satin, embroidered richly with gold
dragons-fell over her clasped hands:
the swans down which edged them
not whittier than her trembling fingers;
and the large jewels glis.ening in her
hair not more restless than her eager,
frightened eyes.
the attendants had lost their list
lessness now; the unmoved faces of
the guards had assumed a sharp. keen
curiosity, and the old mandarin,
standing at the the princes side,
was eager enough as he pointed,
with a shaking hand, to the date
upon the Enperor's letter. As l
looked knew that the full horror of
their situation had broken upon them
all. They had discovered, with a
dreadful shock, the number of years
they had been living under this curse,
while he who uttered it had been
dead. / had brought them the frat
tiaings from the busy, living world
; without. l had excited new feelings
and sensations among them, and
opened their eyes to the mystery
which mad so long enshrcuded them;
perhaps now the spell, which had
hung for thousand years upon the
CITY, might be moved. | waited
6reathlessly to see it.
The guards leaned forward on
their weapons listening eagerly for a
; word to break the silence. The at.
/, , .eudaut. lowered about the Prince in
speecnless excitement. The princess
! still knelt and looked with startled,
loving glance into her husbands face.
: The meidens who surrounded heI
drew CT ser together, piteous IL.
quiry in their gaze. The old man
DARN, breathing heavily, sill held
: his tremulous finger on the date
upon the Emperor's anstEems. The
prince bent over the writing, with biz
brow knit in deep bewilderment. !
stood watching the whole terrible,
yet beautiful scene.
"5wiftly, noiselessly. suddenly, the
5 change came. The shields and Weap.
! ons dropped from the wall, falling
without sound upon the marble floor.
The figures, in their bright, rich
: dresses, crumbled into dust, as they
stood or sat in their waiting, expect
ant attitudes. The palace fell around
me softly, silently; fell and left me
: standing unhurt upon It's old tcuuGa
tons.
"5bading my eyes from the terrible
sight of magnificent buildings falling
about me without a crash, l hurried
through the decaying streets and en-.
tered my boat again. As I did so,
saw she heavy crimson flag fall slowly
from above the city gate. At thG
moment that it touched the walls
g the boats that lay upon the Watel
sunk, and the barrier fell before ua
10 The last remnant of the whole city
g melted in the vanishing mist, anC
q there lay nothing on all the fat anC
II barren country to tell that human
o beings had ever inhabited it; nothing
q of this ghsstly mystery remained Il
. show;that such city hsdlevsz existed
Is Quickly piled my sculIs, breath
q ing with freedom once again. AnC
70 now no heavy mist enshrouded me
It The sun shone clearly. the bird
sung, and myriads OF bright and busy
n