The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-21
THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCESS.

dn grew louder, and she became conscious OF vague
forms and fields Of whiteness. And with that the
earth gave way: she fell and found her feet again
with incredible shock to her senses, and her mind
was swallowed up
When she came again to herself, she was standing
to the mid-leg in an icy eddy of brook, and leaning
with one hand on the rock from which 1t poured. ne
spray had wet her hair She saw the white cascade,
the stars wavering in the shaken pool foam fitting,
and high head the tall pines on either hand Sc
reny drinking starshine and in the sudden quiet of
her spirit she heard with JOY the firm plunge of the
cataract IN the pool. She scrambled forth dripping.
In the face of her proved weakness to adventure again
upon the horror of blackness in the groves were SUI
eide Of life or But here, in the alley OF the
brook with the kind stars above her. and the moon
presently swimming into sight, she could await the
coming Of day without alarm
This lane of pine trees very rapidly down NIL ana
wound among the woods; but it a wider thorough
fare than the brook needed and here and there were
little dimpling lawns and cOves of the forest, where
the starshne slumbered. Such a lawn she paced tax
ing patience bravely; and now she looked up the NIL
and saw the brook coming down TO her IN series OF
cascades and now approached the Margin where 1t
weled among the ruShes silently; and now gazed at
the great company OF Heaven with an enduring Won
der The early evening had fallen chill, but the night
was now temperate out of the recesses of the wood
the came mild airs from deep and peaceful breath
ing; and the dew was heavy on the grass and tight
shut daisies This was the girls first night under the
naked heaven: and that her fears were oyerpast
she was touched to the soul by its amenty and
peace kindly the host of heaven binked down upon
that wandering Princess; and the honest brook had no
words but to encourage her.
AT last she began to be aware of wonderful revolu
ton compared to which the fire of Mittwaden Palace
was but the crack and flash of percussion cap The
countenance with which the pines regarded her begun
nsensb to change; the grass too short as was and
the whole winding staircase OF the brooks course, be-
gan to wear solemn freshness OF appearance And
this slow TRANSPORTATION reached her heart and played
upon it, and transported it with serious thrill She
looked all about the whole face of nature looked back
brimfu of meaning finger lip leaking Its glad Sc
cret She looked up. Heaven was almost emptied OF
stars Such az still fingered shone with changed and
waning brightness and began to faint IN their stations
And the colour of the sky itself was the most wonder
full for the rich blue of the night had now melted and
softened brightened and there had succeed IN It's place
hue that has no name; and that is never seen but as
the herald Of the morning. %! she cried, JOY catch
ing at her voice, co. it IS the dawn. H,
in breath she had crossed over the brook, and
loopcd up her skirts and fairly ran in the dim alleys
AS she ran her ears were aware of many ppngS more
beautiful than music in the small dish shaped houses
in the fork of giant arms where they had lam all night
lover by lover, warmly pressed the bright eyed, .bg
hearted singers began to awaken Tor the day Hef
heart melted and flowed forth to them IN kindness
And they from their small and high perches IN the
cerestores of the wood cathedral peered down SIDE
long at the ragged Princess she fitted below them
in the carpet of moss and tassel
Soon she had struggled to a certain hilltop, and saw
far before her the silent noodng OF the day Out OF
the East it weed and whitened; the darkness trem-
bed into light and the stars were extngulshed Ike
the street lamps OF human CITY, Inc WmIeleSs
frightened into silver; the silver warmed into gold;
the gold kinded into pure and living fire. and the face
of the East was barred with elemental scarlet. The
day drew its first long breath steady ana emil; ana
for leagues around the woods sighed and shvered:
And then at one bound, the sun had ioated up; and
her startled eyes received days first arrow, and quailed
under the buffet On every side the shawdows eaped
from their ambush and fell prone. The day was come,
plain an garsh; and up the steep and solitary eastern
heaven the sun victorious over his competitors contn-
slowly and royalty to mount.
Seraphina drooped for little, leaning on a pne the
shril iov of the woodlands mocking her. The shelter
of the night the thrilling and joyous changes of the
dawn. were over and now in the hot eye of the day.
she turned uneasily and looked sighingly about ner
WAS mounting and melting in the gold and blue There
surely enough, were human folk the hearth surround
ers. Mans fingers had laid the twgs; it was man:
breath that had quckened and encouraged the baby
flames. and now as the fire caught it. ii would be play