Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-09-14

in private audience"
The letter Was signed by a secreta-
ry.
Tho other letters ire the same SUD er-
>cription: Oswald ran his eyes over their
contents rapidly. IN one of them d hook
seller offered hlm an enormous sum lor
his last Volume oi poetry; in another a
countess propose 10 him private inler
view.
All in tac, contained that fierce and vo.
lup,uous incense 10 vanity which rises
50 naturally in The brain OF ambition.
Oswald then observed upon the snlrcr
two other letters written upan common pa
per.
He opened disiainlul,y the first and
read
"My LoRD;-I have written to you
several times withou, your having conde.-
scended 10 rculy 10 me builh bitterness
OF misfortune which pursues nv aged
IN ,lhcr and mysel. has tempted me ouce
more 10 relueS, your assistance
Oswald trembled, glanced DOWN hur-
rledy for the sign lture and read The name
o; Rose
He then remembered III al he hal pur-
chased his wealth and his celebrity nj the
price of his love, and throwing ASIDE the
letter, he o2enei the second.
SMY DEAR SoN:-When this, my lasl
letter reaches YOU shall have ceased 10
exist. Vainly have callei you 20 my
bed of death vainly have prayed md in
plored Gpi, asking tho supreme favor of
embracing my son before my last farewell
to this world of sorrow. i, appears that the
grandeur and magnificence which sur
rounds YOU has closed your heart 10 every
cry ami tie of nature "
My father" exclaimed Oswald with d
cry OF bitter anguish.
He OBSERVED agp!n The date OF the letter
and thought nc had been mistaken in it,
The letter was dated in the month of March
1880. Now. the day on which Oswald had
quilted his study room. was The l6h Of
Fe5uarv 1858.
lie turnei toward his steward aghns,
"My lord is the victim of mistake.
Fian.z his valet GO chambre, has brought
him some Old letters instead of presents 2
those of The day"
How exclaimed Oswald, these let
tcrs-"
care three years old. 1t is ten years
since my lord was student in the univer-
sity Of Heidelberg, aud three since his fa.
,her the burgomas.er ,iiei. We are now
IN the year 1853. My lord has been
rudely shocked itlstrue bv the intelligence
OF this cruel loss, but death is the law OF
nature and must be submitted lo. But on
the other hand. my lord is, after oil the
iavorite ot fortune he has an income of 4
million lhalers, he stands frs, in His
ftajesty's 5 favor it is even umored that he
is to be sent to England"
IN y-ialher. Rose" murmered Oswald.
''how does i. happen that have received
nothing learned nothing?"
Par ION me, observed the steward re-
spec,fully, my lord torgets that was
his steward, and that my particular care
was tha, his perfect felicity should not be
disturbed by anything, and my lord knows
that i; is always more painful to learn
just rs one is starting for n ball that ones
father is dead, -at the moment when one
is about TO fulfill an engagement with
some fair one that ones first and true
love is plunged in almost irrc,rievabie
misery"
'But who then arc you!' exclaimed Os
wald with shudder.
81 am my lorc's steward"
'BI, Your name? your name?"
"Ah!" said the singular unknown? "you
wish 10 learn my name? Listen then. "
And then. indeed another mclamorphuse
took place; the fat well clad seward dis
appeared npd Oswald perceived i'll an arm
chair, in n corner of The fireplace with
his legs croosed and smiling the most iron.
ital of smiles, the little old man with the
heavy grey over coat. blue spectacle,
threadbare and ragged CATERS crooked nails
who had years ago. appeared in his study
chamber.
"Wcll, bu,," said he with his little dry
and grating laugh, my nan.o is we'll
known, my lord, am the mos influential
personnge of our age. it is who change
brass INTO GOLD and obscuriy into re-
nown.
"Nen call me EGoTisM."
Oswald uttered n cry of bitter grief:
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "what is fortune
and celebrity when compared with happ- !
ness? Aud who will bring nc back Rose
my dark eyed laughing love, and my old
father, seated upon his door bench smoking |
his long cherry pipe and offering mo his
wise counsels?''
Scarcely hnd Oswald pronounced these
words when n iremenduos noise arose
around him; the little old man vanished J
like a shadow. the walls of the sumpluous
chamber appeared TO fall. and Oswald re-
ceiving n violant shock, found himself
again in his old arm chnir of iailered
Utrecht velvet, liz corner Of the fire.
place OF his study. The weather was still !
dark and lowering. the Nekar ogitated by
north wind, the rain continued to pet dis
maly against the window panes, and Os-
wald was no more tho opuIent fnvorite of
the King--but beside him was Rose who |
pressed tendorly his hands; near Rose. sat
his father, the old burgomasler, smoking |
calmly his long pipe aud saying with
smile:
"Since you love Rose, and she loves you