Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-02-12

All this happened in one day, for the
next day Starinda went out to watch
the royal fiocks.
She was far more beautiful than her
elder sister. Her eyes shone so that
they cast light about her like the
rays of star.
She wandered far with the flock, and
then, like her sister, she felt drowsi-
ness creeping over her. Long and hard
she fought against it, but at last she
fell asleep in the shadow of the noun
tain.
When she awoke, high noontide had
come and gone, and when she counted
her flock, one had disappeared. High
and low she searched, on the mountain
side and in the valleys. From crag to
crag she leaped, looking in every niche
for the strayed one. Loudly she called,
and wept and pleaded; but it was all
of no avail.
Then she went back to the rest of the
flock, but fear filled her heart: she
could not return to the palace without
the lost lamb.
And then she saw the blood-red door
in the mountain side, and entered it.
She beheld the wonders that her sister
had seen; she was greeted in the same
way by the dancers, and as she was
about to yield, she, too, suddenly re-
membered, and running from them.
passed the golden portal and entered
the golden room.
Here again was all the beauty of the
day before; the beautiful tapestries in
wiling to cool retreats. The perfumed
air nearly stified her, and she fed to
the silver entrance.
There the GOODNESS rested her, and
she was entranced with the scene.
Gladly she stepped into the silver grot-
toes to meet the advancing nymphs, but
just as they were about to take her by
the hand. she asked for her strayed
lamb.
Then, as before there was an awful
flash, and Starinda fed from the glow
ing fire into the room of white and
azure. And now she was filled with
joy, as the music of the bird-voice we'll
ed up among the marble arches and
columns. So she ran to the golden
cage and cried:
Tell me, l pray you, where l may
find my lost lamb; for your song
speaks of all knowledge, and my loss
must be known to you"
"Fairest of princesses," the white
bird made answer, well is thy trouble
known to me, and l will relieve thine
anxiety if you wilt be my BRIDE"
Nay, nay" the princess cried "You
are considered but a wild creature
among my people. l dare not wed with
thee
And then the bird ceased his beauti-
full song of wisdom, and sadly the
princess departed to her fathers pal
ace
The next day the youngest sister,
the Princess Gracinda, went forth to
tend the lambs. And so gracious, and
tender, and gentle was she, with her
soft brown eyes and her night-dark
| tresses, that all the birds of the air
lowered near her while she walked WIN
| the flock.
Her voice was like low, sweet music
in a dream; the touch of ner hand
was like the softness of a rose leaf.
All. but she was the loveliest of all
princesses, and she was dearest to the
| heart of her father.
All morning she wandered with the
snow-white lambs, singing softly the
while a strain like an echo in Wild
mountain passes.
But the MONDAY sun beat pitilessly
upon her, filling her with drowsluess.
In vain she ran and leaped and sung,
and played with the lambkins to throw
off the stupor. Steadily it pressed
upon her, till she dropped, at last, on
a messy stone by murmuring stream,
under the shade of weeping willow.
/ And there sleep, an enchanted sleep,
fell upon her.
When she awoke, the cool of The
| evening was over the land of the Col
! den Star.
| Gracinda started up in terror, and
when she had counted her flock she
found one missing. Then earnestly,
without tears or repinings, she sought
| it, up hill and down dell. But nowhere
was there any trace of the little lost
! one.
And then she, too, felt fear of her
| fathers wrath, should she return to
the palace without her charge, and in
! that moment she saw the blood-red
| door in the mountain side
With but the thought of her one de-
| sire lowering like a star before her
vision she saw all the enchanted splen-
| dor conjured up TO make her forget.
! Safely she passed through the hall and
entered the golden chamber.
Here she struggled against the weari-
ness that she had felt in the daytime,