Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-25
A BROKEN HEART.
BIZ MARY MAHONEY.
Rochelle, LII

Down in the heart of Kent most
beautiful of English counties
stands the grand old Norman castle of
AvonIeigh. Built upon a gentle elevation
it commands splendid view of the rich
est scenery. Broad stretches of forest,
whose giant trees dwindIe into mere
atoms in the distance. Gently undulating
hills, merging into the bluest skies in the
the dim distance, with here and there a
tiny glimpse of silver sea.
1t was the eve of that most disastrous
internal struggle "The War of the Roses,'
when the fair flag of England was stained
with the blood of her nOblest sons. Lord
John de Grey, the master of AYonleigh,
had already declared himself a warm ad-
here1t of the house of York, and when
the tide of war mingled its turbulent
stream with the pure and peaceful waters
of domestic life, the gray-haired Earl
was found braVely fighting beside his
only son.
A mellow day in autumn is drawing to
a close, the soft light of a harvest moon
is cOntending for supremacy with the
shadows OF the sinking sun. In a little
while the castle is bathed in the tender
moonlight, the clinging ivy leaves glisten
like silver and tremble from the faintest
Perfumed breeze.
The Earl's only daughter, Lady Mir
lam, fair-haired maiden, with a wonder
curly beautiful face, is down in the quaint
old garden, drawn thither by the singu-
lar beauty of the night; and, verify, moon
never shown upon a fairer form than
hers, and the flowers sent forth their
sleeping incense to greet this living" Rose
of AvOnleigh."
II, 10, 81
from its thOrny stem the delicate finger
was pierced and crimson drop stained
the roses purity, but no murmUr escaped
her, and gathering up the folds Of her
white robe she walked slowly back to the
castle.
Young and beautiful, surrounded with
wealth and pleasures, this young girl
knew not what unhappiness meant; like a
bird whose gilded cage protects and shell
ters her, life indeed was all sunshine with
out a shadow.
Though rumOrs of war were IN the air,
and men spoke in serious tones of the
strife which seemed inevitable, no thought
of danger marred the calm happiness of
her existence.
Already she had given her heart to
young Wilfred Aylmer, as brave and
handsome youth as the sun ever shone
upon, and whose strong, young arm shall
also be welded in the cause of the noble
house of York.
Through the wide dimly lighted hall
way Lady Miriam walked slowly and al
most unconsciously, clasping the now half
crimsoned rose to her bosom, until she
reached her fathers study.
The old Earl sat in profound thought,
and he did not heed the soft football I'M
oh l. lo5 II 81
own.
'What a dark brown study my dear
father is ill.," murmured the sweet
voice.
The Earl's face was scanned and shadow
ed with care as he lifted his head and a
sudden paleness overspread his features
when he saw the white rose which she
laughingly held up to his gaze.
Il was thinking of you, my pearl" he
replied, drawing the fair head down to
him and kissing the sweet childish
mouth, "but now that you are here" he
added ''Iike a CLEAN of sunshine among
my shadows, l am no longer sad" But
seeing a shade of pain in her eyes he
added hastily:
II was indeed thinking of the time
when some one would rob me of the
fairest flower in my garden of roses.''
She chided him lovingly for thinking
too soon, and with her accustomed prayer
and goodnight kiss, left him.
Up the wide staircase she goes, slowly
and thoughtfully, now through the great
picture gallery, where the old-fashioned
but beautiful faces of other Lady Miri-
ans looked down upon her. Was it the
weird moonlight that made those dead
faces seem to bend from their stiff
frames and cause CLEAN of sadness to
light the dead eyes that seemed to fol
low her as she passed beneath them?
She soon reached her favOrite ROOM
high in the west wing, coy nook, where
she loved to look upon the moonlight
scene without and inhale the faint frag-
rance fro IN the garden.
Lady Miriams life had indeed been like
to the unrutfied bosom of a clear, calm
lake. Her placid bosom had never been
disturbed by a sad thought. True, within
the past few months her heart had awak-
ened, bud-like, to the new and sweet
knowledge of another love. That very
morning she had been plighted to Sir Viii
fred Aylmer, and their marriage would be
celebrated when the war-club had rolled
past.
Long and sadly the earl unused that
night; his heart was full of foreboding OF
which every day seems more imminent he
should fall? What if this his one eve
lamb, should be orphaned He
tried to drive away his gloomy imaginings
by recalling the sweet face of her who ha6
just left him with words of love and hope
and prayed that this ''bitter chalice''
might pass away.
But, alas! month later saw the riva
parties engaged in determined and dead
ly strife also the white-haired ear
and his son fighting side by side will
young Wilfred Aylmer.
Oh, selfish kings and avaricious princes
how little We reck the cost of your crowns
how little We care. News travelled slowl,
in those days, but medieval maidens die
not sigh and like Us of modern times
but looked hopefully for the triumphan