The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-03-27
ALBERT LACINER;
or rHE DoPPELG<NGER
From Chsmhsr'. Edinbursh Ioarusi.


and iellow-studeDt We studied together a
Heidelberg; We lived together We had no >,
crets from each other We callel each o,he
by the endoaring name Of brother On lcay
ing the university, Albert decided ou follow
ing the profession Of medcine. | was DO,
sesssd OF u moderate competence and a it'll
estate at Ems, on the Iahu; SO | devoted nv
self to the tranquil life of a propr.e,a,,s and
book dreamer Albert went 10 reside with
physician, as pupil and assistant, a, the littl
town OF Cassel established myself in nv in
heritance.
was delighted with my home with m,
gar'len, soping down to the rushy margin o
the river; with the view OF Ems, the turrcte,
old kurhaus, the suspension bridge. and fur
ther away the bridge Of boats aud the darl
: wooded hills. closing in the little colony OF
every side, planted my garden in the Eng
lish style fitted up library and smoking
room; and furnished one betlchambcr especial
ly for my friend. The room overlooked the wa
ter, and cIematis grrw up round the window
placed there bookcase, and filed il with his
avorite books hung the walls with cngravings
which knew he admred AMI chose drape
ries Of his favorite color When all was CON
plete wrote 10 him, and babe him come aud
spend bis snmmer-holiday with me a, Eyns
I fie came but found him greatly altered
Tie was n dark, pale man always somewhat
taciturn aud sickly, he was now paler, more
silent, more delicate than ever He seemed
snbject 10 fits OF melancholy abstraction. and
appeared as il some all.absorbing subject
weighed upon his mind---somc haunting care,
| from which ven was excluded.
lie had never been gay. it is true; he had
never mingled in our Heidelberg extrayigan-
ccs-ncver fought duel at the IIrschgass,-
never bcen one Of the fellowhood OF Foxes
never boatcd, and quarrced, and gambled
! like the res, Of us, wild boys us we were But
then he was consti,utionay untitled for such
violent sports; and lameness which dated
[ from his early childhood. proved All cticctual
bar TO the practice Of all those athletic exer-
cises which secure to youth the Biens mna IN
I corpore sGno. Still, he was strangely altered /;
and il cut me TO the heart TO see him 70 sad,
aud not to be permitted 10 partake Of his
anAietics At first thought he had been stu
dying too closely; but this he protested was
not the case. Sometimes | fancel that he
WAS IN love, but was soon convinced Of nv
error; he vas changed---but how or why,
found it impossible 10 discover.
After he had been with Inc about "a week,
Glanced one day 10 aude to the rapid pro-
grcss that was making everywhere in favor Of
mesmerism, aud added some light words OF in
crednliiy as spoke. To my surprise he ex
pressed his absolute faith in every department
Of the science, and defended all its phenomena
~ e.' ...l a,,u n,.'I,c reve'a.on
found his views on this subject more ex,
tended than had previously heard To mes
meric influences, he attributed all those spec
,ral appearanccs, such Us ghosts wraiths, and
dopplegangers; all those noises and troubled
spirits; all those bansIlees Of family appnri-
tions; all those haunting and miscellaneous
phenomena, which have from the earliest ages
occupird the fears. the thoughts. aud the inqu-
ries Of the human race.
After about three weeks stay. he left me, and
returned TO his medical studies at Cassel, prom.
ising to visit me in the autumn, when the grape
/ harvest should be in progress. His parting
words were earnest and remarkable Fare
well. Heinrich, Mein Bruder'; farewell till the
gathering aason. In though, shall often be-
with YOU"
. He was holding nv hands in both his own
a, he said this. and n peculiar expression fit.
ted across his coun,epance: the next moment,
he had stepped into the diligence. and was
gone. Feeling disturbed. yet not knowing
why. ] made nv way slowly back 10 my cot
tagc. This visit Of Albert had strangely un-
settled me, and found that for some days ai.
ter hi, dcparture. | could not return 10 the old
nuiet round OF stnlics which had becn my oc
I cupation and deligh, before h. came Some
how, our long arguments dwtlt unplcasanty
upon nv mind. and indeed nervous sensation
ot which fl, ashamed had 10 wish 90 he
lieyc: I struggled against conviction, and th,
very struggle caused the TO think Of il the more
At'last The effect wore away anil when ms
friend had been gone about a fortnight, return
=, almost ;asessi,,ly 90 ..ly fermer -outpe q
= thonaht and occupation Thus the season
slowly advanced. Fms became crowded will
? tourists. attracted thither by the fame Of oul
, medical springs and what with frequentine
concerts. pronena,iea. and gardens reading
} receiving a few friends. occasionally tnkins
mar, in Inc music meetings. which are 80 muci
thc fashion here. and entering altogether int,
a little more society than had hitherto been ~,
hai,j, | succo,,Icd 10 lapishiug entirely fron
nv mind the doubts and reflections which ha,
Q .o much disturbed me.
One evening. a. was returning h5newari
{ from the house of a friend 10 the town. OK
norienccl delusion. which. to say the least o
! Il. caused me a very disagreeabe sensation.
have stated that ms cottage wa. situated on ,b
bank Of the river, and was surrounded by
, garden. The entrance lay at the Other .ldc
. by the high road hu, sH iond of boating