The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-02
Her Bleniish
BY SADIE oLcoTT

feet would sour her disposition. order
ed that she should be brought up with
out ever seeing a reflection Of her face
Her mother, the queen, who was {
very beautiful woman, concurred IL
this plan and undertook TO carry Il
out The child was kept in apartment:
in which there was no polished surface
capable of revealing to her her mis-
fortune. and every one who came neal
her was directed on pain of death tt
refrain from mentioning 1t to her.
The princess was carefully brought
up TO contemplate the good. All self
ishness, untruthfuness and other evil
things were held to be something apart
from her. Generous motives, honora-
BILE treatment, pity for the unfortu-
nate. were held up to her as models.
The consequence was that she. having
naturally inherited sweet disposition.
grew up with an incongruity between
her spiritual and her material self-a
beautiful character, but the defect in
her eyes gave her disagreeable ex-
preston.
1t is quite possible that had the prfn-
cess grown up conscious of this look
on her face her disposition might have
partaken of it At any rate, 1t is prob
able that the beauty of her soul
would not have developed as 1t did had
a certain malignance there was in her
face been constantly before her.
When the princess became Of an age
to marry the problem before the king
and queen, her parents. was serious
one. Nevertheless she must marry,
and the king entered into negotiations
with neighboring prince for an al
lance. The prince came, saw the prin-
cess and went away, making some ex-
cuse for not proceeding further with
the negotiations. Again and again
King Exageres entered upon plans for
an alliance for his daughter, but when
ever the sutton saw the lady he was
to marry and her blemish he withdrew
his suit
Then the queen came forward with
her woman's wit to accomplish what
her husband could not She persuad-
ed the king to enter into negotiations
another time for their daughters hand,
but this time to introduce the sutton
TO the princess soul before permitting
him to see her in the flesh.
1t so happened that king OF
neighboring island died at this time
and was succeeded by his son, Chalcus
This young sovereign, being ambitious
to extend his domain and knowing
that. King Exageres having no son, his
daughter would be queen at his death.
sent an ambassador asking for the
princess hand. Word was returned
to the king that his suit was accepta-
BILE to the king and queen and invit-
ing him TO enter upon courtship, but
that he must do his wooing blindfold-
ed Only the day before the wedding
could he see his bride, and II he chose
he could refuse to marry her.
King Chalcus. not having heard of
the princess blemish, was at loss TO
understand such provision. Being
young and with a bit of romance in
~
to leave his kingdom for season and
make the visit.
The princess. who had been told by
her parents that her sutton was to
learn to love her for spiritual reasons
rather than her physical self. was
much pleased with the plan and gladly
received her bIindfolded sutton. Chal-
Gus was well formed. comely, accom- |
plished and in every way fitted to
please a young girl. The princess |
straightway gave him her heart, and
he, listening to the lovable words that
fell from her lips. spoken in a very |
sweet voice, was not slow In appre- !
ciating her good qualities.
For month he remained at the |
court Of King Exageres, going about |
free to look upon everything and every |
person except the princess. When
ever he was ushered into her presence
he was blindfolded, and when he left I
her the bandage was taken Off his eyes.
Every day he conversed with her, and |
every day he became more pleased
with that loneliness of disposition
there was In her.
Finally the queen told the young
king that he would be permitted to see
the princess. and he was warned that
If he should see anything In her to his
distaste to conceal an expression OF his
feelings, though this was hardly nee
essary with a well bred person. espe-
cially royal one. When he and the
princess were together the bandage
was taken Off his eyes. and he beheld
her face for the first time. For short
while he suffered under the shock oc-
by that which dispIeased 9TH
FRS. but bis mind had been SO filed
with her lovely qualities that under
The superficial ugliness he saw them
expressed in her countenance. He I,
spent an hour with her. and at the end
)f that time the blemish had almost
entirely disappeared.
He went from her to her father and
mother and asked that marriage con-
tract be drawn.
The king was surprised and pleased.
nut gave no evidence of either. The
lueen was not surprised. but pleased.
Her confidence had depended upon her
OF the fact that. while love
s induced by beauty, it cannot be held
" that alone and when once love
teals into the heart an absence OF