Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-31
A LEGEND OF MEXICO.

u1nSlens Of Nueva HizpanA Hers was thAS
rsrs hssuty. at once glowing ard gentle, that
nils thu hsarts Of men and vosisen alike With
.sarning tSs,crBsA -On ber sweet face .
lSs~insw sii hiaIeous beggar crone, ono
day on tie Passo, turning 10 look . Ter tho
g1ri; 1T would warm my hart 70 clasp hsr
in my arms Tue day ssems brighter ths
worLi se1na better. since she came near. !
Io,g 70 serve her-so put myself bseween hss
and sonse ,iangerr
In shcrt, Marina was one Of the few beingB
CITED with the faculty Of winning the love ot
all. Sbo Lai not an enemy In the world
Bhs lived simple life enough Ia the home Of
hsr parents, making their lives bright, going
her daily round with an even cheerfulne~ Of
spirit. and gladly taking her share Of such
ssruseu,ent and social sunshine was pos-
ellie with tbs womsn of her day and racs
She was no saint, Marina. but neither was
Oh, . coquettr. . scold, bigot, nor an empty
heldel doil-but . sweet, true, pure minded
woman II wmx deemsi strange, IN her wide
circle Of acquaintance, that Marina had no
lover. Suitors had she galore, TO choose
from she nee,iei hut raiso hsr finger But sbs
elected not 70 choose. why should wedF
she would say when Questioned with urgence,
.anply 10 have . busbsDdi But what Is .
husband worth IL be be not dcari And bet
t.r that should live 10 robs the saints. az il
our sayiDg, than TO marry bu. for that 1t is the
custom, and aftsrward meet one 10 whom all
tlc heart goes forth. Ay Diosl what NJ. cry.
Nay nAy think my parents love mo; and,
until they send me from their home, | will
not marry, unless I come TO lovel" And in
that day, to follow courss required even
moro than to-day OF hrmness, resolution and
singieness Of purpose.
Marina had hcr reward There came .
change Ia the viceroyalty-the viceroys were
changed sometimes; the regal master OCCASION
ally opined that his representative thought II
the sui sct first. and now and again one en-
harked for another kingdom, ~ render there
account Of his earthly craftsmanship. Thus.
q now viceroy came To Mexico, and with him
came iconel d. la Montana, a comely youth
OF ancient lineage, specially detailed by Philip
the Second for the journey to the new world.
He was noble, handsome, rich Was aught
Gle, hickin2i Midst the dissolute youth Of
tho day might one look for q saint Such,
indeed. was not Leonel de Ia Montana. he was
q soldier, who had fought well and to his own
fame in the campaigns Of Flanders, and he
bad u soldiers faults. But no was also .
brave and knightly man, whose SINS were
never lass nor loathsome. and, Judged by tho
standard OF the time, lie was exceptional a.
~ honor and morals
Hc met Marina soon after his arrival, who
shall say how and where, on tho paseo Of
those days, at church, or at one Of tIe infre-
qucnt tertulias OF the timet And from the
first time hs saw her, he lived and breathed
but for Marina Anaya, aud he ma,le his
court with such eager assiduity that they
were soon bc.hrotbed. And Marina found in
her lover the fulfillment OF her IDEAL the reali-
cation OF that standard, lacking which she
had been content to live unwedded. Her
every wish and aspiration were satisfied by
tire cxcellences Of LeoneL II only shc could
prssuldc him that such was the truth Tor
the ono thing that niarred her perfect happi-
nc &, tho one blemish in a character otherw SO
all symmetrical, was the terrible strain Of
jealousy In his nature II may have been
the proverbial modesty OF the true lover,
niakiu., him feel a sense OF his own unworthi-
mes But, whatever the motive. it seemed
" lin impossible that he should keep the
lovc OF Marina, widely beloved and charming
es she was When he gazed upon her, he
coull not believe that she should not be tickle,
armed with tho wondrous power her beauty
gave her, and it maddened him to think her
bear; might sworve to another.
An immediate marriage might have salts
Gel him Of the good faith OF Marina, but
Jus. after the betrothal til, death OF n distant
relative threw the Anayay into mourning
after the faaiion OF the rigorous etiquette Of
the Spaniards, and as soon they DOTTED the
sable suits OF complimentary woe, Lent was
at hand, and no one who lays claim to good
taste marries in Cuaresrna, even now, when
more liberal IDEAS prevail. How much less
readily then, when all the world was under
prles.ly rule. Lent over, Mnrinas father
especially requested that the nuptials should
be deferred until the arrival from Spain Of q
favorite brother. unslo of the prospective
bride.
All these delays were o .ious and even mad
dening to De la Montana He tormented
himself with constant brooding upon them.
until the reasons assigned, all logical and
weighty to the formal precision Of the race
and generation, seemed to him strained,
frivolous aud Improbable. From such con-
clusion it required no violent effort Of a
morbid fancy TO advance step farther. and
Leonei persuaded himself that Marina was
tired of him, that she had never loved him,
that she desired to break the bonds Of their
betrothal, and that all these procrastinations
were ominous tokens sisnifying that wish
and means OF gradual approach to such a
rupture. His jealous passion increased, bat
tening upon his misery. until the man had
almost become insane. And the full measure
Of his own suffering he held to the troubled
liIs Of poor Marina Every absurd prctext
WINS to him a theme Of complaint and re-
preach. He found source OF grievance in
the situation OF the Anaya dwelling, on one
Of tho main thoroughfares, a favorite prom.
enade OF the young Spanlards, who naturally
passed thither not the less because OF Ma.
rinas beauty The praises wished upon hel
annoyed him US much as II the girl had
courted them II had come to pass that every
interview between the lovers resolved itself
into bitterness and reproaches, and Msrins
was half Wild with distress. She loved Leonel
most dearly, aud she could not doubt the
ar,ior OF his love for her, as its very intensity
was the source OF his mad jealousy over thu
fatal Charm Of her beauty.
At last one morning DE Ia Montana passed
the house and found it closed His morbid
fancy a, once pictured a rival behind the
MASSIVE shutters Of the iron barred windows
making his suit to Marina. perhaps-oh.
mints in heaveni-winning his cause, and
Harrowed by the thought, he was Fastening
70 knock at tho zaguan the great street
portal when a wicket in one Of the windows
was opened, aud white hand-and q hand
be know was Marina's hand-was put forth
and slightly beckoned He approached, and
begged to know the ladys will For all an
swer white, folded missive was held toward
him. He took the letter. the window quickly
closed and he could but move away to where
BE- could read at ease:
NY worshiped Leonel.s the letter ran.
my love for thee has amounted fairly to
worship, since We who love first only at a
mature age concentrate our affections, un-
friteered away by earlier, slighter loves-i
have tried then, by every tenderness, to con-
vince thee that thou alone Of men art in my
heart; but have found thee insensibls to
thsss aasmrances A my blind and simple
affection cannot inspire in thee that faith
which is es~ential to welded happiness, and -
nv beauty-which therefore hold aecurssd
Is the terrible barrier to our perfect under
standing, l have resolved, not in anger
nor revenge, but in sacrifice to your love, to
convert that i'll starred. fatal beauty into .
living horror, that thou mayest no longer 80
In IL temptation 10 disloyalty toward thea
Naught else can cure my anxiety and dis
trrss. and do not falter. II thou Lowest me
thus shalt thy trust revive: thou wilt pardon
my umightIiness, and We shall once more b
happy. II thy love shall revolt and perish
for the b. sror become, losing that torment
ing love. thou witt find peace again. will
return thee at least the tranquility have
dS;rorci, either by dispellins the illusion Or
BY protecting thy passion beneath the wings
q faith. Thine. MARINA"
The heart Of Lecnel sank like lead within
him. with the weight Of . great nIissiving.