The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-11-15
A | legend
b. SUSAN YOUNG PORTER
Copyright. 1910. BY American Press
Association

In the year A.. D. S75 at Maying
party In sunoid county. England.
young Saxon yeoman saw q girl dane
ing with others about Aaypole. So
graceful was she. her eyes were SO
bluA her hair. giistening In the sun
light and tossed about with every step.
was 20 fair. 20 happy was her smile, 90
melodious her laughter, that the young
man was enraptured-
John Boylan was Q strapping youth
who could send an arrow into the
core Of IN apple at 200 yards and had
already borne q pike In the cause Of
his king, Edmond, against the Danes.
having been with his sovereign on the
fatal day when he was defeated and
his reign came to an end. Johns IA
Their had since died and left him pos
session Of the farm. consisting Of 500
acres In land, with many cows, sheep.
pigs and other cattle His mother had
died before his father, and he had no
brothers or sisters.
And 30 II was that when John saw
the graceful Ethelreda dancing about
the 4aypole he bethought himself how
happy he would be If he might take
her home to i've with him Straight
way he went to her father and said to
him:
II wish your daughter to wife. l
have my own farm and cattle. but !
have no one to milk the COWS or to
keep me company when I have done
my work or to have a care Of my es-
tate when l have gone into the forest
to hunt or am called upon by my lord
to do battle. therefore pray you to
give me your daughter"
So the father. moving Of Johns
wealth. called his daughter and, point
ing to the young man. who was at the
time leaning on his bow, said to her:
This man has bis own farm and his
cows and his sheep and his pigs, but
he has no wife to milk the COWS or
have q care Of the sheep or feed his
pigs when he Is In the forest hunting
or doing service In war for his suze-
rain. Therefore he has asked me for
you to be his wife, and you viii get
ready for the wedding"
Hthelreda knew this to DO q CON-
mand, and any command from her
father she would not think Of disobey-
Ing. She cast only one shy glance at
John when the word wife was spoken,
and. seeing the tail, well formed young
man looking kindly upon her. she gave
him her heart at once and went away
to begin her preparations for the wed
ding.
| It was but q few weeks after this
that bridal party. Of which John and
Ethelreda were the principal figures.
left the church where they had been
married and started for Johns home.
To reach It they were obliged to pass
| over q bridge across a small stream
called Goldbrook. This they did. max
ing merry the while. though when
they were halfway over John stopped.
and q shudder passed over his stalwart
frame. But whatever the cause be
conquered it and passed on with the
same light step as before.
| The wedding was celebrated with
feasting and dancing, tho singing OF
| Ministries and games. all Of which were
| customary at weddings In that day
| 0xIS1 WHICH IUo OElOe anu XEOOm Wcu>
back to Johns farm.
Never did It appear that q newly
married couple would be happier. But
they had not been together a week
before q band Of robbers ran OF with
tho best Of Johns COWS. Then In the
sumner. during a thunderstorm. the
| lightning struck the house and well
| nigh demolished It. In the autumn q
snowstorm such al had never been
known before in EnglaQd covered
Johns sheep. and very few came out
alive. The next spring a baby was
born to the couple, but it died few
hours after its birth. and its mother
went with It.
| Then John went out to 0oldbrook
stream and cut an Inscription ON the
keystone to this effect:
TN the year Of our Lord $40 Kine
! Edmond. having been defeated by the
| Danes. hid In the branches Of the OAK
tree standing close by this bridge.