Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-03-05
THE BROKEN WING.

horizon In purple, making it seem more
distant; glazes the surface of the ponds,
doubling their depth, and the night
comes, with the cold.
AT the foot of a hill is road. A lit
tie girl, barefoot and very poor, is lead
ing flock, another's flock, along this
road She is the living image-though
for her there be so little of living-of
misery and abandonment In her 10
short years her hands have grown fec
bier, more weary, even than are those
of the very aged. But in her deep eyes
the ideal sequences have prolonged
themselves; through days Of silence,
doubtless, she has dreamed, and through
the nights, too, under the pale light of
the stars The understanding Of the
lowly is sometimes divine.
Suddenly, in the middle Of the road,
her dog stops, us if transfixed, and
stands trembling and awestricken.
Marie, advancing, perceives, in the
shadow of the thicket, form half OBJ
scurCd, yet radiantly white, and encir-
cled with an aureole.
The child has prescience Of n miracle
and is not astonished. She mutely con-
siders the mysterious being Yes, it is
an angcl-with flowing robe, with
abundant locks, with visage severely
pure, such as one sees i'll the frescoes on
the walls of churches But this angel
has only one wing, and his mien is in
effably sud. Putting her hands together,
palm to palm, she speaks to him softly
and III tones of prayer:
'Oh, beautiful prince of heaven, l
salute you! l would serve you. Since
you arc come hithcr, it must be to bring
joy on the earth, and thank your'
But tn" immortal answers with
great sob and then quickly exclaims:
Where am l? On earth, i'll exile
Banishcd Strickcnl ChastisCd 1t is
joy that l bring, hast thou said o
daughter Of men? Alas, behold me
What am l?
I'm the fall ordained to me I have
lost wing! No more of heaven, nor
yet am l of earth! Suspense and fear
hold horrible menace for me of things
unknown. On high, it seems, l yestcr-
day declared too hard Il judgment upon
mankind, their paSSiOns-thcir vilcncss
as II Is callrd-upOn crimes whereof |
knew not. SO, as punishment for judg-
ment tCmerariOus, the King of kings,
the power supreme, hath sentenced me
TO test the terrestrial life, prey to
those temptations l erstwhile regarded
as beneath contempt. Should l resist
and prove the victor in these successive
trials, then viii the azure and the gold,
the Interchangeable armament and it's cter-
nal glories, be restored to me. But
should l once fail must dwell in this
owl 4 e
men. am afraid-of all things. And
thou-whO art thou"
81 am only poor, kinless child, re-
celved of charity, who IA farmers sheep
must guard that l may live-sumetimcs
hardly, sometimes well, according to
the weather-;nd who, all angel seeing,
knecl to him III prayer, that he will bear
me hence to heaven
Then the angel wept yet harder.
Alas! Heaven is closed to me, and
this ono wing, that | must drag SO pain
fully, but dCcpcns my affiiction, remind
ing me Of NY origin, and nothing scrv-
ing me upon this earth where must
walk. 1t Is the last warning that re-
mains TO me. AT my first fault this,
too, will fail, and l shall be bound to
this neither sphere, inexorably delivered
over TO vilcnCsS, far from yonder sub
Unity of spHcc-l, Cyriam the Magnifi-
cent, bearer of light! Oh, these temp
tations of men. How / dread them,
child, even as before 1 scorned them
What is that dreadful noise?'
Strident songs disturbed the stiffness
of the night, and the lurid glare of
torches, tossed by the wind, drew near
and Iua1 will, h1nnlx h,,n
late countryside, Weakened to horror.
Amid troop Oh horseback Regina,
the courtcsan, was returning to her
dwelling from Il forest chase. The noisy
cortcge stopped in front of Cyriam and
Marie.
whats thorcf Some vagabonds?
Make way! Make way -
The angel, circled by the scarlet
torches, looked whittier even than before.
At sight of him there were bursts of
laughter
What kind of crippled fowl is here?
Loose ye the dogs, the chase is not vet
done! It's a stork-or is it, perchance,
white turkey cock?"
The angel, risen TO his full height,
snatchcd Il sword from one of those who
were pressing upon him and laid him
dead at his feet.
A peal of thunder resounded. The
second wing fell, tie white robe also,
and the aureOlc vanished. A voice cried
1.-The first trial-uEger :"
Already the cOurteSan, Regina, had
thrown herself into the combat. Now
she gazed upon the angel, struck by his
superhuman beauty.
I9E,po
"Thou didst We'll to Stay this fellow.
He insulted thee, the drunkardl Follow
mer'
Then Cyrium cried:
since no longer | am more than
man. earth'S PLEASURES shall be mine.
III follow thcC--thuu art beautiful
and l-I-inderd am LOST"
And as he mingled with the throng
they did homage tu hi!M for his yalor
and his splendid presence.
Marie, left alone, wcpt in the high
way, knowing that a great evil had be
fallen, and her dog. for PHYS sake,
licked the teardrops from aer eyes.
while her sheep grazed where they listed.
Cyriam, of origin divine, is great
among men. He is the most beautiful,
the strongest, tho most beloved. He has
wished for gold-he is rich; for land
and titles-he has them. In war he ex-
terminates, and the obscure crowd of
combatants give way before him, lose
their footing, terrified by the supernat-
ural After Regina, who died for love, |
others have adored him. The earth is |
illumined by his brightness. And his
adventures are numberless. He has sue
cumbod Snccessi Yely 10 all hnman talnn-