The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-01-01

forth his hands. The winds and waves
bore the ship on, and the voices of the
Lorelei sounded more plainly than be-
fore.
The ship was without guidance. It
struck upon the rocks and sank. But the
men were as dead men before it went
down, for their ears were filed and
their pulses were stopped by the songs
of the sirens. The waters closed over
the ship and her crew, and after many
days the bones of the sailors were cast
upon the sands of the shore, and the
summer suns and winter rains bleached
them. Other ships came. The crews
heard and persisted, and the shore was
strewn with bones, even as the sands.
The Lorelei mourned and sang to warn
men away. But the voices were so sweet
men came ever toward them to their de-
structiOn.
The Lorelei were accused by man.
kind SO that the queen Of the Lorelei
came no more through the waters, but
wandered in and out through the coral
groves in the depths Of the sea. Ships
ceased to be lost and the bones upon the
seahore were covered with moss and the
grass and flowers grew near to the wa
ter's edge
Now, back from the shore was for
est, mighty and old. The trunks of the
trees were like great columns and the
branches formed arches overhead; the
leaves were the canopy and the whole
seemed like great cathedral. The
ground was soft with the fallen leaves,
and in this forest the sun never shone
save when the winds came softly and
gently through the boughs, lifted the
leaves flutteringly and let sunbeam
through, which fell aslant upon the
ground. In the heart of this forest was
a castle. The castle was old, dark and
grim, and the lord of the castle had
been wandering in foreign lands for
many years.
"A new year had come and was half
gone when the lord came home. The air
was soft and warm and filled with the
song of birds and the hum Of insects.
The sunbeams came down on the old
castle, glancing off on the blooming
roses on the castle walls and falling
through the windows on marble forms
| and crystal fountains. The lord of the
castle was brave and strong and calm
and drew all men toward him.
1t was morning.
The lord left his castle and wandered
| through the forest, his arms folded upon
his breast and his face raised to watch
| the pale sunbeams come Pickering
| through the trees. Each football crushed
| perfume from the ground-the odors of
moist earth, of fallen leaves, violets and
spicy fennel. There came a slight open
ing in the tree tops, golden shaft of
| sunlight came down, and seemingly
borne upon it came strain of melody
| so sweet the lord stopped and gazed up
ward through the trees, thinking it the
voice of angels. But the air brought
again and again the sound of sweet
voices, and they came always from the
sea. The air was filled, and the echoes
seemed other voices answering. The
thorns pierced his feet, but he did not
feel them. He reached the edge of the
forest, where the grass was soft like
velvet and green down to the water S
edge.
The ocean lay calm and clear as a
sheet Of glass as far as the eye could
reach, save only near the shore was a
| great white rock, and upon it stood the
queen of the Lorelei. She was clad in
single robe Of pale green, combing her
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