Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-11-26

out L e3plaGeO lnlS unnOly ASSunS dlter-
wards in remorse and with many tears.
was shy lad-a plodding student,
and destined for one of the learned pro-
fessions, no matter which, and hence the
book-worm was well known in the clois-
tiers of Gottengen; as well as in the streets
of my native town-a clean, picturesque
old relic of the mid-ages, lying on the
side of the leaping Rhine, with woods and
mountains behind, and monster towers,
and old abbey walls within. And Nina
was the daughter of near neighbor-
fair. as the Margaret of 'Faust'-tender
as a young fawn, with love-light in her
eyes, with beauty on cheek and lips,
and white open brow not to be rivalled,
and with music in her voice that could
subdue me into arsand trembling when
its touching depths were giving utterance
to- pity or compassion.
Nina was.the goddess of my idolatry,
therefore, and she was loved without ri
valry or reservation. loved my books
and my studies, but these now became
the mere auxiTiaries of my passion for
her. 1t was through these mediums that
I conveyed to her the overpowering sense
that changed my nature, and made me
the willing bondslave of her dear face.
Night or day, present or absent, it mat
tered not, she. was never from my
thoughts and yet all this time-strange
to say-I never told: her of my affection.
1t did not strike me as being necessary.
So long as 1 enjoyed her society, sat with
her in her chamber, sang to her the love
Keders of our land which had been the ex-
porfents of love to thousands gone before,
and would be again the same to thou
sands after. me so long as / wandered
with her in the woods, and sat at her
feet by the bubbling streams to read to
her--So long as we gathered the wild
spring flowers in the meadows-so long
as was wholly hers, without; giving it
further thought, whether she was mine
or not, it mattered little. Truly my love
was not selfish after all. for gave her all.
and did not ask for any in return. 1t
was sufficient for me that l had to love.
wilt thou not see, Karl, my chile"
my godfather said to me before parting,
i" that she treats Gottleib, the hunter, with
the same frankness as she doeth thee %
Wilt thou be blind to the fact. unhappy
child, that the manly fellow loves? for
gcttest thou how he saved her life once,
when the Rhine was bearing her away,
and thou vert standing on the bank,
wringing thy hands in utter hopeless
ness"
"W WAY, but, said 1, "was, it not to
me she fastened first. nd'kissing me on
the forehead, bade me be of good cheer.
for she was safe. while she only gave her
hand to Gottleib, and rendered him
thanks
+ "Posr boyP' said the old man to me very
piteously, ".thou art blinded by thy
passions. Thou wilt awaken some day,
and thy bright dreams will die forever
may thy waking be not too rude = and
again he sighed, and put, his hand tender
| Iy on my forehead.
''I do not fear" said 1, and truly !
did not. " She knows my truth, and
am going now to give her soma lilies
from the pool, which she will CHERISH for
10! she gave me these but yesterday, and
bade me keep them for her sake" ," and
took out of my breaSta bunch of pansies,
and showed them to him, and then kis-
sed them ere l returned them back to
their hididg-plaee.
:" Go my child" he then added after
pause. 81 would not discourage the
young-may nothing more bitter than
disappointment vex my soul. We must
all suffer in turn, and, and it may be bet
ter now, than it should occur years hence"
| left him thinking over his words
but could not comprehend them. l saw
that he had no faith in the prospect OF
Nina's loving me, and for the first time a
great disquiet came upon me. Mine eyes
were opened to the truth that l had re-
ceived from her lips no words. of promise
in return for mine
A glimpse of something dark and un-
defined, filled me with vague dread
1t was like the sense of death-of eXtine-
tion-of darkening of the sun--a retrea-
ting of the universe into the blackness OF
chaos. that for the first time came with
mysterious awe upon my soul.
'Gottleib was fine fellow, too, strong
of form, agile in limb, with the eye OF an
eagle, and the courage of a lion. He was
one of the boldest hunters of the depart
ment, and had frank word and ready
smile for everybody 1 know well how
he would stand under Nina's window
while l was in the chamber with my
book-and greet her with good NOR
row, and give her the feathers of the
grey eagle he had shot, or some trophy
of the chase and .wbeRi1 too, rose up
and Joined Nina at the window, and smiled
down my :" good day. to him, how his
smile was even brighter and his honest
voice more grateful to my ears. l knew
all this but he also must know how
loved Nina; and he could never have che
rished the design ofrobbing me of F{
hearts dear love, just as little eOqlc l
suppose he would drive his hunting hIle
into my breast for Gotleib neverihlrt q
human thing. If at any time l thoght 1t
pity he should kill the young elamols;