The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-05-18
THE DREAM OF FAIR WOMEN
The First Of a Series Of Essays
Written by the Students Of
Henderson College.

WIFI dli TIE CuuHlNS, dIC vi tue piluteI,
Tennyson has woven into his beautiful
striking myths and legends to be found
in the literature of the world. True to
his poetic instinct he deals mostly with
the unknown and dwells longest on those
of whose character we know least, and
whose histories are shrouded in the mists
and shadows OF fable.
Vague, though, the poets vision seems
concerning Scotland's fair and much per-
secuted Queen. History gives forth no
uncertain sound in narrating her check
cred story. When, upon the death OF her
first husband Francis H., OF France, this
beautiful and magnetic young widow re-
turned from the vOluptuOus French court
to her native land, she was received with
many frown and forebc ding head-shake
by John Knox and his straight-laced
disciples.
By such cOunscllOrs she was Influenced
to a marriage with her cousin Lord Darn
ley, but his uncOngeniality and jealousy
bore heavy on her volatile spirits, and
soon after the murder of RiZzio, she en-
tered with Earl Boutwell, into a success
full plot for the murder of her husband.
Outraged by this deed, the sturdy Scots
rose and dethrOned their fair, frail Queen.
She fled to England and threw herself
upon the mercy of Elizabeth, from whom
for mercy she received the prison bars
for nineteen long years. She was finally
condemned to death, and beheaded at
Fatherngton Castle May 18th, 1887.
We ever behold in Mary the same beau
tiful woman, too lovely, too frail, too
pitiable to be ccnsured, yet too vain, too
weak, too frivolous to be admired.
Turning in horror from the headless
bod OF Mary we behold "that daughter
of the gods, diviney tall and most di-
vinely fair who by that very beauty
was destined to cause the world SO much
uneasiness and woe. 1t was Helen's un-
rivaled loneliness that attracted gay,
dissolute Paris and tempted him, though
welded to another, to demand OF Venus,
as his wife, the most beautiful woman in
all the world. For this faithless woman,
won by the seductive manner of false
Paris, all Greece rose in arms and during
ten long years waged before the walls Of
Troy that cruel war, unsuccessful until
Helen s treachery again displayed itself
the loss of which the fall OF Troy became
inevitable. For this woman, so beautiful
vet so perfdiOus, Greek and Trojan
blood flowed like water; for her great
Ilium fell for her the only Ulysses was
for years east a wanderer DER the deep;
for her great Hector was twice dragged
around the walls of Troy, his silken locks
trailing in the dust and of her a voice
from the depths of the shadow cries
aloud, my youth was blasted with a
curse, this woman was the cause. owe
turn to behold Iphigenia, the pure, spot
less daughter of Agamemnon, who comes
to cast her reprOaches in the teeth OF
"false. feeting, perjured Helen In her
fair, innocent face, her story is told, and
we behold her giving herself dutiful
though unwilling victim to expiate her
mighty fathers crime in Staying a stag
sacred to Diana, chaste goddess OF the
chase. There is agony depicted on that
pale young face as she beholds "those
stern, black bearded kings waiting with
wolfsh eyes to see her die that the
anger of the goddess may be appeased
and that the Grecian fleet may sail on
its way to Troy to recover false Helen,
too tickle and treacherous for such a
sacrifice. There those eyes betray the
light of happiness as the relenting god
dess bears her, wrapped in a veil OF mist,
away from the altar to make her
priestess on the Isle of Tames. AS this
ETHEREAL shadow is borne away into airy
nothingness, turning we see " throned on
a tlowery bed a queen with swarthy
cheeks, brow-bound with burning gold
In this vision we have portrayed Egypt's
world renowned sovereign before whose
shrine the noble and the brave of every
land bowed the adoring knee. The mighty
julius who i'll battle knew not what it
was to be conquered, succumbed to the
H. t,1x no
dent to her slightest nod. For her the
feet to be scattered hither and thither as
a flock without a shepherd. When Au-
gustus looked with cold and naughty
wounded vanity struggled for the mas
terry. She who for so long had swayed
all mems hearts, knew not how to brook
such indignity, and arrayed in her royal
robes OF state, she laid upon her bare
| bosom the asp that was to draw life
| from her too full heart. Thus presented
| to his view with the dover of her beauty
| full upon her." Cleopatra defed the glo-
rious triumph of Rome's brightest star.
| What sharper contrast could be imag-
ined than to look from this proud queen
who set all law at naught, and burst
every nuptial bond asunder, to the chaste
daughter of the Gileadite? This maiden,
full of pure, tilial love, went forth with
timbrel and with song to meet her war
rior father returning from the slaughter
OF his country S foe. Sad and contracted
was his brow as, throwing her loving
arms about his neck and showering
kisses upon his sunburnt cheeks, she
begged to share the SORROWS which his
looks betrayed. He then confessed, his
stern eyes Overlooking with tears, that
he had vowed a vow unto the Lord, and by
that vow she must die. Unlike 1phigenia,
she gave herself a willing sacrifice to
save her fathers vow. Well is the nobl-
ity of hallOwed 1sraefs chosen race dis
played in this devoted maiden who in
the flower of her youth and beauty,
yielded herself a victim for God and for
| her sire.
After this glorious type of heroic self
sacrifice, we behold another whose story
is wrapped in gloom and melancholy
Rosamond whom the world calls Fair,
unfolds her mournful story, how when
King Henry's lovefo Eleanor was turned
into hatred, by her own unlovely dispo
sitiOn, he lavished the wealth of his at
fections upon this charming daughter oil
Lord Clifford. For her he built palace,
| to whose labErlnthlne chambers he was
directed by silken clew. But Eleanor
embittered by that green-eyed monster
jealousy, wendell her way into the abode
OF her unhappy rival, carrying her the
choice of a cup of poison or a dagger
Ere her choice is made, we draw back in
horror from the scene to meet her who
in death, casped her murdered father
head. And Margaret More Roper stands
| has OF Nv
whose administrative ovefor his children
merited their tenderest affection. When
for his staunch support of the unreformed
religion, he was imprisoned, she was I'M
firing in her attention to him and when
for that faith, his loyal head was severed
from his body and placed on London
Bridge she braved the shadows of night
and the Kings unrelenting wrath. and
had it taken down and embalmed. This