Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-28
MANIA AND MARYSIA.

Mania and Marysia were 10 years of age,
pnd both possessed the grave and melan-
choly beauty Of the Uranian mAidens, the
large eyes, blue as the evening shy, and the
heavy brown tresses. They seemed to b.
sisters as arm In arm they wandered by
themselves across the sleeping uoors and
In the glades among the frs. They bore no
relation to each other, however, save that
Of friendship; but, oh, how dearly they loved
one anotberi
| Orphans, neitlYer the one nor the other
had known her father, needy laborers who
had died young, but with both still fingered
the memory of a tragic day when men In
black garments had carried away the bodies
Of their sweet, dead mothers to lay them
away In the tomb.
Mania and Marysia had known each other
since the days Of their infancy, but IL was
only when Mania, the last to put on mourn
ing, threw herself sobbing on Marysia's
neck, ON leaving the church where still
burned the funeral tapers. 1t was then only
that their affection became strong, almost
fierce 1t had a singular charm, this alb
sorbing love for each other, between these
Two pure childish souls In the midst of this
hard rural life, surrounded by landscap-
harsh and sad. where witohcraft ruled, and
where the marvellous lay In ambush under
each osier tree and galloped over the plains
by night with stealthy step.
Mania and Marysia lived In the same
,"hata" and cultivated little strip Of
ground which supplied their few wantsL
Evenings while spinning they filed one an
bther with superstitious fears by reciting
The legends In which their young memo
sies were already rich. as Of certain per
son, who, awakening once about midnight
on the border Of a meadow, where fatigue
had overtaken him, perceived a woman
standing near him. As he regarded her Gu
riously. he noticed that she had feet like q
beast
On entering the village he related his vi
sion, and people were not surprised when
shortly afterward pestilence ragged among
the cattle, for the spscter was none other
than the death Of the cows The same pre-
sentiment personified caused the cholera to
appear under the form of woman who
walked on the water, signing sadly. She
had red shoes and a collar of coral Then,
too, the treasures that became weary OF
sleeping In the earth and offered them
selves, revealing their presence by some su-
pernatural sign-a blue flame, a cat or
child running hurriedly around the place
where the gold was found buried
Mania and Marysia being very pious did
not fail In any church service. When from
their lonely ''hata" they heard the holy
bells call to prayers, the two young girls
hastened to carry to the feet OF the images,
all shining with fine gold and glowing
colors, the goodly Offering Of their little
souls as chaste a. the hollyhocks But
when after the service the youths wished
TO take them to the dance Mania and
Marysia fed frightened like two wild par.
tridges
On certain evening they were spinning
hemp by the light Of resinous branches
which burned In the fireplace. The night
outside was lighted only by occasional
stars, and the snow fell internationally. Al
intervals the gusts raised clouds of sleet
that tapped against the windows like
swarms OF frighted moths seeking refuge.
And, behold, as midnight approached
came the sound of church bells. confused
and mufiled
The orphans looked at one another su.
prised. The holy feasts Of the calendar
they knew by heart, and surely none fell
upon this particular day, much less at this
hour Of the night
without doubt we have but imagined
other. But no. The bells rang, and their
voice, beautiful and sad, Aoated languidly
on the limpid air like bark on the water.
'Since the Lord calls, he must be obeyed.
Let us 60"
And the two friends In haste covered
with lambskin their trembling shoulders
and departed.
The church, filled with the faithful. was
aglow with the light OF many tapers. The
orphans felt their hearts freeze within
them when they saw that this multitude
was standing absolutely mute and motion
less. There was among them none of the
parishioners whom they knew, but only
strange faces, terrible In their aspect. Al
last the young girls recognized few, but
they were those Of people already dead.
ehivering with fright, Mania and Marysia
tried TO pray with fervor and not to heed
the sinister assembly.
The great door. opened, and before the
high altar appeared the officiating priest.
When heturnsd toward the worshipers, the
young girls could see his long white beard.
descending to his waist. and his hair stream
ing over his shoulders. They recognized
then holy pastor who had been dead q
hundred years and whose portrait hung on
the wall Of the presbytery. 1t was he, Just
as he appeared In the painting, feature for
feature. On his yellow skin. however, ap-
pearsd something dull, like ancient mold.
Mania perceived near them her dead god
mother, and little farther along her ovr
dear mother. The latter remained ind
ferent, like a stranger, without even sesii 4
her child, but the godmother bent toward
the orphan and said hastily In her ear:
l"Why did you come here, little onei Fly,
for the love of Godl Fly Quicklyl And II
you are followed throw all that you can
behind you, or you are lost"
Hearing this, Mania and Marysia strove
10 gain the portal and began to run swiftly
along the road, but the crowd of the dead
galloped after them and almost overlook
them. First the girls threw @ slipper be-
hind them and then another, followed BY
the pretty little aprons. The dead satiated
their wrath for an instant on these objects,
their creaking fingers rent them, their
grinding teeth tore them spitefully. Then
the pursuit RECOMMENDED. The vast arch
of the dark sky embroidered now with sill
very stars had the air Of funeral cloth
above The winding sheet Of snow stretched
over the sleeping plain. The haggard eyes
OF the two tugitives seemed to see running
before thcm the oopvulsed silbouettes OF
The bushes, and at their heels sounded the
steps Of the horrible and fantastic throng.
Mania and Marysia threw away their