The Library of fiction - or, Family story-teller, consisting of original tales, essays, and sketches of character (1836) (14579646588)

Identifier: libraryoffiction02dick (find matches)
Title: The Library of fiction : or, Family story-teller, consisting of original tales, essays, and sketches of character
Year: 1836 (1830s)
Authors: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Tugg's at Ramsgate Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Little talk about spring and the sweeps
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign



Text Appearing Before Image:
the wood-deities echo tothe clear recheat of his bugle-horn—and each evening beheld,girt with the companions of his sports, seated at the head of thegreat oaken table in his ancient hall, draining the wassail-bowland making the old roof respond to many a joyous carol andmerry roundelay. For several months^ BirEdred continued to pursue his carelesshabit of life ; until one evening, after a severe and protractedchase, during which the knight became separated from his fol-lowers, he found himself in a remote and to him unknown partof the forest. In vain he blew the summoning call for his re-tainers ; the blast died away unanswered save by melancholyechoes from the forests leafy depths. The spot whereon he stood was a small circular glade or openspace, encompassed by dark ancestral trees, that, like shadowyshapes worked by a sorcerers spell, seemed crowding round themagic boundary, yet afraid to encroach on its limits. Onesolitary sycamore, like the magician of the scene, waved its tall
Text Appearing After Image:
Page 18.3, Vol 2 THE SPIRIT OF THE FOUNTAIN. 183 form in the centre of the enclosure, and shadowed with itsspreading branches a small fountain that sparkled at its root.The rising: moon shone with unusual brilliancy, and, pouring aflood of light through the motionless leaves of the shelteringtree, gave to the mirror-like bason beneath the appearance of asplendid chequer-work in ebony and silver. Sir Edred, faintand exhausted with the toils of the day, beheld with mingledfeelings of surprise and joy a refreshing draught thus oppor-tunely presented to his lips. He immediately dismounted, andapproaching the spring, was at point of kneeling down on itsflowery margin to slake his thirst in the cool waters, when hebecame suddenly rooted to the earth by the apparition of ayoung female clad in white sitting on the opposite brink of thefountain, looking intently into the water, and rocking herselfto and fro with slow and mournful regularity. Sir Edred, whose courage had never failed him in the