The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-10
FROM MEMORY.

The kingdom was going to rack and
ruin. The young king occupied himself
no more with the affairs of state, but spent
his days and nights weeping before por-
trait of his dead queen. He had executed
this picture himself, having learned to.
paint for the express purpose.
So now this portrait was the only con-
ISOLATION of the young king. He could not
restrain his tears when he looked at it, but
he would not have exchanged those bitter
tears for the sweetest smiles of another
woman.
Vainly his ministers told him: "Sire,1
we have received disquieting news. The
king of Spain is raising an enormous army.
to invade your kingdoml"
He pretended not to hear them, his eyes
always fixed on the adored image Ono
day he flow into a terrible passion and.
threatened to kill one of the chamberlainss
because he had insinuated that even the
most legitimate sorrow ought not to be
eternal and that his majesty ought to
think of marrying again. wretch, +" cried
the inconsolable widoweri "do you dare
offer me such advice? You want me to be
faithless to the loveliest of queens? Get
out of my sight before l kill you. But
before you go understand, once for all,
that no woman shall share my throne I'M
less she is the living image of my lost
darling"
He knew that this would settle the mat
ter, for, as she appeared in her golden
frame, the queen was SO perfectly beauti-
full that her equal could not be found.
Her brunette beauty was set off by a regal
garment of yellow satin lined with sable
Her hair was black, like polished ebony,
and her eyes, dark and melancholy as the
night, looked out from under rather high
forehead Her complexion was the color
of ivory-no commonplace rosy cheeks,
but uniform creamy tint to correspond
with her hair and eyes. Her mouth was
parted by an enchanting smile, showing
her perfect teeth.
The good fairies who presided at her
birth had given her their most generous
guerdon.
Many months passed-more than year
without bringing any change in the sad
state of affairs. The news from Spain was
more and more alarming. The king took
no notice OF the increasing peril.
True, the ministers collected the taxes
in his name, but as they kept the money
for themselves, instead of using it to equip
the army, the country was moro impOver
ished than ever. Every day in front of the
palace crowds of people gathered, begging
for help. But the royal lover was absorbed
in his post mortem courtship. He saw
nothing but the portrait.
One morning, however, just as the dawn
tinted the sky with rose and blue, he heard
a song outside, joyous and fresh as the
lark's morning song. He rushed to the
window and looked out. He could hardly
keep back cry of delight. He had never
seen anything SO pretty as that little shep-
herdess, leading her flock of sheep through
the meadows. She was blond. Her hair
glistened in the sunlight as if it were gid
ed, her forehead was rather low, her skin
like blush roses, her eyes were blue and
clear as the summer sky and her mouth was
SO small that even when she was singing
she only showed the tips of two or three lit
tie teeth.
But the king, charmed though he was,
tore himself away from this delightful
tableau, clasping his hands over his eyes
and ashamed that he had even for a mo-
ment forgotten the beautiful departed one.
He returned to the portrait, yowing that
he would think no more of the shepherdess
who sang under his window.
s'Oh, you may be sure,' sobbed he.
'fthat my mourning heart belongs 20 yOu
forever for there is no one like you, and
should have another queen she must be
as like you as if your image had stepped
from a mirror. p"
The next day when he looked at the por-
trait he had painful surprise. He felt as
| if he were dreaming. I-s eried to him
self: Chow very strangei The air of this
! gallery must be damp. 1t is good enough
to breathe, but bad for pictures. For re-
member perfectly well that my queens
hair was not black like that. No, indeed
| 1t glittered here and there, I recoIlect-
| the color of the morning sun, not of mid
| night"
He sent for his brushes and palette and
| quickly removed the damage caused by the
damp. ''Goodl There is the light golden
hair admired so much-which 1 shall al
ways admire And, full Of a mournful
pleasure, he fell on his knees before the
portrait and renewed his VOWS OF con-
stancy.
But, alas, some evil genius seemed &c
pursue himI Three days later he was
forced to acknowledge to himself that thC
portrait had undergone serious changes fOl
the worse. Why that Ugly high forehead
that complexion like old ivory? He haC
a good memory thank God, and he was
positive that the queen had low forehead
and a skin fresh and pink as June rose
With few strokes of his brush he brought
the golden hair farther down on the fore
head and tinted the skin q lovely rosl
color And his heart swelled with love a
he looked at the restored portrait.
But the next day it was still worsel L
was evident that the eyes and mouth of tn
picture had been changed by some Inyste
rious agency
Never had his beloved such somber eyes
black as night, nor such a wide mouth
showing nearly all her teeth. No; on tn
contrary, the tender azure of the morning
sky was not SO sweet and blue as those eye
which used to look at him. And as 70
her mouth, it was so small that, eyel
when singing, you could only see tn
pearly tips of her teeth.
The young king was enraged with thi
1 10th oil
his beloved memories. If he had in hi
power the vile witch who had caused thi
change-for certainly there was ever.
proof of witchcraft-he would have ter
rible revenge.
He fell to work. He painted from hi
faithful memory and some hours late
he had on the canvas a young woman Wit
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