Dragoni's Daughter.

hood ; he was my pride , my idol . One day , a young noble basely insulted himan insult so base was it that a dog could not have brooked it , and my brave Bernardo dealt him a fatal blow . The

patrician could spit in the plebeian ' s face , and men only laughed , but all Venice rang with shouts against the murderer , who only wiped out the insult with his blood , and before sunset the spies of 'the ten' had traced my boy to his retreatand

, condemned him to death by torture . A y , Count Dragoni , my brave , my darling boy perished by the accursed Inquisition ; they murdered my gallant Bernardo ! I swore

evenge ; revenge on one and all of the accursed Council , and foremost , against Count Valzive , the chief among the senators who pronounced his deathsentence . And that hour came . Even as I had suffered , so should he ; he should know how distressing it was to have an

only son torn from his arms . _ " One night , when Count Valzive and his lady were from their palace at a masked ball , with three brave accomplices to do my bidding , we entered his plazzo , gagged the nurse , and seized his only son and heir

, the little Ernesto , then a boy of but two years , and fled with our prize . But I could not kill the child ; his bright eyes smiled into my heart , and Lis baby laugh seemed a call for mercy . I . carried him afar , gave him into the hands of a rude outlaw , who bore him to his far-off mountain home , where the boy grew up

. brave , strong , noble , and in after years became their leader . Count Dragoni , when I gave up the child I swore that I never would reveal the home to which he was taken ; this I will not do ; but in my dying moments something whispered that

forgiveness is better than revenge . Old Valzive died long ago of grief ; your daughter ' s flight almost broke your heart ; I am dying , and why should I fear to tell you that Carlo Trevorra , the bandit , and husband of your child is no other than

Ernesto Valzive , heir to his father ' s title and estates ? There , I have told you all ; be kind , be merciful to my son here ; be but ah , send for the priest ! I feel a cold haud—in my throat—upon my breast—it chokes , it stifles me—it is death !" Yes , it was death , the conquerer , stilling the pulse-boats of a heart , lifeless for evermore to the calls of revenge or for-

Dragoni's Daughter.

giveness . The plebeian lay cold and stark ; and the count sought his palace home with a new joy born within his heart . It is almost needless to add that a proclamation of full pardon to the bandit was immediatel y issued , with a recall to his

father ' s estates ; and that after a brief season , this was literally accomplished , and the still blooming , beautiful Elena , was received amid tears of forgiveness into her parents' embrace . In Venice to this day , there still lingers an old tradition of the outlaw ' s bride , Dragoni ' s Daughter . —New York Dispatch .

Saint Hilda's Bells.

SAINT HILDA ' S BELLS .

An old Whitby Legend , literally rendered . BY BIRS . G . BI . TWEDDELL ( FLORENCE CLEVELAND ) , Author of , ; Rhymes and Sketches to Illustrate the Cleveland Dialect . "

The sea was calm , the clouds hung low , And on his good ship ' s deck The pirate walk'd in sullen mood , A man no laws could check . IIis crew look'd on all silently

, For none durst question him ; They knew he plann'd some daring deed , To do when ni ght grew dim . At length he stopp'd . " My men , " quoth he ,

" See you old "Whitby town 1 I' the abbey tower some bells are htm " , This night we'll have them down .

" Cast anchor there below the cliff , A stout heart never quells ; Be brave , my lads ! and we to-ni ght , Will steal St . Hilda ' s bells . " The task is heavy . " Ha , ha , ha I " The pirate laugh'd with glee :

" Our ship will bear a wei ghty load , When we put out to sea . "Our stoutest ropes will lower them down , And when our prize we win , We'll pledge St . Hilda ' s memory , In a keg of Holland ' s giu . "