Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-11-19
IDA ROSENHEIM.
TALE OF THE CONTINENTAL CHOLERA.

n AALh Ot CHOLERAs
The pestiIence was spreading wide
Iy at Berlin, and hourly were new vic
| Tins offered up at the altar of despair
but in the palace Of Rosenheim al
was still the same uninterrupted festiv
ity.-Guests disappeared from tn,
banquet AID jewellers from the was.
sail board; but Herman of Rosenhein
blanched not at their absence, and the
laugh and the wine-song were heard
echoing through the lonely square
long after the midnight chimes. Ida,
the beautiful Ida, was ever the splen-
did mistress of the forest, till the revel
began to grow warmer and wilder,
and she fed away TO her chamber, and
casting aside her gliuering robes and
braided pearls, wept long and sadly for
the coming ruin of her house. Every
festal exclamation of her father, struck
harshly upon her, for she knew that
the demon of gaming was in his heart,
and in every laugh there seemed to her
tone that sounded like the echo oil
its fiendish mockery. Yet she silently
bore the loss Of the ancestral jewels OF
her race, though she knew the dia-
monds and sapphires, the opal and ia
cinths, which had adorned the depart
ed beauties of Rosenheim, were night
ly cast away by her father as lightly as
her own fair hands would shake off the
dew drops from a rose bud. One
string of pearls IA rosary Of the Virgin
alone remained to deck the last daug1l-
ter Of the house of Rosenheim when
she presided at her fathers table; but
many there thought the rich CLEAN of
her ringlets, pouring like veil of gol-
den silk over her brow and bosom,
and the violet light of her modest eyes
were lovelier in their unadorned beauty,
than when the pearls were gathered in
her hair like snow amid sunshine, and
diamonds clasped her robe from ANGLE
to bosom. Ida had remarked that Otto
of Wolfstein, to her the most disagree
able of her fathers associates, had
lately become peculiar in his attentions
and distressing in his assiduities, and
saw her father smile as her white hand
trembled in the eager grasp of Ouo's,
as he led her to her seat, or kneltbefore
her as she touched her Lutte, with an
air of romantic gallantry.
Love, the lost Elysium Of the soul,
the true Paradise which fled our first
parents as they shrunk beneath the
primal curse, had never yet touched
the pure heart of Ida; it was the theme
of all around her, the burthen Of the
songs her own sweet singing voice
poured forth TO the response other lutte,
bot to lIrr it was as yet the ideal ofthe
passion-a word Of enchantment, hav-
ing no master power over the talisman
of her thoughts. Count Otto had face
and form calculated at the first glance
TO call forth feeling of admiration;
his courtly address and easy gaiety,
seemed as if they might win him the
world; but careful observer of his
faultless face could see that all was not
bright beneath, and his large and sin
gularly radiant eyes, had an iHdescri-
bable meaning in their glance, attimes
from which the gazer shrunk, and
knew not why. His addresses soon
became too pointed to be mistaken
even by the simplicity Of Ida; but love,
the angel of Eden, came not to bright
en- her heart with his celestial visit
ing.
She was sitting alone one night, lis
tening, with an evil divining spirit, TO
the frantic mirth of the group in the
/ anquetting room, when hurried steps
were heard in the corridor, and her
father suddenly entered the chamber.
and closing the door looked upon her
in silence; he was pale, and his haugh-
ty features, had strange sternness in
them; and thick heavy curls were sIa-
ken from his lofty forehead, and Ida
trembled as she met his fixed and fear
fol glance. Pushing aside her en-
broidery frame, she rose. TO meet him
but with rapid step he approached,
and Selling her hands exclaimed.
'1da! my daughter, trembIe not;
thou art my only child, thy beauty is
my price! My idol! born to preserve
thy father, should not triumph when
l look upon thee?"
"Thou art my fate, father" muir
INJURED Ida; 81 understand thee not
thy looks are strangely aItered!'
"LoOIs, girl! tell thee my destiny
is changed. The lord of Rosenheim
is beggar! and thou and / are out
casts! tonight we must go forth alone
and unattended; thou hast no longer a
home, Ida, but in a fathers heart!
Shrink not, maiden, thou hast taken |
pearls from thy hair and rubies from
thy bosom at my bidding, knowest
thou for what purpose? They we're
to ruin, to that destruction
which has reached us both; tonight |
have lost all, name, fame, home and |
honor! saw my last possession fall |
from me, and when l looked upon the |
face of NV docfroxor 4bo GorJ oxr<,lrss /