Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-21
THE MIRROR OF FATE
y VENETIAN LEGEND OF THE DAYS
OF THE DoGEs.

story of the Beauty Who waa Into1i-
Gated With the Vision of Her Own
LONELINESS md tho statue In the
Church OF San Gioreis Mnssiore.
Here Is a legend which I heard in
Venice. l offer 1t TO all among you
who are fond of solitude and silence.
] offer it to YOU MS / would offer n
flower which has blossomed amid SON.
Der shadows ON a sleeping lagoon:
Ghita Ghcrnrdini was the niece Of the
hoge. Poets whose names we have for
gotten, but who were renowned Mt that
time, had composed innumerable songs
In her honor. They praised in them the
fresscs OF tho young girl. black MS night,
On which pearls cleaned like milk
white stars. They also sang about the
radiance Of her dark violet eyes md
about the two roses which formed her
lips. III truth, Ghita GhcrardinI was
very beautiful. She had, however, lis
tened too earnestly to the passionate
words of the singers. ana M immense
pride took possession Of her Young soul.
One night she heard beneath her win.
dow the rcarning sob of Il lutte. Stand
Ing In q motionlcss gonloln, Il lovesick
page was singing to her. Tender was
the music. and the water and the dark
ness n6dcd something to tho sweetness
Of the strains md to tho passion In the
voice of the singer. The young pagc
was clarifying her MS the most radiant
among all m
Ghita heard him, md n delightful
trcmor ran through her. Without wait
tnEF tn 11f.1xt A. o.Y Il
out. she took her mirror and ran TO the
window, through which The moonlight
shonc into her room. Thcrcupon In this
mysterious light she saw that she was
strangely beautiful; that her beauty
was indeed almost supernatural. Tho
moonlight revealed her pnle and trans
parent, like the princess of n poem.
Intoxicated with her charms, she let
the seductive mirror slip from her
hand, and IL sigh of admiration and Of
ecstasy escaped her MS she cried:
Il am beautiful! l am bcautirulp
Thenccfortb Ghitn Ghcrardini spent
NIL her time marvcling Mt her own beau
ty. She did not desire to full In love,
for she fancied that there was no man
living who wns worthy of her. Those
SSNp' "t'N' hf'N Wv u vi Ia hlSe luz
her eyes IL her hair she treated with
contempt. and to the mysteries of rcli-
glon she never give n thought.
She went to high mass solely for tho
purpose Of being seen by the people
and Of being fnttercd by them us they
whispered TO II mother about her.
The restless eyes were never turned
toward the altar.
She thought of nothing save her own
triumphant beauty and OF the Jewels
which set 1t off In sumptuous fashion.
One day Ghita Ghcrnrdini slipped n
little mirror beside the first nnge of
her mass book, which had been deli
cately Illuminated by n pious artist.
And while her attitude of devotion edi-
fled the multitude she studied her face
enshrincd In the book Of prayer.
The dogc's niece had forgotten that
the Creator alone is worthy Of wor-
ship and not any OF his creatures. She
had also forgotten That pride Is nm
abomlnable sin-nyc, perhaps the most
perllous of all sins-since II was the
cnusc of the rebellion Of the archnn-
gels and the downfall of Lmcifer.
One day Ghita Ghcrarlini was In
tently studying her face IN the little
mirror between the holy leaves of her
mass hook. and Suddenly she uttered n
loud cry OF terror. Through the lnrgc
building II rang, drowning the solemn
voice OF the priest, the responses OF the
congregation and the sonorous muir
muir Of the organ. And straightwny
the doge's niece fell to the ground In
n faint. She had seen reflected I'm the
guilty mirror. the sa%crilegious mirror,
not her own ~countenancc. but that of
Death.
There is today in tho Church of San
Giorgis Maggiorc. where this miracle
was accomplished. the statue of n wo-
man, who is seated and looking Mt her
self in n mirror. Very beautiful Ia
this woman, as beautiful MS Ghita
Ghcrardini was formerly. The story
goes that fills statue is the work of Il
famous sculptor. hut the people be-
lieye-nnd their legends contain n
good deal OF truth-thnt it was once
Ghita Glierardini herself and that her
body WINS turned into stone by the ter
rible vision.
To nll those WHO love the silence Of
dead cities ! offer this legend. found
1t Mt Venice as one occasionally finds n
flower which has blossomed amid SOM
Der shadows on a sleeping lagoon
Helene de Iuylcn de Nyevelt in Euro
pean Edition New York Herald,
...H H