The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-27
rHR INTERvIRw

rived ut the house uesiSnated Dy the unknown
lesses-writer Il was situated in by street,
and Of unaghtly exterior. Baler concluded
thereby Of the new acquaintance. Just in the
act Of opening the door, and glad that without
trouble be had reached the termination of his
walk, he sAw two young men Suddenly turn
/ tho corner, and Giobcn IN company with seve-
raj of6cars stood before him
@Sternhofln cried the former, quite aston
ished, what Art thou doing here Whittier
away, en- dem tosistfs y
Z" have business answered Baier, shortly.
q 1t ,rust be pressing that can drive thee out
20 early. ] wager thou art going the same
way with Us. We 60 TO hear Fisher; yester.
day she sang agaiu most divinelyn
Then good bye" replied Baler; II don't 60
to hear Fisher.D
Thou dost act very mysteriously. There
is something in this, Probably meeting with
some other pretty child. Hey, hey Sternhof
take care Of myself; don't let Countess Eisheim
know anything about it; she is said to be very
| strict in such affairs
There abe is right On that account she
! ~ cold towards thee
Globen whom nothing could put out of
oountenaDce, smilingly answered Thou SEEM
est to be exceedingly sure. We will now wait
| No. 3 We shall take notice of this But no
person Of distinction lives in this house all OBJ
scure people, so far Us know
Baler,s ili-humor, at this inalisitorial Inter
mezzo, increased with every moment of the un-
necessary detention. He had difficulty in over
coming his chagrin " II is very delicate
concern said be, with badly concealed anger,
| and thou wilt do me the favor, Globen, to press
| it no further
ooh. thou art perhaps a second Duke of
| Gerolstein canst penetrate the depths of mise
cry, and art seeking to lay up treasure in se-
cret poor business my friend, that only
resps for us ingrattude and yexation. Adleu
! for. the present will no longer detain thee
from driving the tears of woe, and filing the
empty hands OF poverty And with q laugh
of double meaning, and sly look, Globen hasted
after the officers who had gone far ahead, leav-
ing the highly excited Baler to himself But
he knew not what adventure awaited him. and
already feared the result, as giving grounds for
Globen's rsilery and Erikas rigor. Hastily
he assembled two narrow flights Of stairs, pull
ed the bell when a strange female voice utter
ed gentle "conle in and immediately there
stood before him lady, not young but pretty,
who appeared to have just risen from a sofa to
meet him, bat contending with evident emo
ton, and who spasmodically seized the back Of
chair TO keep her from falling
Sternhof bowed and cast an inquring glance
on the singularly agitated person, He could
| not recolleet having seen her face of any time,
and his curiosity thirsted to be satisfied.
A little while passed, In which, as they stood
| opposite they silently scrutnized each other,
ere the stranger gained sufficient resolution TO
| express a few words
hYou are Count Sternhof?" at length in
quired faltering voice.
| The same" answered Raier, "who yester-
day through mysterious billet was summoned
| hither Dare ! hope to find my unknown let
ter-writer now before me 7"
| The stranger gave an asserting bow, and de-
sired Baler to take seat beside her. 81 have
much, very much, TO communicate TO you, said
she, with suppressed voice Will you patient
| ~ hear me Count Sternhoffo
/ Baler assured her that he was prepared to
wait her time And indeed his expectation in
4 creasod with every minute ia the presence OF
this enigmatical being whose emotion was jus,
as inexplicable as the whole interview. He
saw tears on tho eyelashes Of the aRitated wo
man heard her tremulous voice, felt her eau
tious looks resting inquiringiy on him. and
knew not how to account for these signs b
anxiety flowing from the heart
g | knew your parents Count Sternhoff sale
i the stranger.
/ "A happiness that envy you replied Ba
Ter, for was too young when bereft of them
10 have any remembrance Of them
| The lady sighed, They were three years
in the house OF your uncle, Count Waldemar OF
Sterphof He was an amiable man your
aunt woman full Of sympathy. Has no one
ever spoken to you Of your tathefand motherg'
III have been told that they both died early,
and that ], an orphan, was an adopted child
| San orphan Yes, truly answered the
stranger, with painful twitching OF the lips,
$50 you know not the past life Of your mother
to this moment since You lost herr"
| "Non said Baler nor have ! ever sought
| to investigate the details ] know only 30 much,
| that my mother was born at Schoenholm and
her father was colonel in the Swedish SER
| vice.
aQuite correct, where he had the misfortune
10 fall, together with his horse, and left sick
| " widow with one child, who could but lisp
his name This child, who had soon to suffer
second even greater loss, was brought as
poor weakly object to the house Of your grand
parents, where it was treated like g srouble-
some and announcement burden. This was your
| mother, Count SternhofD
| BaIer could not suppress slight resentment
at this communication. The dependence in
which his mother was Obliged to five wounded
him
why this retrospect of the past, SO far
gone ~ asked he,
q In order to understand the present. was
! the reply Your mother had cloudy infan-
| cy, Count Sternhof She was not beloved, and
| none could need love more than she. Reqni-
ring more care TO develop her energies Ike
other children she was neglected, and thus
came later TO maturity. She was therefore
obliged to hear much derision, and, AZ every
opportunity, remarks how the vanity Of pa
rents and tutors required TO be gratifed She
| was loaded with iuyectives and reproaches,
| could not hope to DO cheerful and unrestrained,
| like those Of her own age, for che was inlme-
diately panied with the anxiety OF incorring
| reproof and Dissatisfaction
II presume that your destiny 10 linked with
| that Of my mother, interrupted Balcr, since
yon so exactly know all the particulars OF her
| youth
Under these distressing circumstances your
| mother grew up, depressed with the persuasion
! of her woythiessness awkwardne~s and power
| .y OF genius, and in proportion to her age the
stronger became her doubt even 10 certainty,
1 that Der existence eonduced only TO the tor
mept of those around her In her fourteenth
/ wear she was placed at Il boardng-school, 10
| BE fitted for gouyegnante---a station the hu-
mjIiations, seifdenials, aud repulses OF which
she did not foresee. Without. regret she left
! that house in which she had prolonged sor-
rowful existence, TO betake herself to another,
| where she was treated with more ssrictness
| bat less overbearaDce There she was among
| her equals, found some enjoyment in the in
terchange of childish feelings, wishes and
prospects and the religious Instruction she
received there was Ike healing balm 10 the
wounds which the indiscrees severity Of rels-