A MERMAID was sporting on the surface of the ocean; in her arms was her babe, which she nourished at her breast, as a human mother would have done her own offspring. While she was lightly rocking to and fro, a ship came in sight, running before the wind, the keel ploughing the white foam, sails unfurled, and streamers flying. The mermaid knew not what it was—she thought it might be a huge sea monster; never before had she seen aught like it, for her home was in those unfrequented seas, which the ships of men have not explored. She gazed awhile on it in wonder, retreating, but with her eye still fixed; while thus lost in astonishment and awe, an enormous shark, that had been watching her, came swiftly, and snatched the infant from her arms, and ere she was aware, bore it beneath the surface. The mother immediately dived in pursuit, but came in sight only in time to see the young one devoured by a hundred voracious creatures, like that which had torn it from her; and she barely escaped from them with her own life. In her agony, not heeding whither she went, all day long she kept in the path of the vessel, and midnight found her still following it, in a furious storm, which she fearlessly and stoutly breasted. The sea was her native element, and the raging of the waters was like music to her ear. At last shrieks from the ship roused her from the apathy into which her grief had plunged her, and looking up, she saw the tall masts, which had seemed to reach the very skies, broken and dismantled, and the vessel itself about to dash upon the rocks, from which it had no power of escaping. But ere this, a boat had been lowered, and living beings, whose forms were wonderful and strange to her, (by the aid of a rope,) had been let down from the side of the ship, and placed safely within it. At last a mother and her child together, in descending, missed the tossing bark, and both fell into the sea. The mother was quickly rescued, but her babe had fallen from her arms, and sank out of her sight; and the sailors were forced, notwithstanding the beseeching petition of the agonized mother, to push off and leave it to its fate, or the boat, and all in it, would have been swamped in the whirlpool, which drew in all surrounding objects, as the vessel, which presently was dashed in pieces, rapidly filled, and sank into the depths of the ocean. The mermaid saw all, and diving below, she received the babe in her open arms, and on beholding its beautiful and innocent countenance, she rejoiced over it, as if she had found a treasure, and tenderly nourishing it and hushing its cries, she bore it far away to her home in those unknown seas, from which she had wandered. Here amid the labyrinths of waters, spring up tiny islands of coral, covered with verdure, high above the reach of the floods, which dash around them. On one of these, scarcely larger than the cradle which it was to imitate, the mermaid made a bed for the little charge, and as in this clime, “eternal summer reigns,” she left the child sleeping warmly and securely beneath a large spreading tree, which protected it from the sun, and fanned its slumbers with broad green leaves, while she sought her companions and her boy Rosond, whom she found near the spot, and who welcomed her with joy, after her long absence. Curiously they looked upon the little daughter with the blue eyes and fair brow; and not doubting that it was her own infant, born during her absence, they could but be amazed at its strange form, and in their hearts, pitied the poor mother, whose little one would undoubtedly soon perish, as it would never be able, like their own offspring, to paddle about or to live in the waters without assistance. Little the mother regarded or seemed to need their sympathy; she appeared quite happy and contented in what they considered her great affliction; and wondering at her insensibility, they left her alone with her children.

The little Corala, for so her sea-mother named her, throve under the watchful care of the mermaid and the boy Rosond, one or the other of whom was forever with her, bearing her about in their arms on the sunny waters, or from island to island. Sometimes they would dive with her, for a moment, beneath the sea, then would hold her aloft, with the water dripping from her form, at which she would toss her dimpled arms, and shout with laughter. She soon began to creep about, then stand upon her feet and move in a strange sort of way; and the mother, trembling to see her totter, never left her for a moment, for fear of losing her. She was often thrown into great distress, as Corala, stealing off in spite of her, would roguishly hide herself among the bushes where her mother and brother (who could not move at all on land, but were only able to creep near her, sailing by the edge of the island) could not see her, or reach her; but as she always presently relieved their fears by returning to them and throwing herself into their arms, the mother soon began to feel more confidence in her ability to take care of herself. As she grew older she was allowed often to venture out of sight, on her promising to return to them soon; and as no harm ever happened to her, they frequently bore her from the little isle of infancy to larger ones—which she explored to their centers; and after having been gone for hours, would return to her friends laden with berries and fruits, which she found much more to her taste than the sea-food that had heretofore formed her nutriment. She learned also in time to swim, where the waters were not very deep, and used to accompany Rosond on little aquatic expeditions; though ever when she grew tired of her exertions, he would carry her in his arms till she reached a place of rest.

By the time that she had reached her thirteenth year she had gone over all the islands that lay around, and found these fairy realms peopled with birds and butterflies, and the smaller sort of animals, such as rabbits and squirrels, who soon came to know her, and to leap in her pathway without fear. She moved about among them like a queen amid her subjects; and, like a queen, indeed, she looked, for on her brow she wore a diadem of precious gems, which Rosond had brought from the depths of the ocean. Her robe, like that of the mermen and mermaids around her, was made of the variously and gaily-colored seaweed, which formed a silken scarf for her shoulders, and a petticoat, reaching just below the knees, such as was generally worn by these people of the waters, which left her fair arms and gleaming feet bare in their beauty. Thus shining and sparkling in the sun, she would sit on the shore and arrange the beautiful flowers, with which the islands abounded, into nosegays of magic grace, to present to such of Rosond’s playfellows as came to visit him, and the strange little sister, of whom he was so fond, and with whom he had rather spend his hours than to join them in their frolicksome sports, chasing the gold-fish through the sparkling waves, and leaping high in the air, in their wild glee. Rosond loved to watch the varying expression of her eyes, and ever seemed to regard her as a superior being; and the mother, too, when the mermen and mermaids commiserated the unfortunate one who was deprived, by what they considered her deformity, of many of their sources of enjoyment, felt a proud and happy consciousness (though she kept her secret to herself) that her child was one of those immortal natures of whom the sages of their race had recorded such wonders. Yet her heart began to fail her as Corala grew to womanhood, and the fear that perhaps the truth might some day burst upon the mind, whose workings terrified her, unused as she was to the operations of human reason, and she trembled for the revelations that such a spirit might be capable of making when it reached its maturity. As her mind expanded she constantly sought food for its inquiring activity, and became much interested in the tales of worlds beyond the waters, peopled by a race of mortal immortals, having perishable bodies, but spirits that must live for ever; and her brother Rosond, inspired by her earnestness, became almost as eager as herself to unravel the secrets of their existence. Yet, whenever in their mother’s presence they broached this topic, she checked their inquiries with such an unusual tone of disquiet and sternness, that it had the very opposite effect on the mind of Corala from that the mermaid intended, by giving to the subject, by this appearance of mystery, a peculiar and romantic interest. And, notwithstanding that the theme was for ever at rest while with the mother, yet, when alone with Rosond, Corala gave loose reins to her fancy; but, in answer to her questions and conjectures, Rosond, who had never been allowed by his mother to go beyond his native seas, could only repeat to her the vague and unsatisfactory talk of those almost as ignorant as himself.

As Corala grew older, her sympathy with the beings about her, with the exception of her mother and Rosond, diminished; as for the former, though she did not understand the thoughtfulness that sat on the brow of her child and shadowed her birth, the soul’s longing for sympathy from responsive spirits, yet, so great was her love and her gentleness towards her, that Corala clung to her with the same affection she would have done to her own natural mother. As for Rosond, so constantly was he in companionship with his sister that his mind became in time assimilated to hers, and, from having ever in contemplation a higher order of intellect, the society of his former associates became as distasteful to him as to Corala. Soon they were left almost entirely to themselves, and the mother, satisfied at seeing them happy—to all appearance happy—left them free to roam together where they would, never dreaming that Corala was for ever talking of the worlds beyond, and of the beings that peopled them. But so it was; and as time advanced Rosond had the grief of seeing his dear sister pining away under the influence of the unspeakable longing that possessed her, and, in his anxiety to relieve it, he formed a plan which he imparted to Corala, by means of which together they would be enabled to know more of those countries towards which Corala’s heart seemed ever to be yearning. Accordingly, when all at night were in their resting places, sunk in sleep, Rosond, with Corala in his arms, were sailing on the seas making such discoveries as was in their power, and each morning they were found in their usual places, so that they excited no suspicion. Again and again they set out and returned, and were so rewarded for their exertions by the wonders that were thus revealed to them that they grew elated and fearless of danger. But yet no information concerning the other worlds was afforded them, and they began to despair of learning what they wished. One night, however, having reached the point where their wanderings usually terminated, Rosond was about to go back, but Corala still urged him onward; and, notwithstanding his misgivings, in accordance with her wishes, he emerged with her from the warm and quiet waters into the dashing, foaming sea, over which the blue sky and stars shone clear and pure. New feelings filled the soul of Corala, new voices were speaking in her ears; she was as it were in an ecstasy, and, wrapt in the enjoyment, she forgot all else at the moment. While Rosond paused at her request, and she was looking around, she espied a great object in the distance that riveted her whole attention. A tiny speck on the water seemed to be following it, like a bird with its little one beside it, but in truth it was a ship far off, and a boat which had been let down by the seamen, one of whom from the deck having espied through a glass what seemed to be a maiden riding upon the waves, they were coming to satisfy themselves concerning this strange sight. The little speck gradually grew larger and larger as it came nearer to her, till it at last it looked like one of her own tiny islands afloat upon the waves, with living beings upon it. She held her breath lest it might alarm Rosond, who, bearing her on high in his arms, was concealed beneath the waters, and saw nothing above him. Noiselessly and stealthily the boat approached her. Corala perceived, and her heart bounded at the sight, that the forms of the creatures that were moving within were like her own, and in a moment the truth darted into her brain. She was not then an isolated being, but one of a race, and these were her kindred. How her heart yearned towards them! Their gaze was fascinated on their leader, as cautiously they floated towards her; no sound escaped her lips till the shriek she uttered when she found herself torn from the arms of Rosond, and borne away within the hearing of his cries—seeing him beaten back by the oars, as he vainly endeavored to pursue and rescue her, till at last, fainting with affright, she became unconscious of all that passed. When she was restored to herself she was on the vessel, which was bearing her fast away from all that she had known and loved. Most pitiful was the moaning she made as the tenants of the ship gathered around, and tried in vain to comfort her. She at first refused all consolation; yet, in time, as the poignancy of her grief abated, and she looked more calmly around, she felt herself inspired with a new and more powerful interest in life; every glance conveyed intelligence; all about her, like herself, were reasoning and thinking. She was ONE in a mass of SOULS, and, though she could not comprehend a single word they uttered, yet their expression and gestures conveyed to her a meaning that she could well interpret. When they reached the port from which the vessel sailed, the news spread afar like wildfire, that a young maiden of great beauty, speaking a language that no one understood, had been rescued from the grasp of a frightful sea monster, so that many came from great distances to see her. Among others was a gentleman and lady of high rank, who, on beholding Corala, were so impressed with her appearance, that they determined to take her home with them, and adopt her for their own daughter, as their only child had been lost at sea years before, while still an infant, and strange to say, if she had lived, would have been about the age that Corala now appeared to be; and stranger still it seemed, when it was made known that Corala had been rescued near the very spot where the shipwreck had occurred so many years before; and to their redoubled wonder, the likeness of Corala to both of them, was remarked by many persons, as if she had been their daughter indeed; so that the mother could hardly help feeling that their child had been saved by some good spirit; nurtured and restored to her again by the mercy of heaven. But as this would have been deemed madness, she kept her thoughts to herself, and only revealed them to her husband, who, like her, felt as if heaven indeed had interposed in their behalf, and that the beautiful girl they bore to their pleasant home was their lost darling. Corala found relief in this quiet spot by the seaside, from the noise and bustle of the town, the confusion of tongues, and the curious gazers who came on board the ship to see her. Enraptured with the beauty of all that surrounded her, she would have been most happy could she have forgotten that her sea-mother and Rosond, far away, were mourning their lost one; and she wept in bitterness at the thought that she should never again behold those who loved her so dearly, and were by her so dearly loved. Soon by the care and patience of her new-found mother she became acquainted with the names of the various objects that she saw around, and very rapidly she learned to express herself in sentences. At last she could relate to them the tales of her infancy, of her cradle on the sea-girt isle, of her sea-mother, and her sea-brother, that she longed again to find. They deemed it all a fantasy of her imagination; and she, finding how little faith her hearers had in her representations, kept these remembrances to herself. However, they only grew more vivid from being thus repressed, and were still her first thoughts. As she made progress in the language, she was taught to read, and gradually the treasures of knowledge were unfolded to her. The universe, which had been to her sealed, was now as it were opening before her; she began to unravel its mysteries, and her whole being expanded in the genial atmosphere by which she was surrounded. So passed several years, but time did not efface from her memory the images of her early days; each new joy only rendered more poignant her grief, that the companions of her infancy were debarred from these pleasures to which she had such free access. Each day found her in a favorite seat by the water-side, looking afar at the sea, watching it toss on the shore, and listening to the roar of its waters, as if such sounds could tell her the fate of those for whom her heart yearned, and for whom every night she put up a petition to heaven.

And now let us leave Corala for a while, and see what has become of the protectors of her helpless infancy. When Rosond, after giving up all hope of recovering his sister, returned with the sad news to his mother that she was lost to them, in a frenzy she flew hither and thither. Then, for the first time, her companions of the sea learned that she who had lived for years among them, whom they had despised, was one of those immortal natures for whom they had been taught such veneration. Rosond also now learned his sister’s history, and great was his grief to find that she was not only far removed from him in space, but was also above him in the scale of being; yet he felt he could still but worship her as he had ever done. The mermen and mermaids at first pitied Rosond and his mother; but when they found them ever dwelling upon the one sad theme, nearest to their hearts, they forsook them for more cheerful companions, till they were left at last to wander about alone together. All their conversation turned upon the engrossing topic—would Corala ever again be restored? At last they heard of an old wizard of the sea, who like a hermit dwelt in a cave in the depths of the ocean, and who was said to have the power of foretelling future events. Together they sought his dwelling-place, which for an age he had not left. The door was guarded by two sea monsters, whose eyes glared, as the two went tremblingly by, but they only opened their terrific jaws to shut them harmlessly again; so they passed safely in. Upon a heap of sea-weed piled up with books, on which was inscribed strange characters, sat the wizard of the sea; he was bent and wrinkled, and when they told him their errand he shook his briny locks, muttered strange words, and taking a curious shell in his hand, placed it at his ear and listened long. The mermaid fearfully asked, “shall the dear child, that I have so long cherished and loved as my own, ever be restored to my arms?” He paused, with the shell at his ear, and then made answer—“The voices of the deep wail and cry; she can never more return to her home on the sea-girt isle, for she is a mortal, and has found her kind; be therefore content and go in peace; seek no further into the hidden things of the future.” But they still lingered. At last Rosond spoke and said: “If indeed it is decreed that she can never return to us, can we not go to her, and again see her beautiful countenance, and have our hearts cheered by the music of her loving voice?” The sage turned over leaf after leaf, and searched into the mysterious tomes, till they grew weary with waiting, yet would not depart till he bade them; so much did they long to hear what fate had in store for them; while he seemed as it were to be dozing, and then at last unclosing his eyes, he sleepily muttered, holding a shell that glowed like living fire to his ear, made answer, “All things are possible to superhuman power; if, after the lapse of many years, you can find again the lost one, and your love for her is then as strong as now, and she is able to reveal to you that she still loves you as in days gone bye, then may you take her nature, and be united to her again; but she can never return to you while you are of another race. Hence! no more disturb the slumbers of the aged, who soon shall sleep forever. Then he fell back and relapsed into a repose so deep, that they sought no more to arouse him, but hand in hand passed out as they had entered, and returned to their home again.”

Here they related to their companions the words of the wizard, and declared their intention of seeking Corala, and endeavoring to ascertain if she still loved them as of yore. The mermen and mermaids endeavored to dissuade Rosond and his mother from attempting what must be a fruitless task. “For,” said they, “should you succeed in discovering whither she is carried, and to communicate with her, which is almost an impossibility, how can you suppose that she would regard you as she once did? Perhaps,” said they, “she even now remembers with a shudder the friends of her former days, and, happy amid her own kindred, strives to banish all thoughts of the repulsive beings whom she once loved.” Though all this seemed so reasonable, and so likely to be the truth, yet Rosond and his mother had such a certain conviction of the intensity of Corala’s attachment to themselves, that they even dared to hope, in spite of all, that one day they might be united to her again. Their companions used all their arts to persuade them to abandon these hopes, that they deemed so fallacious, and to leave Corala, and return again to their accustomed sports. But no words could prevail upon them to give up the search, and, bidding adieu to all that had ever known them, they set off together.

On their voyage over the wide waste of waters the spot they both were intent on seeking was that from whence Corala had been borne away, and, when found, they made it the starting point from which they sailed long distances, only to return, after vain efforts to gain some clue that might lead them in the direction to find her once more. Months and even years passed, and yet no success had attended their wanderings; and, almost hopeless, they came back to the well-known spot, from whence all their journeyings had proceeded. One day, while hovering around, in the distance they saw an object, that both had learned to know well—a ship, bearing the same colors as that which had been wrecked before the eyes of the mermaid, and Rosond also marked it as being like the vessel which had borne Corala from them. A sudden hope darted into the minds of both. Could they not, by following it, reach the place to which Corala had been carried? It probably was bending its course in the same direction as the other ship had gone. Day after day saw them in this hope, tirelessly pursuing the vessel, that, like a leading star, pointed out their course.

The journey seemed almost endless, but at last the scenes began to change before their eyes; the broad waste of waters gradually narrowed; and seemed to be bounded by land, not in small islands, like dots here and there, as they had been accustomed to see, but a broad expanse, even as the ocean itself, over which the eye could not reach, covered with a garment of emerald, where stately towers and spires rose pointing to the skies. All was strange and wonderful to them, and they clung to each other, and kept beneath the waters, but still in sight of the vessel that had led them on, for they felt less lonely when near to that which had so long been as a beacon before them. The ship at last was moored, and hidden by some rocks. Rosond and the mermaid watched the busy crowds who came flocking down to the water, to welcome the friends who disembarked from the decks. There were among them female forms who moved as Corala once had done. But well they knew she was not there, nor was she in the throng that flocked along the pier, or hung over the sides, day after day. They floated at a distance from the shore, and at last, going out of sight of the ship, and sailing with swiftness past the various cities and towns, they began to feel the very hopelessness of their ever being able, amid such myriads of living creatures, of finding her whom they sought. Yet Rosond, although in despair of gaining the object of his search, longed to know more of her race, and, approaching as near the land as he dared without fear of discovery, contemplated the faces, and forms, and movements of those who came within his sight.

A long period passed in this manner, and, sick at heart, the mother and son one evening, when the moon was shining clearly, left behind them all the noise and bustle of the towns, and followed the current, which carried them beside a peaceful and quiet country. At last, as daylight passed away, they floated near the shore, where a castled mansion stood on a hill alone, overlooking the peaceful waters. The air was soft and balmy, and warm as that of their native clime, to which their hearts now sometimes turned, as towards a haven where they might find rest. They gazed in wonder at the beauty of the green slope, studded here and there with oases of flowers, in the midst of which marble fountains threw up jets of water that returned to bedew all around. Gradually they drew nearer to the bank; the serenity of the scene inspired them with a calmness and buoyancy that they had not felt for many months. All at once a strain of soft music burst on their ears. It was a gentle voice, accompanying a harp. The tones seemed to call up in their minds thoughts of the sea-girt isle, and the song of the birds that there gladdened the air, and the gentle tossing of that summer sea, and the murmurs of the breeze that ever softly sighed, and their tears streamed, as if melted from their hearts, at the sound. Presently a white figure emerged from the shadowy portal of the mansion, and, like an angel shining in the moonlight, with streaming golden hair and light footsteps, came flitting down the slope. Their hands trembled as they held them together; their hearts beat loudly, for they knew this was Corala. Noiselessly they sank below the surface, as she came nearer, but their keen eyes were piercing through the crystal, and were upon her. How their bosoms throbbed, and they longed to rush forward and to meet her, but they dared not; she would flee in her terror far from them. Oh! they felt that the words which had been spoken to them by their companions must be true. She would shrink from them if they were to reveal themselves to her; they would be regarded as monsters in her eyes. Better thus to watch her, and worship her at a distance, than, by revealing themselves to her, lose their only chance of beholding her once more. Thus they thought, and kept silently beneath the waters, though, with all their natures, they were yearning to embrace her. At length she knelt down, and, bending her brow till it touched the foam, cried, “Oh! mother and brother of the sea! cannot these waves, that so ceaselessly dash upon the shore, bear to you the cries of your mourning Corala? and tell you how her heart still longs for you with unchangeable love, and that each night she puts up a prayer to Heaven that you may be preserved and restored to her!”

With one impulsive movement, hand-in-hand, the mermaid and Rosond rushed forward. But, oh! wonder of wonders! as they came into the shallow waters they felt themselves rising erect, with limbs and feet, upon the pebbly shore! They knew then that the prediction of the wizard was thus verified: they had loved each other to the end, and now were made partakers of the same natures. With a cry of joy they rushed into each other’s embrace, when words and explanations followed. Corala led up the steep her long-lost sea-mother, with her gentle voice, and mild brow and mien. Proudly, too, she watched Rosond moving stately, with his diadem of jewels on his lofty brow, his garb of silken weed fluttering like a scarf of honor from his shoulders, and looking like a royal prince.

The lord and lady of the castle received with joy the long-lost friends of their adopted child, and welcomed them to the mansion. After arraying them in garments befitting their dignity, they presented them to their servants and retainers. Corala saw no reason to blush for them, the avowed guardians of her youth.

During the time that Rosond and his mother remained as inmates of the mansion the lord and lady learned of a certainty that this was, indeed, as they had long hoped and expected, their long-lost daughter; and, though wonderful as was the tale of her rescue, and of her life on the isles of the sea, and of the transformation of the mermaid and Rosond, yet they believed all, and received her as their own with all the faith of innocent hearts.

Rosond, by the sale of the jewels worn by his mother and himself, which were almost of a priceless value, realized an immense fortune, and purchased a castle within a short distance of that of the parents of Corala, to which he took his mother to reside. Here, by the assistance of masters, he rapidly acquired the language, and all those arts which were befitting a young gentleman of distinction. He became one of the most accomplished courtiers of that period, and soon, by the consent of her parents, was betrothed to Corala, with whom he spent much of his time. After a short space had elapsed, their marriage was celebrated in a manner befitting the rank of both, and thus Corala became, indeed, the child of her who had once been her adopted mother. She divided her time between her two homes, making all happy, and seeing their children grow up around them.

Rosond and Corala never regretted having loved through all difficulties, and to the end.

STANFORD AND DELISSER

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