American short stories : $b Selected and edited with an introductory essay on the short story by Charles Sears Baldwin
General
American short stories : $b Selected and edited with an introductory essay on the short story by Charles Sears Baldwin
American fiction -- 19th century; Short stories, American
The emperor eagerly turned toward the pavilion, and, with a step as
light as his own, the erect and stately outlaw hastened to lift the
curtain before him. Leaving his guest for a moment in the outer
apartment, he entered to an inner chamber in search of his daughter,
whom he brought, panting with fear, and blushing with surprise and
delight, to her future lover and protector. A portion of an historical
tale so delicate as the description of the heroine is not work for
imitators, however, and we must copy strictly the portrait of the
matchless Teh-leen, as drawn by Le-pih, the Anacreon of Chinese poetry
and the contemporary and favorite of Yuentsoong.
“Teh-leen was born while the morning star shone upon the bosom of her
mother. Her eye was like the unblemished blue lily, and its light
like the white gem unfractured. The plum-blossom is most fragrant
when the cold has penetrated its stem, and the mother of Teh-leen had
known sorrow. The head of her child drooped in thought, like a violet
overladen with dew. Bewildering was Teh-leen. Her mouth’s corners were
dimpled, yet pensive. The arch of her brows was like the vein in the
tulip’s heart, and the lashes shaded the blushes on her cheek. With the
delicacy of a pale rose, her complexion put to shame the floating light
of day. Her waist, like a thread in fineness, seemed ready to break,
yet was it straight and erect, and feared not the fanning breeze; and
her shadowy grace was as difficult to delineate as the form of the
white bird rising from the ground by moonlight. The natural gloss of
her hair resembled the uncertain sheen of calm water, yet without the
false aid of unguents. The native intelligence of her mind seemed to
have gained strength by retirement; and he who beheld her thought not
of her as human. Of rare beauty, of rarer intellect, was Teh-leen, and
her heart responded to the poet’s lute.”
We have not space, nor could we, without copying directly from the
admired Le-pih, venture to describe the bringing of Teh-leen to court,
and her surprise at finding herself the favorite of the emperor. It
is a romantic circumstance, besides, which has had its parallels in
other countries. But the sad sequel to the loves of poor Teh-leen is
but recorded in the cold page of history; and if the poet, who wound
up the climax of her perfections with her susceptibility to his lute,
embalmed her sorrows in verse, he was probably too politic to bring it
ever to light. Pass we to these neglected and unadorned passages of her
history.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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