The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-10-16
- d happened, chat in his .wander

10 90 happened, that in his sswander
Hans had played his fiddle at many
dance = very dangerous position; for his chin
resting on the ssmerry bit of wood, as the an
cient Friend termed that instrument, and his
head leaned ON one side, he had plenty Of OPP
portunity to watch the movement of plenty Of
fair maids in the dance, as well as occasionally
to whirl them round in the everlasting waltz
himself Accordingly, Hans had left his heart
many times, for week or ten days or so, behind
him, in many town and dorf OF bohemia and
Germany; but it always came after him and
overlook him again, except on one OCCASION
Among the dalnsels of the Bohmer-Wald VINO
had danced to the sound Of his fiddle, there was
certain substantial bergman's or master-min-
some odd association with his fiddle, was con-
tinuaIly coming UP as he played his old airs, and
could not be got out again, especially as he fan
cied that the comely and supplemented creature
had lurking fondness for both his music and
himself.
Away he went; and he was right. The dam
sci made no objection to his overtures. Tall.
stout, fresh, pleasant growth OF the open air and
the hills, as she was, she never dreamed OF de-
spising the little skipping tailor of Rapps, tho
he was shorter by the head than herself She
had heard his music, and evidently had danced
after it. The fiddler and fiddle together filled
up her ambition But the old people! they were
m perfect Mysteries of wrath and Indignation
Their daughter, with the exception of one bro.
ther. now absent on visit to his uncle in Hun
carv. a great gold miner in the Carpathan noun
fains. the sole remnant Of an old, substantial
house, which had fed their flocks and their herds
on the hills for three generations, and now drew
wealth from the heart of these hills themselves!
1t was death! poison! pestilence The girl must
be mad; the hop-o'-my- thumb scoundrel must
carry witch powder!
Nevertheless, as Hans and the damsel were
agreed. everything else-threats, denunciations,
sarcasms, cuttings off with shilling, and loss OF
a ponderous dowry-all went for nothing They
were married, as some thousands were before
them in Just like circumstances. But II the 3D.
hemian maid was not mad, it must be confessed
that Hans was rather so. He was monstrously
exasperated at the contempt heaped by the heavy
bergman on the future Burgermeister of Rapps,
and determined to show little spirit. AS his
fiddle entered into all his schemes, he resolved
to have music at his wedding; and no sooner did
he and his bride issue from the church, than out
broke the harmony which he had provided. The
fiddle played merrily, you'll repent, repent
repent; you'll repent, repent, repent and the
bassoon answered, in surly tones, "And soon
and soon'' 81 hope, my DEAR" said the bride:
uYou dom mean the words for us. "No, love,
explained Hans, gallantiy; 81 don't say I'VE, but
.you,'-that is, certain naughty people on these
hills. that shall be nameless." Then the music
PLAYED till they reached the inn where they din,
ed. and then set off in handsome hired carriage
for Rapps.
1t IS true, that there little happiness IL
this affair to any one. The old people were full
of anger, curses, and threats oftotal disownment
Hans pride was pricked and perforated, till hi
was as sore as if he had been tatooed with hi:
own needle; and his wife was completely drown
ed in sorrow at such parting with her parents
and with no little sense Of remorse tc' her disc
bedience Nevertheless, they reached home
things began gradually to assume more com
posed aspect Hans loved his wife; she lovet
him; he was industrious, she was careful; ant
they trusted, in time, to bring her parents round
when they should see that they were doing wei
in the world
Again the saving scheme began to haunt Hans
but he had one luckless notion, which was dcs
tined to cost him no little vexation. With the
stock of the shop, he had inherited from his ia
ther a stock of old maxims, which, unlucklly
had not got burnt in the fire with the rest of the
patri,nonial heritage. Among these was one
that woman cannot keep secret. Acting OF
this creed, Hans not only never told his wife o
the project ofbecoming Burgermeister Of Rapps
but he did not even give her reason to suppose
that he laid up shilling: and that she might no
happen to stumble upon his money, he took car
to carry it always about him. twas his delight
when he got into quiet corner, or as he cam
along a retired lane, from his errands, to take |
out and count it, and calculate when it woul
amount to this and that sum, and when the full
sum would be really his own. Now, it happen
ed one day, that having been good deal absorb
ed in these speculations, he had loitered pre-
cious piece of time away; and suddenly coming
to himself, he set off, was his wont, on a kim
of easy trot, in which, his small, light form
thrown forward, his pale, gray-eyed, earnes
looking visage thrown up toward the sky, ant
his long blue coat flying in stream behind him
he cut one Of the most extraordinary figures il
the world; and checking his pace as he entere'
the town, he Involuntary clapped his hand OIL
his pocket, and behold! his money was gone
had slipped away through hole it had worm
In the wildness and bitterness Of his loss, h
turned back, heartily cursing the spinner and tn
weaver of that most detestable piece Of bucran
that composed his breeches pocket, for havin
put it together so villainously that it broke dow
with the carriage of few dollars, half-pence
thimbles, balls Of wax and thread, and few 9th
er sundries, after the trifng wear of seven years
nine months, and nineteen days.
He was peering, step by step, after his los
treasure, when up came his wife, running lik,
one wild, and telling him that he must come tina
instant; for the Ritter of Flachenfiaps had bro
in new liveries for all his servants, and threat
ened if he did not see Hans in five minutes, HI
would carry the work over to the other side o
the street. There was perplexity! The mo
ney was not to be found and if it were found il
the presence of his wife, he would regard it a
no better than lost. He was therefore obliged
to excuse his conduct, being caught in the &C, o
porting after something, to tell, if not lie, a
least the very smallest part of the truth, and say
that he had lost his thimble. The money was
not found, and to make bad worse, he was il
danger OF losing good job, and all the Ritter
work forever, as consequence.
Away he ran, therefore, groaning lnwardly, a
full speed, and, arriving out of breath, saw thu
Ritter's carriage drawn up at his opponent
door NORWOOD upon NORWOOD! His mo
ney was lost; his best customer was lost, ant
thrown into the jaws Of the detested Hippopo
Janus There he beheld him and his man in
prime hustle from day to day, while his owl
house was deserted. All people went where TIKI
Ritter went, of course. The Hippopotamus wa
now grazing and browsing through Hans's rich
est meadows with vengeance. He was flour
ishins out of all bounds. He had got a horse t.
ride out on and take orders, and to all appear
ance was likely to become Burgermeister ten
years before Hans had got ten dollars ofhis own
II was too much for even his sanguine temper
80 RI, &C.