The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-11-14

y
we're fond of him too; come around to
my hotel, and I'll show you something
ne wrole to me. It's the queer st
lrve-story you ever heard, and has the
saddest sequel Do you know that now,
looking back, one of the oldest things
about 1t all is that we should have struck
on the nickname for hIm that we did p
In a few minutes We were in my room
at the Hotel Marset, and, having taken
Almy's story from my trunk, 1 read il
aloud at Brownell's request. Here it is.
THE STORY.
] was neither sleepy nor lonely, as
long after midnight ! sat before the open
fire, holding in my hand volume of old
Persian quatrians. Among these was
one which read and re read
For remember stopping by the way,
To watch potter humping his wet clay.
And with Its all obliterated tongue
1t murmured, "Gently, brother, gently, pray"
l was so fOrcibly struck by this idea
uf the strange evolution whereby the
lust OF those VINO had crumhIsd back to
earth centuries ago might now be serv
ing daily uses or decorating the shelves
OF our cabintts that. rising, ] took from
behind the glass doors that protect such
rpasures small cup of Mexican pottery
hich had been irresistibly imp lied to
purchase few days before.
As held it, curious thrill ran
through me, like the touch of woman's
magnetic hand, and there aeemed to
come from it little futterIng.
/ was so startled that the cup fell from
nv hand, and, as it broke into q dozen
fragments, heard what sounded like
the echo of low moan. For moment
was incapable of thought or action.
Then there came over me the conscious
ness of presence; and, raising my eyes
from the shattered cup, saw the love-
liest vieion conceivable.
The form was that of yourg girl IN
the first perfection of womanhood.
Warm color showed through her olive
skin; from her head to her little feet
rippled a mass of dusky hair; and
new fascination possessed me as l met
the look from her soft dark eyes.
Her picturesque dress consisted of
pale-blue cotton skirt deeply bOrdered
with the brilliant plumage OF tropical
birdr) and a sleeveless white oyerdress.
This was rickly embroidered in gold and
held in place by a curiously-wrought
girdle of the same precious metal. her
arms, neck, and ankles were hung with
ornaments, and on her head rested lit
tie golden diadem thickly studded with
precious stones.
Strange though realized the incident
of this presence to be, it produced no
fear. An indescrible delight filled me,
and memory seemed to be struggling
with the barrier OF a thousand years;
for, like the glimpse OF a vanished
dream, the Presence seemed dimly ia
miliar.
Whenever l have read of spiritual
manlfestation-inw which never put any
faith, by the way it has always seemed
to me ridiculous that an audible voice
should be attributed to an intangible
form. 50, in the confused conscious
ness of mind partly under the infu-
ence of another will, found amid the
mental chaos OF the moment a satisfac
ton that here the unities were TO be pre-
served, as it were. For as the question,
"Who and what can you be 2" was
formed in my mind, the answer was
borne in upon me: "The spirit of an Az
tee girl, part Of whose mortal clay lies
in the fragments at your feet" And
during the hour or more that the vision
STAYED with me, not a sound was heard
in the room but the cracking of the fire
upon the hearth and the rattle of wintry
winds outside the window-paDes.
In the nOiselese voice OF soul speak.
ing to a soul, Zuli told me her story.
And as scenes were described and Incl
dents narrated, there was ever within
me that fruitless cropping Of memory To
grasp somewhere in the past a dimly
remembered existence.
-Four hundred years have passed away"
said the voiceless Zuli, ''since for one
short month wandered with my Indian
lover through the cool shadows Of the
cypress groves at MONDAY, and aoated
on the ripping waves OF Tezco, when
night above us was deepest blue and sill
yer sheen of stars. One little month OF
Joy unspeakable. thou gh overloaded by
an unalterable fate.
"Among my people 1t was necessary
TO propitiate the gods by offering human
sacrifices. Sometimes these were GRIM
male, sometimes helpless children, but
generally they were the captives taken
ir war.
"LoDg before my time the Az'ecs had
tried unsuccessfully to exact tribute
from the Tlascslans; and the two tribes
were ever aflerward deadly enemies.
"In the many wars between them, nc
Tlascalan was ever slain II he could be
captured alive to serve as q sacrifice.
"AmoDg the csptives thus secured was
a noble Tlascalan named Nacetl, who, toe
brave to flee with his retreating war.
riors, fought on until overpowered by
numbers.
"He was-ob, so beautiful ! Of majes
tic height and appearance. His eyes
were as blue as the sky, and his hair
shoDe like sunbeams."
She paused; and as her dark eyes
looked with tender steadfastness into
mine, felt again the curious thrill that
had passed over me when touched the
now broken cup.
"Zuli," 4" l asked, "what is the meaning
of this dim recognition Have l seen