Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-08-12

ground, in the old keep of the town. The
stone walls steamed with damp, litter Of
foul straw formed the bed, and broken
pitcher of ditch-water with parallelogram
of black bread, formed the fare. Ill lodg-
ing and worse table for a man not recover
ed from an ague feverl As day passed and
night advanced, poor Kaspar became ex-
tremely detected. The excitement Of an
ger, too violent for his bodily strength,
yielded to the reaction of utter desponden-
Icy. He saw that he had no chance of JUS
ticc, that his gold crowns were gone from
him for ever. Where was the dot for his
little Bettlne! where was the sustenance of
his old age? Nay, was il even clear that
either the blue eyes Of Bettine, or old age
|, litself-always desired, though always fear
ed-were visions TO be realizedl A stran-
ger in this accursed town, his despoer
n hurgomaster, his despoiler's brother his
T judge, might it not 60 hard with his neck
He had manned his host, he had wounded
an officer of justice, he had flattened down
the hat over the sacred head of the chief
magistrate himself, offences less than which
might justify the hanging of him. Deeper
and deeper, darker and darker, grew the
melancholy shade OF his reflections.
Poor Kaspar Karnerachl Tha; vision of
thy little Bettine, which had go often cheer
ed thee in thy hardships, consoled thee in
THY privations, reused in the dread battle,
warmed thee in thy hardships, consoled thee
in thy privatious, reused in the dread battle,
warmed thee amid the SHOWS of the bivou-
ac--that vision now became thy bitterest
torture! Thou sawest her before thee no
longer blithe-eyed and laughing, running to
meet thee nj the threshold, twining her
small hands round thy neck, and renewing
the light heart of tiny youth with sweet kis-
ses; not thus, but pale and Borrowing, an
orphan depending on the stranger for bread,
doomed henceforth TO harsh words and hard
drudgery. And thou didst hear rude voices
cry To her, 'up, lazy one, and work; for thy
father, on whom we counted, il dead, and
thy hands must earn thy bread Lower
and lower on his broad chest dropped the
soldiers head-heavily, heavily. Tears
gushed from his eyes. And not a friend,'
; he murmured, mot n friend to save mel
No Justice upon earth! And as to Heaven,
what right has man Of violence and strife
to count OH its aid! No help, no help!
Look up, Kaspar Knrnerachp said
voice in his ear, look up. Thou callest
not in vain. can deliver thec.'
Startled, and scarce believing his ears,
, Kaspar looked up, and though just before
the cell had been in profound darkness, he
now perceived that a pale but steady light
circled through the desolate space, light
like that Of morning, while before him stood
a small figure, yelled from head to foot; but
through them glowed, like balls of fire, two
eyes fixed on his own.
The soldier thought TO falter mn aue, but
} his memory failed him, aud the stranger
continued:
,Y..... X..cor,,h ,,,,bo,, ,,,, by hi,
time tomorrow thou wilt be n corpse, and
thy Bettinc an orphan. While | speak,
Thy host is with his brother the judge. He
has every reason both Of interest and ven
geance, to urge thy death; he has stolen thy
crowns, and thou hast cut off his ear. The
Judge is against thee, for thou hast assault
ed him; the public is against thee for th0u
art n stranger. There will be rare hooting
around thy gallows treep
and who art thoup asked Kaspar, try
ing TO pluck up his courage; and what
share Of my crowns dost thou ak for saving
my life, and regaining the restP
Not one,' said the stranger.
'Wilt thou do it then, from pure love Of
mei'
From pure love Of thee, certainly
Then all can say quotb the soldier,
'is that | thank thee heartily; and if ever
thou hast need Of me in return, thou hast
only to say, up, Kaspar, want thee
That quite satisfies me, if the contract
is little more formal. On my part ! un-
dertake TO obtain thy acqnittal, to get thee
back thy treasure 10 send thee safe home
to Betrine. On thine, thou hast but TO de-
clare that thou leavest to my disposal, now
and for ever, what remains OF thee after
thy DEATH
NO. said the soldier, that goes TO Bet
tine. cannot make thee my herr
.Fool,' replied the stranger, do not
seek 10 despoil Thy daughter. only ask
thee that which thou can-t not leave to her
nor 10 earth; IN n word, that invisible and
abStract essence of which ia life thou hast
made precious little use, and which the
scholars will tell thee 10 look for in Il part
of thy Uranium which thnu hast never heard
Of; in n word what remains of thee after
llfe-ihy souln
HAP said the soldier, recoling with a
shudder. Then thou art the tempter,
against whom the priests warn ~. Avaunt,
Satanl get thee behind me. lspurn and
spit upon thee"
Tut said the stranger, calmly, 'if ]
were not fond of doing things in n legal and
busineSs-lke manner ] should leave thee To
hang; sure that | shall have thee all the
same, with bond or without. Hast thou
not committed sius enough 10 mortgage a
score Of souls more precious than thine!-
/ Reflect. Since the age Of seventeen TO for
ty-eight hast thou not been engaged IN blood |
.hed and rapinc? Recollect all the throats
thon hast cut, the towns thou hast fired, the
houses thou hast sacked"
IN the fair way of my trade, ms n sol,lier,'
said Kaspar; my rnptain must pay for me
liz am wrong. Go tn him.
And is ii the captain who is to blame
for that little affair in Mollavia, when thou
didst rifle three monks and their abbot, and
didf get drunk upon the risdales Of the