The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-06
THO RANSOM.

An old Latin city slumbercd by the blue !
waters of Al gulf. over whose bosom the
waves sped lightly as birds might skim
the azure of ~ cloudless summer sky. The
mountains reared proud heads, still
ROWING by marble temples half demol-
ishcd, which seemed tai gaze at their q,iiv-
ering reflection i'm the blue mirror AT their
feet.
The great walls of the city still bore the
victorious mark of the Csesars, and OH
them paced the RESTLESS watchers, whose
monotonous cries told the hours of the
night, in, concert with the tongues of mon
astery bells.
The outline of great aqucducts cut
sharply across the horizon. Triumplal
arches and rostral columns emerged from
the thick foliage of trees whose iadow
had lain for centuries upon them. The
homes of the poor, the palaces OF priests
and ministers, vast halls and ruined
temples cast their strange and varied sill
houcttes upon the fathomless blue of the
Latin sky and fretted tine horizon like the
lace mantle Of some Titancss.
When the gods reigned, the city was
known as the city of Aphrodite. Now she
bore the name of u sainted bishop OF the
true church.
Above her walls rose the olive woods,
and higher still the forest pines, sombre
and mysterious and fast against the
granite hills beyond into the infinite
ether where the eagle spreads his mighty
wings pointed the nine towers OF the castle
Here dwelt the virgin Bathilde.
She was u widow who had ne'er been. u
wife. Her lord, called forth To single
handed combat OH their marriage cve,had
gone never tn return, and with the chaste
ai ;r,, Of y 5n Far.sd Gn n With H Si"Sm nn %n was hed
save by the swift passing OF an anglers
wing.
Her eyes were deep; changcfui AS twi-
lights in autumn.
49,. xl,n<x, MN an tvnrv Snlplnln-GnR
and white and slender; and wound about
with strings nf gold, clasped by "a single
Her hair was like copper threads in the
sunlight like brown awe i'm the
shade, but soft to the touch as is the fur of
the wild beast.
She was as cold as the marble gods and
her heart was of ice. And hcr people
hated and feared her, for she was wicked
and cruel: i'm their hearts they cursed her.
But she cared not at all. In the radiant
pride of her beauty she was like "A pagan
empress and she scarce bowed her
naughty head at the elevation of the host.
fore her eyes wide opened and scornful
and when the white-robed friars in the
donjon chapel besouRht her tn knccl with
the faithful at confession, she made an
what should I accuse my.elf""
even m the good and just God saw that she
must be humbled.
IL Was yet the time of the harvest, and
tue NthH tsS hs "h ~
granite hills, when there came u Knocking
at the gates and a sound of many horses
F~o,.iaues the Beautiful asked shelter for
the might from the Lady OF Pierrehlce.
Fouiques the Beautiful was of tall stat
mockinu head of Bacchus, and his lips
were red, as il stained by the juice of the
rings Of gold, and there was that in his
eye which no woman could withstand.
From a window i'm the tower Bathiide
looked down OH the guest at the donjon
From the donjon gates Foulques the
Beautiful looked up at Bathilde i'm the
window of the tower.
And il was as if she were held by chains
and the heart which she had never felt be.
fore to beat rose i'm great throbs OF ecstasy
and she placed her two hands at her white
throat and felt the beating there.
6AndF onia1es tine h,.r serv;tars ' tn ann
the castle to him and to his followers, and
to bid them welcome i'm the name of the
And ali the splendors of the castle were
shown him, and the magnificence of his
would have been offered to King or Pope,
And Bathilde lay aside her robes OF
mourning and put on her girdle glitterinQ
hair that il might fall it's length to hel
white feet, and went down and stood he
fore Foulques the Beautiful.
He pazcd ON her and loved her even as
she loved him. And he only saw her as
the woman, humble in her love. Tor she
served him and listened to him. and when
he spoke made answer as she thought
would please him.
Day by day from her beauty she wooet
him from the wars toward which hs
Day by day he fingered and thought
R,,t still he said TO word of love to her
kuowinv well il was his duty To go on
For to the soldier duty comes first ant
love comes after.
Al last she went and stood before him
she that had been 50 proud. In her hI
nility. she cast down her eyes and sanl
rIuon her knees and stretched out heI
hands to him imploringly and said:-
sIcaye me not-I love thee!"
And he lifted her in his arms and kisset
her lips
Lady of Pierreluce were betrothed.
The wbite-robed friars of the chapel be
sought Bathilde To bow her head and benz
her knee and give thanks to- Heaven fol
her great happiness. But she opened
wide her scornful eyes and held he
naughty head the higher and made an
swer:-
..Now care paught for God and Hi,
angels. for 1 nave indeed found my para
disc"
And the angels wept again in Heaven
and the just God saw that she had no
been sufficiently humbled.
But the followers of Fotilqucs the Bean
fiful chafcd at the delay. And messenger,
came to the castle of Picrrclucc to scel
H., .,l tI.~r lnyht him, tisliluS nf fhs