Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1890-10-30
MOCKERY OF FATE.
The King That Took tho Fair
Countess Away.

The King That Took the Fair
Countess Away.
TIE Frcih0i castle was an ola stone
mAnsioa peFchea high up on she sloplnx /
moautain that oversh allowed . auiet /
old-fAshiouei town In saxony The old /
castle WITH is queer inhAbltants had /
for many Years been the greatest a.
traction " yea hg and old In tue sleepy |
little town at IL foot
once year ell the ehildrea in every /
family that eould boast Of some social |
staadinR Wcre invitsd 10 visit the Old |
Countess, Who lived az che castle alone \
with 0nly two servants One - these |
servants was al old housskeeper. year 1
Younger than her mistress. Who already |
bad celebrated her ninetleth birthday
ihis old hou-ekecper allied. since maay |
years back, the complicated position In !
the Oountess household % laiy's con.
pahiun, maid and steward Her siAty.
year-old daughter. who yet in spite ~
her venerable aFe ana gray hairs neycr
neither by the Countess nor by the Old
mofhrr. VAS spokrn " In other terms than
a. that Eiri' or 'iaHy performed al
minor dutiCs round the cstahllshment
Two veteran - Bernard dogs wcrc the
faithful and watchfal bodyguard q the
Old Co4ntoss ani hoF little stan. not a
man in any capacity had been sesn
round the castle Cor nearly twenty I've
years
Asachlli about fourteen. ! vas for the
FIRST and only time Invited totheC ounte-.'
reception, along with ny cousins with
whom I hai spent foo wcaks ~ my
holidays To me this vas an event u
the greatest delight and anticipation. I
hai read the pretty story about she ~.
chanted Princess Aho slept hundred
years In Der castle amid cobwebs ana
conturs - dust % awaken one morn.
tng, more beautiful and yuuthfal than
ever. In my fancy the mistress % the
ed ivy-clad castle on tha hillside waS
NJ thing hnss then an0ther enchanteI |
ffincess' ena al sha stosies 4 had bead
ahout keF and her s-a aes~. whirh Aaa |
ths reputation q not bsiag like ether /
mortal dogN and that they woaid live |
on a. long a. stone vas left Of the |
spnllhoaRa castle--All this made ms /
yuung heart futteF with Joy and sxpor- |
tation when the great day nnally a. |
rived and wc knorksd az the gigantic /
Ola gate ~ the mansion.
A strange haze Of romantic love FROM |
the middle age seemed 90 hover over /
the buge pile ~ stones With creak. /
Ing noise thc heavy doors turned on
their hingoS aHl after some DELAY we /
were ush"rod into large hall furnished /
With al ths grandeur 0f past centuries /
Near uno ut the narrow windows. on a 4
hiEh-barked chair cmblaEoned Ntth a /
Dukes gilied crown. sat an Old LADY. \
dryssri after the fashion of nearly a 4
century axo. Her powdered hair va. i
dune high up over q b.autifully-forme1 /
Forehead. her cheeks rouved. and. a..
cording 10 the fashion The old LADY, stiu i
cluuE 20. So - Nith a few s'mouchos 1
notrs - black patches She looked
exactly - IN old picture, which sud.
denly had stepped down from its heavy
frame. 10 come and bad AS children a
smiling welcome loW Strangely hand.
some this old Countess did look: she was
not any thing q ~hat my young fancy
had arramsi about; = sleeping Princess
untouched Nv the ravaRes ~ time
Nothing oould betray that nlnsty yin.
tors bad passed over her head. although
she seemed 10 carry the heavy burden
Of old age In a way 70 graceful and syn.
pathetic - very few people are able
10 DO
After all the children had made their
low courtesy after the style % Louis
NV. aud Kissed the Countess slender
waxen hand, the old housskeeper. who
a. these occasions - festivities acted a.
master - ceremonies. took us % the
large pieture-Kallerles. where she
stopped before the last of ell the many
family portraits that adorned the walls 4
AMI wtth the greatest pride pointed out
70 the visitors this picture a. my lady
81 seventeen" And a striking picture
a. was, there youth. loveliness and
grace combined created 9 perfect ideal
Of womahly beauty
The old Countess looked TO-DAY Inst
the same in dress ani In every thlaR. /
except that yoath aad les loyeliness had
gone forever
Ny visit 10 the old castle made =
deep impression on my mind. and I
longed 10 learn why The Countess. once
80 beautiful rich aud high-born. bad
chosen 20 live like a hermit In So.
eluslon and loneliness. instead of mar
rying some Duke OF even Prince. She /
did not tell us why. bat I learned II /
yet some years Aftorward when the old /
Countess was dead and both the faithful /
dogs aud the old hou.skeeper had gone /
10 rest and the stones were erumblihg /
away faster than ever from the Aesolate
castle Of fFeihof
This is the story the cid housekceper |
bad tol1 on her deAth-bed about her ad-
mircd and beloved mistress. the /
Countess o. freihof.
IA the Age Of fifteen came into the
Countess service. a. her maid. or rather
companion. she was . year elder than /
myself the worxhiped child of her |
Wealthy parents, and only heir 10 their I
enormous estates. many titles and ele. /
vatea rank. The brilliancy Of her heau-
~. her talent and above all. her kina /
heart and amiable disposition had made |
her the iasliaed favorite ~ith hiwh and |
low. Already. a. thls early age, she |
was actually besiegea with saitors. more
10 number than the year haa aaya They |
represented the very hower Of eAivalry.
ana there waFe Dukes and Princss az /
her feet BET she refused them all |
Not that she was In any way proud. Ear |
irom ID. she was - hamble and modest
a. any girl in the land. Bat 10 all pro.
pomals of that kind her answer invari. |
Abs eamei q wiil waitf
"in this cay a year passed Tier ladF. /
sslp was nov seFenteen. Her blrthAay /