Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-05-28
The WOOing Of Renee
b. cATuLLE msNpss.

she smiled on no man.
stu. nobody knew this for the truth
save one old woman who gathered
herbs In the forest. and her word would
not have been taken In the village. for
ehe was In league with the devil. She
knew cures for Ills, brewed notions
from the Wild things growing I'm the
forest. muttered words In an accursed
tongue and had far too much Of wis
dom to be In any way reckoned an
honest woman.
1t happened In this wise: Renee was
In the forest picking up facots when
she CHANGED upon the old mother hunt
ing her strange herbs. The child was
too gentle to understand evil and too
pure to know fear, SO she said with
her pretty smile:
Good evening to you. motherr
Good evening. pretty onep said the
crone. Strengthening her bent Shout.
ders to look in Renee's face.
Then she drew nearer and, putting
her dry and wrinkled lips to the girls
ear. said:
Thou art too fair to gather fagots
In the forest all thy life. Down the
path to the right the kings huntsmen
ride. Run that way, and perhaps thou
shalt see the prince"
Renee shook her long yellow plaits
and ran down the path to the right,
singing as she ran. The old mother
looked after her.
"a good child" she muttered-"good
and pretty. Now may Gods blessing
go with hery'
The kins's huntsmen rode all on
black horses. but a snow white charger
bore the prince. The sun shone on his
yellow curtis. Jewels sparkled at his
throat, and bis dark eyes flashed like
stars. He drew rein and babe the
huntsmen ride on before.
"Who art thou, little one?"
"Renee." answered the child.
"Well namedP' cried the prince. "Yet
had rather call thee Refine. wilt thou
give me a kissT'
May" said the girl. II viii kiss
only whom | love and love only whom
! wedv
The prince frowned.
81 am thy princev'
True" said the little peasant, "but
am not thy princessr" And she turn.
ed and ran away. tossing her long yell
low plaits and laughing as she ran.
After this the prince rode every day
through the forest. Once he met the
crone, who courtesled profoundly and
called Gods blessing down on his head.
II have seen thy Renee" he said.
$50 fair is she that would make her
mine and. when my good father dies,
queen of all the land. Now, help me to
It, mother. for see that thou art wise
far beyond thy humble station"
Let her not sleep O. nights" said
the old woman. hobblIrc away toward
the heart Of the forest.
LET her not sleep o. nights"
what means this gibberish% ex-
claimed the prince angrily. Then he
reflected. SHOULD there be truth in
what she says?" And, turning his
horses head, he galloped through the
wood TO the hiChroad. where the kings
huntsmen waited to escort him to the
palace. There he sought the king and
laid bare his heart and vowed he'd
throw himself from the rampart's crest
II he be not given Renee for his wife.
So the king was forced to give his
consent
That night the prince sent twenty
sweet voiced minstrels TO the village.
and all night long beneath her vine
wreathed window they sang the love
of the prince for Renee The girl lis
tened. The words touched her heart.
the music swayed her spirit. and that
night her eyes were not closed in slum-
Der. In the morning she was weary
and sought the shade Of the forest
There she found the prince. who look
ed into her eyes and made her listen to
the story OF his love from his own lips.
Each night the MINISTRIES sang under
Repee,s window; each day she met the
prinee In the forest. She found him
fair and gentle. The lover of her