The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-14


Morning comes. the golden rays of the
sun dart over the waters of the ArgiS.
the cool morning air and the desire To
continue their work, only interrupted
for needful repose. arouse the masons;
they seize their tools and walk quickly
10 rscommence their labors: but, alas.
during the night all had crumbled and
disappeared.
Instead of sitting down and complain
ing the maSons recommence their task.
and at the end Of the day they have re-
paired the terrible disaster, and when
evening comes again they again seek
repOse.
Again morning. and again sunlight
reveals the crumbling wallis This hap
pens four times 10 them.
The fourth night. Notwithstanding his
anxiety. Manoli sleeps. and he dreams
a strange and terrible dream. lie
awakes and calls his comrades. Listen
he says Ito what has been told me
while ] was asleep. voice whispered
TO me that all our work will be in vain;
that each night the work of each day
Will be destroyed unless wall up,
| living, in our edifice, the first woman.
be she wife or sister who i'm the early
morning comes TO bring our food"
The prospects of the honors which the
construction of the monastery was to
bring them: the riches and titles with
! which their work was to be recompensed,
! decided the worlOmen. and they each
! swore solemn oath to wall up. while
| living. the first woman who should come
amongst them the next day.
Morning arrived. clear and pure. as If
| it would not light on one despairing
| heart. ManoH anXiously looks into the
| distance; his oath strikes him with ter
| ror. and gets on a hilock TO look around
| him; he even mounts a scaffoding. and
| his eyes scan fearfully the surrounding
| plain.
Distant far distant, he sees something
! advancing. Who comes in such haste?
| In truth, il Is a woman. careful and
| diligent bringing the early morning
| meal to the man she loves. Seei with
! quick. light step she comes nearer and
! nearer. She is recognized. 1t is the
| beautiful Flora. the wife Of Manoli,
| Everything disappears from Manolis
| sight, the sun is dark and swollen; in
| stead of light there is the darkness Of
| the tomb. He falls on his knees and
| joining his hands calls. ooh. Lord Cod
| open the cataracts of heaven. shower on
| the earth torrents of water, turn the
| streamets into lakes; oh. merciful Saw
DIR, that my wife may not be able TO
| reach me herer' Did God listen to his
| prayer? Shortly clouds cover the sky
| and heavy rain began to fall but Flora
| continued on her way. Was not her
| husband waiting? What mattered these
! obstacles
| Against stream and torrent she still
| advances and ManOli, watching her,
| again knees. joins his hands and cries.
| "Oh. my God, send A wind to twist and
| tear up the plantains. to overthrow the
| mountains and to force my wife to re-
| turn to the valley
! The wind rises and whistles i'm the
! forest. uproots the plantains. overthrows
| mountains. Yet Flora only hastens more
! quickly to reach her husband and at
| length arrives at the fatal spot. Then
| the maSons tremble at the sight but
| tremble with JOY.
While Manoli. grief-stricllen takes his
| wife in his arms and says, Listen. my
/ dear. To amuse ourselves we are going
| to pretend to build YOU up in these
walls 1t will be ] who will place you
! there; so be very quiet"
Flora laughingly consented. for she
! loved AIanoli and had full confidence In
| him. Manoh sighed heavily, but though
! signing. began 10 build the wall. which
| already reaches TO the ankles of Flora.
| to her knees, higher and higher. Flora
| laughs no longer. but seized with terror
| cries, 'AIanoh. Manoli, leave off this
| cruel joking; the wall presses on me;
it will crush me"'
| Manol is silent, but works on; the
! wall rises and is now level with her
waist.
Again she cries. ''ManoH. ManoH. stay
your hand; soon I shall no longer see
| you; / love YOU so, and you are sacri-
| fieing me, and yet you say you love me,
4 too
ManoH works on and to console him
| self thinks, Shortly l shall no longer
| hear her complaining; suffering is not
so bad when one does not witness it"
The work proceeds; the wall rises even
! to her eyebrows; at length she is hid
| from sight entirely. Manoli moves away.
! but still hears the faint moaning voice
| of his WIFE, "ManOl ManOh, the wall
| is pressing on me and my life is dying
| Outr'
| The day was magnificent on which the
| prince came TO kneel and give thanks at
| the beautiful monastery. the best pro-
/ portioned and finest in style which had
/ ever been built. The master maSOns,
! Manoli among them. swelling with PRIDE
/ waited at the top of the scaffoldinG the
| visit, the praise and the recompense of
| Radu, their prince.
| But the prince commanded the people
| below to knock away the props and
| planks and the masons fell from the
| great height to an instantaneous death.
| Nanoli alone caught at a projecting
| carving and passing from one to an
| other would soon have reached the
| ground. but there came from the wall
which he was touching the cry, "Manoli
| Manolii the cold wall is pressing on me-
| my body is crushed and my life is dying
| out" At this sound Manoli turned
| giddy and faint and fell to the earth.
On the spot where he fell there springs
| fountain of clear, sparkling water
| but its taste is salt and bitter as the
| tears which are shed in Roumania,
| even now. when any one relates the
sorrows and the sacrifice of Flora, the
! v-ifa Of Manoli