The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-11-18

Simplicity beheld her at the winding of
q glade. He sought her during long
month, hoping to meet her behind every
tree trunk Sometimes it seemed to
him that he saw her gliding through the
coppice; but he found only the great
shadows of the poplars, swayed by the
winds of heaven.
The forest became silent now; it mis-
trusted Simplicity. 1t pressed low its
leaves, and threw dark shadows of night
en- the young princes path. The danger
that threatened Flower-of- tie Water
made it melancholy; it gave ne more soft
caresses, no more loving prattle.
Urdine came again to the glade, and
once more Simplicity befreid ber. Wild
with longing, he pursued Ler. The
child, mounted on a moonbeaIn, did not
hear the sound OF his footsteps. Size few
onward, light as feather floating in the
wind. Simplicity ran, but could not
oyertake her. He wept tbitterly-despair
filed his soul; but still he pressed on
ward, while the forest watched with
growing anxiety this insensate race. The
bushes barred his way; the thorIs held
him in their sharp embrace, grimly ar
resting his progress-these entire forest
was in arms to defend its child. Still
he kept on, though the moss grew treach-
erous and slippery beneath his feet. The
branches interlaced more firmly and
faced him, immovable as a wall; fallen
trunks of trees threw themselves in his
path; the rocks rolled down Of their own
volition and strove to entrap him; the
insects nipped his heels; the butterflies,
brushing his eyelids with their wings.
blinded him.
Flower-of-the-W WGter, neither seeing
nor hearing him, still flew onward. Sim
plicity, with anguish, felt that the mo-
ment was approaching when she would
again vanish, and desperate. breathless,
he dashed on.
He heard the old oaks call angrily
/, after him: why did you not tell Us
that you were man2 We would have
! hidden away from you; we would have
refused to teach you, SO that your shad-
owed eyes would have failed to see
Flower-of the Water, the Undine Of the
spring. You came to Us with seeming
innocence, the innocence Of the dumb
animals, and now today you show us
! the spirit of man. Look, you are crush
ing the beetles, you tear our leaves, you
break our branches: the spirit of selfish
ness is sweeping you away-you would
steal our very soEl!'' And the hawthorn
! added: Simplicity, pause i'll pity. Ii
Flower the Water should desire to
breathe the perfume OF my starry bios
SONS, why not leave them to grow freely
on my branches?" And the moss said:
''Stay, Simplicity: come dream on the
velvet of my fragrant carpet. In the
distance among the trees thou caalst see
Flower-of-the- Water playing. Thou
shalt see her bathe in the spring and
casting glistening pearls around her
throat. Thou canst share the joy Of her
glances; stay with Us; thou shalt live
and see her. And the whole forest
CRIED. Stay, Simplicity. A kiss will
kill thee-do not give that kiss. Dost
thou not know? sThe evening breeze
eur messenger, has he not told theei
| Flower-of the Water is the celestial
flower, whose perfume is death. Alas
poor child, her destiny is strange one
Have mercy. Simplicity; do not drink
her,soul on her lips. y
Flower of-the- Water turned and saw
Simplicity; she smiled and Eeckoned
him to draw near, as she said to the
forest, Here comes my well belovedr
Three days, three hours, three minutes
had the prince pursued her; the words
/ of the oaks still rumbled around him
he felt half tempted to turn and fee
Flower-of-the- Water already clasped his
hands: she tiptoed on her tiny feet
her smile was reflected in the young
mans eyes.
''Thou ditist long delay" innrnlured
she. My heart recognized thee in the
forest; climbed on moonbeam ard
sought thee-tbree days-three hours
three ,ninutesr'
Simplicity was silent, scarcely daring
to breathe; she bade him sit by her OF
the brink of the fountain;. she caresse(
him with her glances, and he! long tim
did he gaze!
'sDost thou not recognize me% whis
pered she. 81 have often seen thee il
my dreams; went to thee-thou dds
take my hand; then together we woult
walk silent and trembling. Didst thol
not see me? Dost thou not remembe
|
voice to speak, "Do not say anything,
she interrupted quickly. 81 am Flower
of-the- Water and thou art my well be
Iovedl We shall diei''
The great trees bent forward the bet
ter to behold the young lovers; the.
trembled with anguish and whispers
each other that the souls of the lover
would soon fly awayl All the voice
grew hushed. The blade of grass an
the oak We're overcome with pity; tn
leaves had forgotten their anger; Sim
plicity, the lover Of Flower-of-the
u Water, was now the son of the forest.
She rested her head on his shoulder
and together they gazed into the stream
they smiled into. each others eyes
: Again, looking upward, they watche
, the golden dust that trembled in tn
rays of the setting sun. Slowly thei
arms d-slowly-slowly. The
! awaited the coming of the evening stal
when they would blend together and Fl
. away forever!
Not one single word rufaed the hal
] mony of their ecstasy. Their soul
t breathing through their lips, mingle
together.
i The day faded; the lips of the love-
S grew ever nearer. A terrible angus
: held the forest motionless and rigit
!" Huge rocks, from which the wate
sprang, threw heavy shadows aroun
{ them; they alone were radiant in tL
growing nightl
g At last the star appeared in the BIT
above and their liDs met in the SuDreu