The sun., 1891-02-08

/. Up b Nosfsal battle eaGs.
Role hcimsd Brishssys - 10 the fray.
Town FROM Nosfsll- battle stunning
Al skunk yon coward tAsail wssn.
~ Sow shaft maid 0udruiA never
Know husbands dear embrace:
widowed 10 she --sunk In sorrow.
Igto trssds vAlhalia's hails
Aud with this she walked from the stead.
hooking neither to tho right nor to the left
Let the maid bo." said Ali the Earl.
"Gris! fares best alon,. But my hea-- is sore
for Eric. It shortd 20 m with that Bsrssark II
rmiRht got . grip Of him."
THAT will have boforo summer 10 eous."
said Asmund. for tho dean Of Eric seemed to
him thu worst OF all tid!uEs.
Gudrudn walked far. and. crossing Lnxs by
The stepping stoneA climbed Stonsfeil till -hs
came to tho head Of Golden Falls. for. nike .
stricken thing. she desired 1. be alone in her
sorrow. But Swanhild saw her and followed.
coming on her ~ she sat watching the water
thunder down the mighty cleft Presently
6vAnhild's shadow foil athwart her. and
Qpdruda looked un
,What wouidst thou with me, SwAnhild ?"
sAS nsksd. Art thou come to mock my srisfr'
Nay. foster.sister. for then must mock
my own. I como to mix my tesss with thine.
ess, we loved Eric. thou and I. AMI Eric 10
dead. Let our hate be buried in his grave.
whence neither NAV draw him back"
Gudruda looked upon her eoldly. for nothing
could stir her now.
"Gst thee gone" she said. Weep thine
own tears and leave mo to wsep mine. Not
with thee will I mourn Eric"
swanhild frowned heavily 40 the gathering
nieht. Il will not como to thee with words OF
peace . second time. my rival" she said.
Eric Is dead but my hate that was born Of
A>e. - (a.k khAA1 1w~a anA
flower shall DO thy death. 0udruda."
Now that Brighteyes 10 dead. would fain
follow ON his path: 30. II thou listest. throw
the gates wide." she answered and needed her
NO moro.
swanhild won't but not far. On the further
side OF q knoll OF grass she flung herself to
earth and Grisved ~ her fierce heart might.
She shed no tears. but sat silently. looking with
empty eyes adown the past, and onward to the
future. and finding no good therein.
But Gudruda wept a. tho weight Of her loss
pressed In upon her-wept heavy. silent tears
aui cried in her heart to Eric who was gone
c.ied to death 10 oome upon her and bring her
sleep or Eric.
So she sat aad so she Grisved till. quite out.
worn with sorrow. slsen stole upon her and
she dream ID. She dreamed that sh, was
dead an / that she sat nigh to the golden door
that IS In Odins house ut valhalla, by which
the ,rr.ors pAss and repass forever. There
she sat from age to age. lstenln. to tho thun-
der OF ten Thousand Thousand trampinR ieet.
and Watching the lerce faces OF tho chosen as
they mar thed out In armies to do battle In
the meads. And as she sat. at length q one
eyed man. clni In cleaning garments, drew
near nnd apako &, her. Flo WIS gloriou. to
look On. and old, aud she knew him for Odiu
tho Allfather.
Whom ssekest thou. maid Gudruds ?" he
asked. anil tn, vo;oe he spoke with was the
voice Of waters.
II sock Eric BriRhteyes." she answered.
who PASSED hither a thousand years aRone.
and for love Of whom am beArtbroken."
!. Eric Briehteyes. Thorgr!murs son 2" quoth
Odin; Il know him we'll; no brisker warrior
entors .. Vahalla's doors. and none shall do
more service at the coming Of gray wolf Fem
I'll, Pass on and lenve him TO hi. glory and
Ais God"
,,Thsn. In her dream. she wept sore. and
prayed OF Odln BY the name OF Freys that he
would give Eric to hor for q little space.
What wilt thou pay. then. maid Gudruds ?"
said Odin.
my life." she answered.
GOOD" he said. for night Eric shall be
thine. Then die. and let thy dosth be his cause
Of DEATH" And Odin sang this song:
Now. eorss.ehoosius Daughters. hsarksn
TO the dread Alfather's reds:
-, When ths gale OF spears breath gathers
Count not Erio midst the slain.
d, TIL brtGhteyss once hath slumosred
~ swsddst at 0udrudas side
50 Then Asidsns. scream your battle call;
EJs whsmsd with foes let RSic fall
Ind Gudruda awoke. but In her ears the
pighty waters still seemed to speak with
kdtn's voice. saying:
~ Thsn xsidsns scream your battle CALL
whsmsd with foes let Eric fall!
She awoke from that fsy sleep and looked
upward. and iol before her. with shattered
shield and oil besmearsd with wars rod rain.
stood sold-hslmsd Eric. There no stood. grest
and beautiful TO see. and she looked ON him
trembling and amazed.
is It indeed thou. Eric, or 70 II vet my
dream 2" she said.
II am no dream. surely" said Brio, but
Nhy looksst thou thus on me. dudrudaf"
&ehs rose slowly. "Msthoueht" she said.
fmethouaht that thou vast dead st the hand
Of skallsgrtm." And With great cry she fell
into his arms and lay there sobbinG.
II WAS sweet sight thus to sse Gudruda the
Fair. her head OF gold pillowed on Erc's war
stained byrnis. her dark eyes s6oat with happy
tesrs; but not 90 thought swsnhild. Watching
6he shook In jealous rage. then crept away
and hid herself where she could see no more
lest she should be seized with madness.
whence csmsst thou' al! whence csmsst
thou2" said Gudruda. II thought thee dead.
my love: but now dreamed that prayed
Odin. and he spared thee to mo for . little"
well. and that he hath. though hardly" and
hs told her al that had happened, And how. -
he rode with SkAllssrim. who yet sat yondsr
- his horse, he saw q woman oAstod on the
Sfass and knew the color OF the CLOAK.
ip1Asn Gudruda kissed him for very Joy. and
thsy were happy each with ssch-for OF all
things that are sweet on EARTH there Is nothing
more sweet than this: TO ind him We loved.
and thought doad. alive and at our side.
And 90 they talked and were very glad with
the Joy Of youth and love. till Erio said he must
70 on 10 Niddalhof before the light failed. for
he might NOT come on horseback the way that
0udruds took. bat must ride round the shoui.