Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-08-15
Yorkshire Love Legend.

Minister towers. LIS BUSINESS was
as poor as he was; he had already
FIVE children, and one morning his
wife gave birth to a sixth, a fine
little girl. The poor father sighed;
he took the child in the shop and
laid it upon the counter. Then he
fairly broke down and sobbed over
his new possession. Now, the
shop was an open one, and a knight
who happened to be riding by
stopped his horse when he saw the
poor mans distress.
'What alls you, friend ? he asked.
'Alas,' said the father, Il have
already five young ones, and know
not how to find food for them, and
10, my wife has but now given me
another. 1 would that it had not
come into this suffering world
Il will see what will happen to
her. the knight said; for he was
a sorcerer, and he always carried
his great Book of Fate at his saddle
bow.
The poor man gazed at him as
he read. All at once he saw the
knight turn pale, his hair bristle on
his head, but he spoke with a smil-
ing face to the distressing father:
BE consoled, friend; l have no
daughter, and if you will give me
your unwelcome infant, will adopt
it and make it heir to my posses
sions.'
The fathers delight was great;
he loaded the knight with thanks,
and packed the baby in his arms.
The knight spurred his horse and
rode swiftly to the banks Of the
Ouse at some distance from the
city. Here he GiSmOunted and
flung the infant into the middle Of
the river, for in the Book of Fate
he had read this newborn babe
was destined to marry his only son.
Then he rode away rejoicing
But the river was more compassion
ate than the knight. 1t washed
the baby ashore and a fisherman
hearing its cries carried it home to
his cottage.
Fifteen years after, the knight
with many of bis friends came rid
ing along the banks of the Ouse,
and stopped at the fsherman's
to buy a fish. a young
girl came to the door, and the
knight and all his friends were
startled by her wonderful beauty.
Her manner, too, was so sweet and
gracious that as they went on their
way they continued to praise her
loveliness, till the knight said with
a laugh
Il will search my book and see
which Of you is destined to be the
fisher-maiden's husband
But his laughter ceased and his
face grew white when he read that
this was the very maiden he had
flung into the stream long ago.
He soon made an excuseto leave
his friends, and, going back to the
cottage, asked the fisherman if he
wOnld allow his daughter to carry
from him to his brother, a
noble knight who lived at Scar
borough.
The fisherman consented, and
then the knight wrote a letter, and
sealiugit gave it to the girl. She
put the letter into her purse and
started at once on her journey.
When night fell, she went to a little
inn, where she asked for a bed and
slept soundly. Now, it happened
that thief found his way into the
inn that night, and prowling about
he came into the maiden room
and saw her purse lying on the
table. In it he found the letter
which he opened and read, 1t con-
tained these words:
Dear brother-Take the bearer
and put her to death immediately
The thief turned his lantern on
the face of the sleeper, and seeing
how young and beautiful she was
he felt compassion. 'She deserves
a better fate,i he said, 'and she
shall have it, Then he wrote a
note in the Z handwriting of the
knight:" t:"f p s1a'r ID y '''"' p
Dear brotherATake the bearer
and marry her; at once to my son.
He then sealed the letter and placed
it in the girls purse instead of the
other.
Next morning the girl walked
early and hurried on to Scar.
borough. The knights brother re-
ceiyed her kindly. but when he had