THE HAUNTED MOUNTAIN,

OR, THE DOOM OF FLATTERY.

A PERSIAN LEGEND.

BY NELSON BROWN.

IN ELAM's bright and eden lands,
In days of yore so dim and olden,
Strange deeds were wrought by genii power;
And KHAZMAZ wise did reign in that grand age so
golden.

It was a clime of wondrous bloom,

And Aieden's smile did o'er it beam;

And eden-like its groves of song,
Bright as a poet's heavenly dream.

Near Idrim's groves a maiden dwelt,

So reads the Magi's wondrous tale; Sweet Zodie was the maiden's name, The fairest maid in all the vale.

E'en like a Peri was she fair,

Like diamonds beamed her lustrous eyes;
An Hourie did rare Zodie seem,
Fresh from the Prophet's paradise.

And on each dainty, dimpled cheek

The rose and lily there was blended;

She seemed herself some dainty flower
By fairy hands all gently tended.

Her smile was like the flush of Morn

That bathes with light the summer skies; And as a gleam from out of heaven

The light within her liquid eyes. Her laugh was like the singing brook As merrily it murmurs by,

All joyous as the gushing song

Of birds which sing, they know not why.

All sportive as the wild gazelle,

Yet gentle as the turtle dove,

Her guileless heart which thrilled with bliss
Was formed for joy and trusting love.

And day by day, full many an hour
Near by the priest, her reverend sire,
Within the holy fane she watched,
the sacred fire.

With pious awe,

Yet as she watched, a stranger flame
Was kindled in her gentle breast;
She saw and loved a goodly youth,

Her love was answered back and blest.
Well was she loved by Khalim brave,

A beauteous youth of manly mould; A shepherd he, whose heart of worth Outweighed rich Ophir's mines of gold.

His flocks the shepherd youth did tend

On Idrim's bright and flowery vale ;

And there each day the lovers met,
Repeating oft love's tender tale.

By stealth they met for many a morn ;

Each golden hour, how winged and fleetTheir loves were like a rapturous dream, Their heart's communion ever sweet.

And there with harp, and lute, and song,
The lovers waked soft minstrelsy;
Whiling the precious hours away,
As throbb'd each heart in unity.
The eden birds in many a tree,

There trilled their choicest melodies;
The laughing brook seemed merrier then,
And flocks looked up in glad surprise.

One morn the beauteous maiden waked
From out a dream of strange delight;
Her cheeks were flushed with crimson dyes,
And round her beamed a gorgeous light.
She saw a form of kingly grace,

All brilliant as a starry sheen:

A voice she heard, so low and sweet"Come and be mine, my bonnie queen!"

Fair Zodie rose with timid haste,

And hied her toward bright Idrim's vale; Strange thoughts were kindling in her breast, And now her cheeks are ashy pale. Hark, hark!-again the voice she hears

Which waked her from her peaceful sleep;

'Twas Khalim's tones- and yet it came Adown yon mountain's lofty steep.

And on she sped with nimble steps,

With panting breath the mount ascended; 'Twas Khalim's lute she seemed to hear,

Yet sweeter tones were with it blended.

The maiden called in anxious mood,

"Oh, where art thou, brave Khalim dear?" The music ceased, and all was still

And trembling down she sank with fear.

And there the fainting maiden lay

Close to a beauteous fountain deep;

A sudden slumber o'er her came,

And her wet eyes were sealed in sleep.

Ah, little did she reck, that on that haunted mountain, She slept upon the brink of Raadmazah's fatal foun

tain;

A strange and gorgeous light upon the maid is gleaming

And she murmurs in her sleep, for strangely is she

dreaming.

The song of wonder floats again around the haunted mountain;

It comes from out the depths of the Flatterer's mystic

Up from the flowery brink fair Zodie now is leaping, Her cheeks again are crimsoned o'er, and hushed her frantic weeping.

With rapture now she gazes adown that crystal foun

tain,

Where brightest waters bubble up, from beneath the haunted mountain.

And while the fair and fated maid all so eagerly is listening,

There again the vision sees, in robes of gold and glis

tening;

Sweet the tones so full and clear, softly, sweetly blending

And the maiden in amaze o'er the fount is bending; Deeper now her cheeks are dyed with glowing crimson blushes,

As the fairy music strange o'er her throbbing spirit gushes,―

Sweeter far, she blushed to own,
Than poor Khalim's minstrelsy:
Ecstacy in every tone

Of the wondrous melody.

Honeyed o'er with flattering words
Was the burden of the lay;

And the witching harmony

Steals the maiden's heart away!

"Maiden of the diamond eye,

Idrim's flower so rare,

Listen to my minstrelsy,

Zodie, sweet and fair.

Listen to my song, my love, beneath the mystic foun

tain;

A mighty king am I, fair maid, beneath the wondrous mountain.