The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-06
RoUMANiA LEGEND.

the photograph OF beautiful white mar
BILE church or Byzantine architecture. He
commented upon the oddly OF it's grace
fully twisted towers
Yes, it is very strange church, .
agreed the artist. and the way in which
| II was built, If we are TO believe the
| legend, is still more strange.
That is the Church OF Argish, stu
| ated in the valley Of the Argish river, in
the western part of Roumania- 1t was
! built in 1913 by King Nagul Bassaraba,
a.! who, IN order 70 stave OF the violent
death that had visited several OF his pred
ecessors, perhaps. had quite a habit OF
| building churches and monasteries.
This particular church TO modern
! Christians would seem like an attempt
TO bride Providence. Nagul. or the Black
| Prince as he was better known. before
setting out in the crusades against Tur-
/ key, swore that If he were allowed 20 re-
| turn unframed. he would build the finest,
not the largest, but the finest church
that possibly could be built.
1.-The Black Prince did come back safe
! ly from his crusade, and, true to his
/ word, he summoned Manole, his archi-
tect and commanded him 10 draw up
/ he plans. AS soon as this was done labor
ers were hired, and the ground was
broken at Argish.
But things did not go smoothly. There
seemed to be some evil spell hanging
over the work. and the laborers could
make no progress. Each morning when
the men came to work they found the
walls which they had built the day before
leveled to the ground.
When the Black Prince asked why the
work went so slowly and heard the rea-
son he was angry. He commanded every
man to stay at the work both night and
day and to keep watch on it. This was
done. The wives. and sisters, and moth
ers of the laborers brought their meals
to them. and they did not leave the place
either by night or by day.
But even this did not break the spell.
Night after night at the same hour sleep
would creep over them, and when they
awoke they would find the walls which
they had built leveled to the ground as
before.
THE Black Prince was very angry. He
cursed them all for a crowd of lazy
dogs, and said that IL at the end of
one month the walls had not risen to
twice the height of the talIest one among
them he would put the lot to death. The
men Were terrified st this and redoubled
their efforts but all to no purpose. Each
morning they would find the work Of
the day before undone.
Finally, one night when the Evil One
had wrapped them all in slumber as
Manole, the architect, in a dream, and
told him that the church could never be
completed except on one condition. The
first woman coming to the camp, no
matter who she be, must be buried alive
In the walls.
THE architect sought to detain his Wis
itor. and stretched his hand out to grab
his robe. He awoke with a cry OF pain
and found that he had clutched a burn
got he rQrY fro htg x1yhi Oh
he had been sleeping.
When the others awoke Manole told
told them Of his dream. and they, des-
perate, and glad OF any chance that
might save their own lives. solemnly
swore that they would bury in the walls
the first woman who reached the camp,
be she whoever she might.
'At daybreak they sat themselves down
to wait, each praying that ii might not
be his wife who should visit them first.
AT. last a woman's figure was seen in
the distance. The architect strained his
eyes for a moment, and then started
back with a groan. 1t was his wife.
He fell upon his knees and began to
pray that storm might arise. The
sky blackened overhead and it did storm.
The wind blew and the rain came down
in torrents, but the faithful wife, thinking
only of her husband, plodded steadily
on.
'Manole prayed for lightning. His
prayer was again answered. The thun-
der shook the distant hills and the light
ming shattered trees and houses. but still
the woman kept On.
AT last she reached the camp and
started to prepare her husbands break
fast. He set the men 10 work and ordered
them to leave a hollow in the wall.
Just step in there and see how it
would feel to be buried alive, he said to
his wife.
she laughingly complied. But when
the stones had reached the height of her
chin the thought came TO her that after
all this might not be a joke. She turn
ed pale with terror and begged to be
taken out.
Yes, yes said Manole. but instead OF
lifting her out the men heaped on the
stones more rapidly until she was COM
pletely covered.
THE spell was broken and after that
the work went on without hindrance.
When it was completed the Black Prince
came to inspect Il.
That is a very fine church. he re-
marked TO the architect. IF you had IL to
do over again do not suppose you could
suggest any changes?
''Manole thought of his wife who stood
buried in the walls.
Well he said sadly, since you ask
ne, SIRE 4 10 NOT Inllh L WOULD DOilQ
It In just the same manner another
time
Ohio, said the King IN surprise BY
the way. / wish to get a better idea OF
the size Of the cross. Ascend the scat
folding and stand beside it
ManOle obeyed. When he had reached
the cross the King. angry that his archi-
tect had not designed the finest church
In his power. as he thought ordered the
scaffoIding cut away
'Manole hearing this. became terrified
and jumped. Where his body struck a
cool. clear spring gushed forth. showing
that his sin IN burying his wife had been
atoned for. And that's the story OF the
Kurtea d Ardjis. or the Church OF Ar
gish.
THE picture which you see is Of the
restoration which was made in 1859. An
odd thing about the restoration Is that
while they were laboring on It.
They found the skeleton?" suggested
the visitor
"oh. Z you know 50 much about II
there is no need Of my telling you, OF
course. New York Sun.
On the Wrong Tack.