Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-02

in marriage to any daughter of Earth
that would In no manner prove url-
faithful to her dear memory, or to the
memory of the devout affection with
which she had blessed me. And I called
the Mighty Ruler of the Universe to
witness the pious solemnity Of my vow.
And the curse which invoke Of Him,
and of her saint in Elysiun, should
I prove traitorous to that promise, in
! volved a penalty the exceeding great
horror of which will not permit me to
record it here.
And the bright eyes Of Eleonora grew
brighter at my words, and she sighed
as If a deadly burden had been taken
fom her breast; and she trembled and
very bitterly wept, but she made &C
ceptance of the vow for what was she
but child?) and 1t made easy for her
the bed of her death. And she SAID 70
me, not many days afterward. tran
ouilIv diving, that, because of what I
had done for the comfort OF her spirit,
she would watch over me in that spirit
when departed, and, II so it were per-
nitted her, return to me visibly In the
watches of the night, but, If this thing
were indeed beyond the power OF the
souls in Paradise, that she would at
least give me frequent indications OF
her presence; signing upon me IN the
evening winds. or filling the air which
I breathed with perfume from the CEN
sers of the angels With these words
on her lips she yielded up ner mno-
cent life, putting an END 10 the hsI
epoch of my own. .s
The void left in my heart refused
to be filled. I longed for the love
which had before filled II 10 overnow-
ing. At length the valley paineo me
through its memories of Eleonora, ano
T left it forever for the vanities and
t,,rbulent triumphs of the world.
found myself within strange city,
where ali things might have served to
blot from recollection the sweet dreams
I had dreamed so long In the valley
of the Manufactured Grass. The pomps
and pageantries of q stately court, ano
the mad clangor Of arms, ana the
radiant loneliness of woman, bewlldereo
and intoxicated my brain. But as YET
INV soul had proved true to Its VOWS,
and the indications Of the presence OF
EIeonora were still given me In the
silent hours Of the night.
suddenly these manifestations ceased,
and the world grew dark before mine
ewes. and I stood aghast at the burning
THOUGHTS which possessed-at the ter
rible temptations which beset me; Tor
there came from some far, far distant
and unknown land, into the gay court
of the king served, maiden to whose
beauty my whole unfaithful heart
Welded at once-at whose footstool
bowed down without a struggle, in the
most ardent, in the most abject wor-
| ship of love.
What. indeed, was my passion FOL
the young girl of the valley in compar-
| ison with the fervor and the delirium
and the spirit-lifting ecstasy OF adora-
| ton with which poured out my whole
soul in tears at the feet of the ethereal
Ermengarde? oh, bright was the angel
Ermengardel And In that knowledge
had room for none other. On, Oh
vine was the angel ErTnengarde! And
/. as 7 looked down into. the depths Of
! her memorial eyes, thought only Of
| them-ard Of her.
I welded; nor dreaded the curse
| had invoked, and its bitterness wal
not visited upon me. And once-pu'
once again in the silence OF the night
J there came through my lattice the soft
4 signs which had forsaken me, ant
they modelled themselves into familiar
and sweet voice, saying:
| sleep in peace. For the spirit o.
love reigneth and ruleth, and, in taking
to thy passionate heart her who i
Ermengarde thou art absolved, Tor rea
sons. which shall be made known y
thee in Heaven, Of thy VOWS unit
EJeonnra