Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-13
THE ISLE OF ROSES.

AIlL 1DAA OE xyVOI6Hs
NOV lovingy ceeessd sad enoo sssc0y
pone1ed oy tns wavo OF n basfic, nsevsao
- coases u Fouesenaa ead eseoso, ~ N
Osnasn iAaeno o. bornoctm ~ htIie Known
% sns ~ofsd, and u psTuson d vfid ross
maigenoos 70 the paass has acquired fof y
sns sooF'ques Oh tns No u rosa
lte snS1ozl~ of u tff5s town o. Aun9e,
% tos norhsss, ass especially psctursaque
ana rernaskaDss foe ~ peculiar wssdneo q
teeS formation We arc here, soddenly and
v'tnoot any prsin1s. confronted WIN . mag
nincsnt nstorai pAnorsnA
Aak'ng Auinss my &Aftfn9 poans ussn
othsn 70 vSsit Inc 90 ceekh Ihe roed u nsw
lies along TIE strand, INN winding 70 shs M
commences an encsnfs afsss hAaf a. hour
1ene N scTsmnhng among n roce ne
'&S OK fafaiise = stfsined Thfooeh u
nsaft OF the doll sncareiing The castle extends
. promenads whose psSfsrt0n o. srsnsfy
caAiienges imAginArinn itssiE Ihs path on
botb AIDES Is bordsrsd With htAcs and roses N
Thick bsdxss. which grow 70 . samct<ns
hsighf Y form spscsns Of wanted aiisy, rice
IN fragranns, retaining ~ grateful AaA<as and
eocine>s dnr'ng TIE psevasAnes On sxtfsns
beat
few rsares through this Eden efings TIE
wand rer t-fors The deep. placid Anguof q
The ocean Masses Of rock. eisft In rugged
wiIdress, form al oncs ANAL bay. and = ht-
ting frame for 10 glorious prospect
sought my fayorite haunt one day when
The heree heat Of the suns fnys was untsrn-
Jsr"i BY breath Of air; bat the rough
he~n bench under the gnarisd oak, whence
The view extended 70 tbs distant So. CON-
mandin2 tho cours OF cAminX shipS, w.
corrupted.
a girl basssd with nssdiswofk ws sitting
there. In my first surpriss fancieh mat l
heheid sotle apparition or wood nymph IL
was, however. no unreal .sockery," for ths
figure arfsc 10 Its fest when my footsteps b.
came aodibls. Standing there in all her mar
Vicious beauty. in hood Of sunbeanl~, she re-
senbled sone goddess Of the northern myth
olosgy The garb Of the country developed
freely tho graceful symmstry Of hsr tall,
slender figure. and lent peculiar charm TO
her appearance. The most striking feature
In this vision WAS, however, the nobiy mod
ele-l head the expressive eoantenance eneir-
eled by profusion Of light, ssvy hair, the
eyes shaded by dark flashes, blue and fathop-
k~s M the Dream, their gazs now liked upon
the intruder
We stood silent for q moment, confronting
each other In mutual surprise, for neitheT Of
us Ind dreamt of finding this solitude invaded
by another human bsing Should | pass on
my way plaeidly or seek To enter into CONVEX
satinnt | hesitated Every form OF address
which first occurred 10 seemed hold and
inappropriate, / should have preferred To con-
ten, myself with gazing ut her and listening
10 her voice As II was necessary. however.
10 put end 10 the situation way or
another and vainiy endeavoring To combat
the ascehdaucy Of the girls charms, inquired
my way TO tho Iittle fishing village OF Wang,
which had long intended TO visit
@Ah, you eak Danish" she observed, with
. friendly smile, for she had at once set me
down ~ a foreigner And then, with all the
charm Of natural afYabilIty which character
iysa her coupatriots, she explained that the
way le'i me across tho rocky strand noted
anew In her peculiarity Of the Bohemian
folk Avoiding all use Of the expression right
or left, they refer invariably to tho points OF
the compass. She accompanied me TO a point
from which | could not miss my why, and
wished mo pleasant walk at parting. This
meeting gave me food for reflection during
tho r,-,t Of my rumble
What had caused me 10 take much In
terest in this giTl. Surely not her rare beauty
alone ! pondered and pondered, and at
length believed had found clew. | had .
dim recolle.tlo Of some tragic feature in her
face, such as nature bestows in many human
beings, and now my minds eye deserted it
clearly and distinctly defined In the graceful
lines of her mouth Besides this, her eyes
had a gaze full OF dreamy tbouahtfulness, az
though the soul Of the p,esessor dwelt In the
far distance At all events this maiden had
something unusual about her.
At Wang 1 entered the cabin Of a fisherman
to partake Of refreshments, AZ there was no
inn there, and mentioned my encounter, ask
ing, after giving u description of the girl, II
anybody knew her. At once came the reply:
'Of course, that was our lovely Gudrun;
everybody on the island knows her A good
girl, but klaisynet IA clairvoyantl, which.
however. is not unusual among our women.v
Abr thought l. "a clairvoyant. That ac-
counts for the dreamy look In her eyes, And
the weather beaten sailor added:
"sshe has occasione,i her father, old Capt.
Torstensen, much grief already from this
cause. She wanders at night to the ruins Of
Hamnershuns and talks with the spirits there
But She will be married soon. She Is engaged
10 Gunnar, the pilot, who is duo home shortly
in the Russian East lndiaman the Nautilus"
On my departure tho old man refused my
pruirer of reinuneration-convi proof Of
the hospitality OF the ISLANDERS He accepted,
however, "A few cigars, thanking NE heartily
with "a grip Of the hand which felt for some
DAYS after
My interest in the girl increased Did she
really, then, possess the gift of second sight,
And how dit II find VENT Musing over this
l st out on my return.
Thnking to shorten my journey took a
bypath. When reached tho old castle night
had already fallen. | found that had lost
my way, and was soon utterly al fault.
wandered about among the rocks for a god
hour, AMI ut last, in the distance, deserted a
light which ! made my beacon II led me to
an isolated house. knocked with the inten-
ton of asking the way. The door was
opened, and before me stood-my beautiful
acquaintance OF the afternoon.
This second meeting so surprised me that
was at first unable 10 utter n word At last
explained my dilemma to Gudrun, who
kindly invited me 70 enter. twas her fathers
house. The latter, a tall man Of 81, easily
as a sailor, who had seen much
yet some refreshments before me. and pro-
posed to accompany me until should regain
my road Thus, for the second time, had
asked the way OF Gu,irun She referred to
this herself with some graceful Jest. which
lent fresh charm to her naturally thought
full countenance.
After this our meetings were more fire.
auent, sometimes at the house Of her father,
who at times accompanies, me in my rambles;