Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-11-19
literary goul, feeding in the charnal house Of


decayed literature.
Wolfgang, though solitary and recluse, was
of an ardent temperament, but for a time tope-
rated merely upon his imagination. He was too
shy and ignorant of tue world to make any adj
vances to the fair, but he was passionate adj
mirer of female beauty, and in his lonely cham
Der would often lose himself in reyeries on forms
and faces which he had seen, and his fancy
would deck out images of lOveliness far surpas-
sing the reality.
While his mind was in this excited and sub
limated state, he had a dream which produced
an extraordinary effect upon him. 1t was OF a
female face oftranscendant beauty. So strong
was the impression it made, that he dreamt Of it
again and again. 1t haunted his thoughts by
day, his slumbers by night: in fine, he became
enamored of this shadow of a dream. This las
ted SO long, that it became one of those fixed
ideas which haunt the minds OF melancholy men,
and are at times mistaken for madness.
Such was Gottfried Wolfgang, and such his
e'tuetivn at tho time have mentioned. He
was returning home late one stUIiny night thro'
some of the old and gloomy streets Of the Mara
is, the ancient part of Paris. The loud claps of
thunder ratified among the high houses of the
narrow streets. He came to the Place de
Greye, the square where public executions
| performed. The lightning quvered about the
pinnacles of the ancient Hotol de Vile, and
! shed Pickering CLEANS over the open space IN
he shrunk back with horror at finding himself
close by the guillotine. 1t was the height of the
reign of terror, when this dreadful instrument
| OF death stood ever ready, and its scaffold was
continually running with the blood of the virtu-
Gus and the brave. 1t had that very day been
actively employed in the work of carnage, and
there it stood in grim array amidst the silent and
sleeping city, waiting for fresh victims.
Woltgang's heart sickeDed within him, and
he was turning shuddering from the horrible
engine, when he beheld shadowy form cover
ing as il were at the foot of the steps which led
up TO the scaffold. A succession of vivid fash
es of lightning revealed it more distinctly. IL
| was a female figure dressed in black. She was
seated on one of the lower steps of the scaffold
leaning forward, her face hid in her lap, and her
long disheveled tresses hanging TO the ground,
streaming with the rain which fell i'm torrents.
Wofgang paused. There was something aw-
full in this solitary monument of wo. The fe-
male had the appearance of being above the
common ordo-- IIe know the times to- be full
OF vicissitude, and that many n fair head, which
had once been pillowed down, now wander
ed houseless. Perhaps this was some poo.
mOurner, " HON the dreadful axe had rendered
desoate, aud who sat heart-broken Oh the stand
| OF existence from which all that was dear to her
had been launched into eternity.
| He approached, and addressed her in the ac-
cents ofsynpatly. She raised her head and
|
ment at behodng, by the bright glare of the
lightning, the very face which had haunted him
| IN his dreams. Ii was pale and disco isolate
but ravishingly beautiful.
| Trembling with violent and conflicting emo
tons, Wo!fgang again accosted her. He spoke
| something OF her being exposed at such an hour
| OF the night, and to the fury of such Storm and
offered TO conduct her to her friends. She point
ed to the guilotne with a gesture of dreadful
| Specification.
| ''ihave no friends eartln said she.
'5u, you have iome," said Wolfgang
| "I es-Sip the grave!n
The heart Of the student melted at the words
III a stranger dare make offcrn said he
| 'without danger of being misunderstood, would
offer my humble dwelling as SHELTER myself as
a devoted friend. i am friendless myself i'm Pa
rIs, and stranger in the land; but if nv life
could be of service, it is at your disposal and
should be sacrificed before harm or indirnitv
should come TO you."
! There was an honest earnestness in the youpp
mans manner that had its effect. His foreign
! accent, too, in his favour; it showed him
not to be a hackneyd inhabitant of Paris. In
| deed there is an eloquence in true enthusiasm
| that is not to be doubted The homeless stra,,
ger confided herself implicitly to the protect on
of the student.
He supported her faltering steps across tn.
| Point Neuf, and by the place where the statue
of Henry the Forth had been oyertbrown by the.
| populacc. The storm had abated and thethun
der rumbled at distance. All Paris " as uuirt:
that great volcano Of human passion sIum6ereo
| tor while, to gather fresh strength for the mex (
days eruption. The student conducted his
charge through ti'e ancient streets of the Pas
Latin and by the dusky walls of the Sorbonn,.
to the great dingy hotel which he inhabited.
The old FORTRESS who admitted ;iem stared with
surprise at the unusual sight of the melancholy
WolfGanS with a female companion.
On entering his apartment, the student. for
the first time, blusiIed at the scantiness and in
difference of his dwelling. He had but one
chamberlain old-fasIioned saloon-.l,cayj!y
carved and Enthusiastically furnished with the re-
mains of former nagniticencc, for it was one oil
those hotels IN the quarter Of Tie Luxembourg
palace which had once belonged 10 nobility.
twas numbered with books and papers, aud all
the usual apparatus of a student, and his bed
stood IN recess at one end.
When lights were brought, and {yoIfranp
mad better opportunity OF contem: iatinc the
stranger, he was more than ever intoxicated
by her beauty. Her face was pale, bat ofdaz
Iing fairness. set off by proitlson of raven
hair that hung clustering about it. Her eve,
were large and brilliant with singular express
sion that approached almost to widness As
lar as her black dress permitted her shape TO be
seen, ii was of perfect symmetry. Her whole.
appearance was highly striking, though, size " g
dressed IN the simplest style. The only thing
| approaching to an ornament which she wore
was broad black band round her neck. cE,sn-
! ed by diamonds.
! The pcrplexlty now commenced with the stu
dent how to dispose of the helpless being thus