Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-05-01

lin had told to him aforetime
For, To-. there in the midst of the ex-
panse of water was the appearance of
fair and beautiful arm, as of q
woman, clad in all white samite. And
the arm was encircled with several
bracelets of wrought gold; and the
hand held sword of marvellous work
manship aloft in the air above the srr-
race OF the water; and neither the arm
nor the sword moved so much as a
hair's-breadth, but were motionless like
to carven image upon the surface of
the lake. And behold the sun Of that
strange land shone down upon the hilt
OF the sword, and it was of pure gold
! beset with jewels of several sorts.
so that the hilt of the sword and the
bracelets that encircled the arm
glistencd in the midst of the lake like
to some triangular star of exceeding
/ splendor.
And so King Arthur sat upon his
war-horse and gazed from a distance
at the arm and the sword. and he
greatly marveled thereat; yet he visit
not how he might come at that sword
tor the lake was wonderfully wide and
Geep, wherefore he knew not how he
might come thereunto for to make it
his own. And as he sat pondering
within himself, he was suddenly aware
OF a strange lady, who approached
MN through those tall flowers that
doomed along the margin of the lake.
And when he perceived her coming
toward him he quickly dismounted
from his war-horse, and, with the
bridle-rein over his arm, he went for
ward for to meet her. As he came
nigh to her he perceived that she was
wonderfully beautiful, and that her
hair was like silk and as black as ii
was possible to be. and so long that
1t reached unto the ground as she
walked And this strange lady was
clad all in green, only that a fine cord
OF crimson and gold was interviewer
into the pleats OF her hair. And around
her neck there hung very beautiful
necklace OF several strands OF opal
stones and emeralds set in cunningly
wrought gold; and around her wrists
were bracelets of the like sort of
opal stones and emeralds set in gold.
And when King Arthur beheld her
Wonderful appearance, he Immediately
kneit before her upon one knec ia thrs
midst of all those flowers. LADY,
quoth he, II do certainly perceive that
thou art no mortal demoiselle Also
that this place, because of its extraor-
binary beauty, can be 10 other than
some land of faerie into which l have
entered"
king Arthur" replied the lady.
"thou sayst soothly, for 1 am indeed
faerie. Moreover, may tell thee that
my name is Nymue, and that am the
chiefest of those ladies of the lake of
whom thou mayst have heard people
| speak,
Lady" said King Arthur, "that
which thou tellest me causes me to
wonder very great deal. And. in
deed, l am afraid that in coming hither-
ward 1 have been doing amiss for to
lntrude upon the solitude of your dwell
! ing-place."
NAY, not so, King Arthur quoth
the Lady of the Lake; ''for, in truth,
thou art very welcome hereunto. Like
wise, may tell thee that thou couldst
not have entered this land had we
not been willing for thee to do SO.
Moreover, tell thee truly that | have
greater friendliness for thee and
those noble knights of thy court than
thou canst easily wot of. But I do
beseech thee of thy courtesy for to tell
me what it is that brings thee to our
land"
Lady" quoth the King, at viii tell
thee the entire truth. / fought OF late
q battle with certain Sable Knight. in
the which l was sorely and grievously
wounded, and wherein I burst nv
spear and snapped my sword and lost
even my misericorde, so that l had not
single thing left me by way OF a
weapon. In this extremity Merlin,
here, told me of Excalibur, and of how
1t is continuously upheld by an arm
In the midst of this magical lake. So
| came hither, and behold, l find il
even as he hath said. Now, lady, an ii
be possible, | would fain achieve that
excellent sword, that by means Of il
| might fight my battle to its entire
end"
"Ha, my Lord King" said the Lady
of the Lake, that sword is 10 easy
thing to achieve; and, moreover. ]
may tell thee that several knights have
lost their lives by attempting that
which thou hast a mind to do. For. III
sooth, no man may win yonder glave
unless he be without fear and without
reproa ch.
alas, ladyr quoth King Arthur
that is indeed sad saying for me
HAPPY l be brave enow, yet in truth
there be many things wherewith dc
reproach myself withal. Ne'theless
would fam attempt this thing, even ar
it be to my great enlargement
Wherefore. I prithee. tell me how
may best undertake that which
would Performs
| king Arthur said the Lady Of thu
Lake, ~ win do what may for to ail
thee in thy wishes in this matter
Upon this she lifted d single emerald
that hung BY small chain Of gold a.
j her girdle. and. 10. the emerald was
/ cunningly carved into a whistle. Ant
/ she set the whistle to her lips and blew
| upon it passing shrilly. Then straight
| way there appeared upon the water, /
/ great way Oh. a certain thing thai
| sllonc very brightly. And This drew
! near with great speed. and, as 1t cam,
] nigh. beholdl ii was 4 boat Ill 81
| carvcn brass. And tho boat n1ovet
| upo1 Tie water like d swan, very
| swiftly, So That long lines like to silver
! threads stretched far away behint
across the face of the water, whicl
otherwise was like unto glass fol
! smoothnrss. Aud when the brazer